How does payment work at BookYogaLifeRetreats?

We aim to give host and guest the flexibility and freedom to operate with the least amount of constraints. You as the business owner know your business best and our aim is to partner with you and help your business grow. We assist you by helping your business optimise your online presence and ensure your retreats are marketed in the best possible light so you can attract more quality guests.
We simplify the booking process by only taking a 14% deposit fee which is very attractive to potential guest thus ensuring you have fuller retreats. If there is a payment processing fee we pass that on. Typically, VISA, Mastercard and PayPal charge a processing fee of 3%.
Once the booking is completed on our platform, we enable you to communicate with your guest so you can ensure your booking process, systems, checks and balances are maintained. As different host have different payment options, we encourage you to discuss directly with your guest such payment details.
We recommend the host requests from the guest a full payment at the latest 10days prior to the start of the retreat. Typically most host will request full payment from their guest anytime between 30days to 10 days prior to starting date of the retreat.

When do I pay the commission to BookYogaLifeRetreats?

Our commission structure of 14% is paid upfront thus once you receive a booking you no longer have to worry about paying commissions etc. It’s a simplified process so you can go back to doing what you do best, running great retreats!

How do I add a retreat:

Log in (or sign up) as a partner host. Create a new listing by following the prompts. Saving each section moves you to the next section, basically follow the prompts. You can watch the video on how to add a listing which you will automatically receive when you register as a host. If you still have questions, review the HOST FAQ’s page. If you need help you can always reach out to us and we will assist you further.

What is the best format for my listing:

Our research has shown that the optimum format for increasing your listing’s marketability is: Retreat Example: Number of Hours, Number of Days, Motivation Word, Type of Yoga, Retreat Type (e.g YTT, wellness retreat), Location For example: 200hours, 28 days, Ignite your spiritual awareness, Hatha, Vinyasa, Teacher Training Retreat in Rishikesh.
We ask that you follow this format which also helps us approve your listing faster.

What is the best way to do my listing:

1) Detail: Pay attention to all the details in your listing. Start with a tittle that grabs and holds the imagination. Make sure all the fields in the listing are filled and are grammatically correct. Avoid leaving fields blank. Make sure your description of the retreat’s details paint an amazing picture and show how fantastic the retreat is. So, take the time to make the retreat details beautiful.
2) Reviews: Make sure your reviews are showing at the bottom of your listing. All guests will check you out via your reviews so make sure they are part of your listing and of course your reviews are good ones. (Reviews are part of the location inputs so make sure you watch the video on uploading a listing)
3) Images and Video: Make sure you have high resolution pictures or videos of all the things your retreat has to offer. The ashram, accommodation, the instructors, any gifts, special events, spas etc.
4) Get your images and videos professionally done. Yes, it’s a cost but you will not regret it! Think about it, if your competitor has professional images whom do you think the guest will book with?

What is the latest time I can list my retreat:

We recommend listing your retreat 6-4 months prior to the start date. We also understand the practicalities of listing a retreat, especially in a COVID-19 world where things are changing so fast thus a minimum of 2 months is required to list a retreat. This enables us to market your retreat and allow for guests to make reasonable preparations for their travels.

My country and location settings aren’t showing correctly:

When inputting your retreat details ensure your country and address details are entered correctly. Watch (re-watch) the “uploading a listing” video to ensure you follow the prompts correctly. Utilize the place ID function as this will enable the reviews of your listing. If you continue to have issues reach out via email to our support team with an email titled “Location Retreat Error” and we will assist you further.

Once my listing is added how long before its live:

We receive hundreds of retreats! They all get reviewed manually from the compliance team. We review your submission, and we ensure the listing meets our standards in terms of presentation quality and off course the listing gets fact checked. By taking the time to list your retreat carefully and ensuring it looks as good as it can, you are streamlining the approval process. If everything in the listing looks good, then hopefully, in 6-8 days your retreat will be live!

