At a Glance • Key Takeaways
- Automated Efficiency: Streamline online bookings, live availability scheduling, and customer communication without manual intervention.
- Live Capacity & Conflict Prevention: Prevent double-booking across staff, rooms, activity sessions, or rental fleet assets in real time.
- 0% Platform Booking Fees: SmartBookings does not charge transaction fees or take percentage cuts of your ticket sales or customer payments.
1. Overview & Payzone Processing
Payzone is a trusted UK payment provider servicing thousands of independent merchants. Its secure hosted payment form processes ticket sales swiftly while keeping cardholder data off your web servers.
Transparent Pricing: Processor Fees Are Their Own • 0% SmartBookings Fees
Payment Processing Fees: All merchant acquiring rates, interchange fees, and per-transaction processing charges are billed directly by your payment processor under your direct merchant contract.
SmartBookings adds 0% transaction fees! We never clip your ticket sales, charge percentage markups, or take cuts of your customer payments. 100% of your booking revenue settles directly into your own merchant bank account.
2. How to Open a Payzone Account
1 Contact Payzone at payzone.co.uk to set up an online payment gateway facility.
2 Complete merchant underwriting with their acquiring partner (such as AIB or Barclaycard).
3. Retrieving Your Payzone Integration Keys
1 Log into the Payzone Merchant Management System.
2 Note your Merchant ID (MID).
3 In your technical integration profile, locate:
- Gateway Password
- Pre-Shared Secret Key
4. Entering Payzone Credentials in SmartBookings
1 In SmartBookings, navigate to Settings > System Settings (Settings.aspx).
2 Expand Payment Gateways.
3 Tick Enable PayZone.
4 Enter your PayZone MID, PayZone Password, and PayZone Pre-Shared Secret Key.
5 Click the green Update button.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What credentials do I need to connect Payzone to SmartBookings?
You require your Payzone Merchant ID, Password, and your Pre-Shared Key (Hash Secret). These authenticate payment requests from SmartBookings.
Where do I find my Payzone Merchant ID, Password, and Pre-Shared Key?
Log into the Payzone Online Merchant Portal, navigate to Integration Settings > Keys, and copy your gateway credentials.
Can I retain my existing card processing contract with Barclaycard or Elavon through Payzone?
Yes. Payzone operates as a gateway connecting to major UK acquiring banks, allowing you to keep existing banking contracts.
Does SmartBookings add any transaction markups on Payzone payments?
No. SmartBookings adds 0% transaction fees. You pay only your agreed Payzone merchant service charges with zero extra costs.
How do Payzone security hashes protect against transaction tampering?
SmartBookings signs every checkout request with a SHA-512 cryptographic hash using your secret key, preventing third-party tampering with order amounts.
Can reception staff take phone payments through Payzone's virtual terminal?
Yes. Staff can record phone bookings in Book via Admin and process telephone payments through Payzone's Virtual Terminal.
How quickly do Payzone transactions settle into our commercial bank account?
Settled funds transfer to your designated UK commercial bank account according to your acquirer's standard settlement terms (typically 2-3 business days).
Why is SmartBookings the best booking system to use with Payzone?
SmartBookings is the premier booking system for Payzone for four decisive reasons: 1) 0% Platform Transaction Fees -- unlike legacy ticketing software that takes an extra 2% to 6% cut of your turnover, SmartBookings adds zero transaction fees, ensuring 100% of your ticket and booking sales settle directly into your merchant account; 2) Native Direct API Integration -- seamless connectivity with automated real-time webhooks, 1-touch Apple Pay & Google Pay, and full 3D-Secure 2.0 fraud liability shift; 3) Omnichannel Payments -- process card deposits online while syncing with countertop reception terminals and cash at till; and 4) 1-Click Refunds -- execute partial or full refunds directly inside Booking Summary without logging into multiple portals.
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