Deposit and balance: how the payment plan works when you book a boat

A week on a boat is often booked months ahead. Hardly anyone pays the full amount at once – the usual way is a payment plan with a first payment and a balance. Here is how it is set at Go2Boat and what to look out for.

Go2Boat arranges boats from many providers. Your contracting party for the boat and its services is the provider named before payment. That is why their payment plan applies:

• Boats from the providers' booking systems: the plan comes straight from the provider's system – how much is due at booking and when the rest is due. Go2Boat applies it unchanged.
• Boats that owners list directly with us: the owner sets the first payment and the balance deadline. The usual practice, and our default: half at booking, the rest 30 days before the start.

If the start is closer than the balance deadline – say you book two weeks ahead – the full amount is due at once. And in every case the full amount is paid before check-in.

You see the payment plan before paying, with amounts and dates. Payment is by card via Stripe.

Whether a boat can be booked instantly is the provider's decision.

• Instant booking: the date is held with the provider while you pay and confirmed right after. Before payment we check with the provider that it really is still free – never from an old list.
• On request: your card is only reserved, not charged. The provider confirms within 24 hours, within 4 hours when departure is within a week. If they do not confirm, the reservation is released.

The price you see is the final price: rental plus mandatory extras such as final cleaning, plus the extras you choose. Items payable on site to the provider are listed separately. The security deposit is never part of the payment plan: you lodge it directly with the provider, usually at check-in.

The provider's company, name and contact details are released once the first payment has arrived; from then on they are in your booking confirmation, together with the boat, dates, price, payment plan and terms. Before that you see the boat name, base port and whether the provider is professional or private.

What applies on cancellation is set by the provider in their terms. You see them on the boat before booking and in the confirmation. Read them carefully, especially for bookings far in advance.