Can I advertise a lower price of my retreat on my website:

No, you cannot! We ensure our prices are the most competitive prices …anywhere! That way we can incentivising a guest to book through us. That’s how our Best Price Guarantee works. Without this the guest would simply circumvents us after we have helped them find and connect with the host. We absorb massive costs in order to help guest find the best experiences in the world. We help our hosts showcase their retreats across the globe and thus we expect to be rewarded for the service we provide.

What happens if I book a guest directly and circumvent you:

Well as you can understand that isn’t allowed. We work very very hard to promote your retreat and we spend huge amounts of money on overheads and advertising in order to get you a guest. If you have ever advertised with Google, Facebook and Instagram you understand how hard we work and how much effort and money goes into getting you a guest! If a host seeks to circumvent our service, we see it as a breach of trust. It’s unethical as you agree to our terms and conditions when you sign up as a host. Ultimately, circumventing us is a very short-sighted way of operating as we will find out via reviews, the guest directly, or our algorithm which is designed for this specific purpose. As a result, we will remove your listing and profile which means your back to trying to get guests on your own – which is a real battle as you already know! Not to mention your competitors will be with us thus your potential guest will be directed to your competition.
We seek a partnership where everyone benefits and is a win-win for all involved. Greed doesn’t work long term so by building a partnership of trust you ensure your business grows and thrives long term!

What about Tax?

As different places have different taxes your listing should be listed excluding the tax amount. However, it is mandatory in the “What’s not included” section you outline that the listing price excludes taxes and clearly outline what taxes will be when you invoice your guest.

Can I offer transferable bookings:

Yes, we recommend that you offer transferable bookings. Sometimes unexpected things happen that are beyond our control. Not to mention how the COVID-19 world makes long term plans extra challenging. We recommend one transferable option per retreat. This gives you and the guest the flexibility to manage unexpected changes. The rule of thumb is any changes must be completed 10days prior to the event.

What is the early bird discount?

This option offers our host the opportunity to get the retreat going in terms of the number of guests. The early bird discount offers a lower price to incentivise a guest to book now and get the lower price. The early bird discount is easily accessible on your listing page. Set your price and time that you would like to have this offer active for and it will show up on your listing.

What is a flash sale:

This option is great for filling those last empty mats in your retreat. You can offer a flash sale up to a day before your retreat. In your listing page click the flash sale box, input the date range for the sale to take place and you are done!

How do I receive inquiries?

Bookings and inquiries reach you via email. The first 24 hours after receiving such communications are critical. As you can imagine if a guest communicates with you regarding the retreat and they hear nothing back from you they can get very nervous about making a booking or may start second guessing their booking leading to cancellations etc. So, we ask that you communicate with your guests within 24 hours of receiving any such communication. It can be a simple greeting or a comprehensive guide on how to proceed next.
Ensuring you receive our emails is critical. We all know how those pesky spam folders throw a spanner in the works and make things difficult. So, ensure you “whitelist” our bookingconfirmation@bookyogaliferetreats.com and enquiry@bookyogaliferetreats.com email addresses so you never miss a guest’s booking confirmation.

Can I communicate directly with a guest who enquires but hasn’t booked yet?

Yes, when you receive an inquiry the 24 hour reply rule applies. Communicate directly with the potential guest and when they are ready to book instruct them to do it via our platform. Don’t be tempted to book them directly and circumvent us. Our algorithm will pick it up! Gaining one booking but being banned from our platform is a bad business decision. Remember the adage, so don’t be penny wise but pound foolish!

What is the best way to get payment from a guest:

Once you start communicating with the guest you will need to outline a payment due date. You will have to provide all your banking details so they can transfer the remaining funds. We love TransferWise for its low fees but its up to you which bank you use.

How do I pay you?

You don’t have to. We have streamlined the process so you don’t have to deal with all the logistical challenges of banking etc.

What happens with cancellations:

Given the number of hosts and cancellation policies its near impossible to have a “one” policy fits all. As such we encourage you to clearly show your cancelation policy on the listing as well as articulate it with the guest early on in the conversation. If a cancellation dispute arises, we are happy to liaise with everyone involved and help find a solution.
If you have to cancel the retreat, please reach out to your account manager or our support team and let us know straight away so we can initiate the process.