Flex Standard (Company Pays)
All-Inclusive Pricing Made Simple: The Flex Standard, Company Pays Service Fee Structure in Xola
Xola offers four distinct service fee structures to support various business models and cost arrangements:
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Flex Level, Guest Pays
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Flex Level, Company Pays
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Flex Standard, Guest Pays
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Flex Standard, Company Pays ← This article
This article provides an in-depth look at the Flex Standard, Company Pays model. In this setup, a 6% service fee is applied to each online credit card transaction, but unlike guest-pays options, your business absorbs this cost instead of passing it on to your customers.
The fee is subtracted from your payout, so guests only see the experience price you set—no additional service fees at checkout or on their receipts.
This approach is ideal if you want to present pricing as all-inclusive, avoid guest-facing checkout fees, and handle service costs on the business side for greater price transparency and a premium booking experience.
Keep in mind, eligibility for this structure depends on meeting certain requirements within your Xola account; to check your status or get set up, contact support@xola.com.
What's covered in the article:
- At a Glance
- How the Service Fee Works
- Who Pays & When
- What Do Guests & Companies See?
- Service Fee vs. Processing Fee
- Refunds & Cancellations
At a Glance
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Fee Amount: 6%
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Who Pays: Your company (not the guest)
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When It's Applied: Only on online (website) credit card transactions
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What It's Based On: Subtotal before taxes and fees
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Where It Appears: In your reporting under the Service Fee column (not visible to the guest)
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Refund Policy: Refunded to your company if the reservation is canceled and fully refunded
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Guest Visibility: Guests do not see the fee at any point in the booking process
Note: You must meet eligibility requirements to use this fee structure. If you have questions about your setup, email us at support@xola.com.
How the Service Fee Works
How much is the Service Fee?
The service fee is 6% of the subtotal (before taxes and fees).
It is assessed on top of your configured price and is deducted from your revenue—not charged to the guest.
For example:
Experience price = $100
Guest pays = $100
Company receives = $94
Service Fee deducted = $6
What is the Service Fee applied too?
The 6% service fee is calculated on the subtotal before taxes and fees.
It’s affected by:
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Discounts or coupons → Fee decreases
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Add-ons or custom items → Fee increases
Who Pays & When
Who pays the Service Fee?
Your company pays the service fee.
It is deducted from your payout and is not visible to the guest.
Is the Service Fee applied to all payment methods?
The service fee is only assessed on online credit card transactions made via your website.
It does not apply to in-person or cash transactions.
It is not applied to cash, check, or invoice payments.
How is the fee handled with deposits or split payments?
The service fee is collected proportionally as the guest makes partial payments.
For example
- You have a reservation for $100 with a Service Fee of $6 (total price = $106)
- Your Guest makes a deposit or split payment of $20.
- Xola now determines the proportion of the payment to the full amount (i.e. how much is $20 out of $106). In this case, it comes out to 18.87% (20/106).
- Xola then takes 18.87% of the $6 Service Fee, which comes out to $1.13.
Xola automatically calculates and deducts this from your payout.
What Do Guests & Companies See?
Will my guest see the Service Fee?
No. Since your company is covering the fee, the guest will not see it on checkout, confirmation emails, or receipts.
Where can I see the Service Fee?
You will see the fee reflected in your Xola reports under the Service Fee column.
It will not appear in the Purchases tab, because it’s not part of the guest’s transaction—it’s an internal deduction from your payout.
Service Fee vs. Processing Fee
Service Fee | Credit Card Processing Fee | |
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Who Pays | Business | Business |
Shown to... | Business (in reports) | Business (in reports) |
Goes to | Xola | Stripe |
Refunds & Cancellations
If you cancel a reservation and issue a full refund:
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The full amount is refunded to the guest
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The 6% service fee is credited back to your Xola balance
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The refund will appear in your next payout
Partial refunds and cancellations will not get the service fee back. Refund must be in full.
Still Have Questions?
We're here to help!
Email us at support@xola.com for assistance with your configuration or eligibility.