Introduction to aiva
aiva is an automated, direct-sell digital voucher & eGift system allowing hoteliers to offer fully branded vouchers through their website.
Offer, timeframe, quantity, and fine print. You are in total control, able to create, edit, and remove all deals in real time. Payment is automatic through Stripe, and redemption is automated through Cloudbeds.
Who is this handbook for?
If you are a hotel using Cloudbeds as your Property Management System (PMS), you can take advantage of aiva Direct Sell Voucher System, which allows you to sell vouchers and eGift cards from your website and other digital channels.
This handbook is for Hotel Revenue Managers and Marketing teams providing step-by-step guidelines on how to integrate aiva into Cloudbeds, and the end-to-end voucher journey setup.
Voucher Lifecycle with Cloudbeds
The purpose of the integration is to fully automate the end-to-end vouchers lifecycle i.e. from creation to redemption, and payment posting to Cloudbeds Folio.
Connect Cloudbeds to aiva
Make sure that you are first logged in to both your Cloudbeds and aiva accounts.
Otherwise, you’ll be asked to log in during the authentication process.
When connecting with aiva for the first time, Cloudbeds will require you to authorize the aiva application. Click “Approve” to proceed with the installation.
Cloudbeds One-off Setup
aiva voucher can be used during reservations made via the Cloud Beds booking engine, or by the staff.
STEP 1: Enable Bank Transfer under Payment Options
To post the voucher payments, you will need to enable a Voucher Payment method in the Cloudbeds settings. The Cloudbeds Bank Transfer payment option is used for aiva vouchers.
Guests will not see the Bank Transfer option if you do not want them to see that. Make sure the instructions on how to input the voucher code are mentioned in the Bank Transfer Payment Option.
STEP 2: Create a Custom field (automated step)
Create a custom field and choose it to appear on the Direct Reservation and Internet Booking Engine. This is the field used by either the guest themselves or hotel staff to input the voucher number. If you want to rename the field it has to be one of the following only:
Gift Code
Voucher Code
Gift Card Code
Gift or Voucher Code
The custom field is automatically created when you connect aiva, so in most cases, you will just need to verify that the field is set up as per the screenshot below.
STEP 3a: Add the code to the Booking Engine v2 and below
Once the custom payment method is activated and the custom field is created, you can add the corresponding HTML code in the custom footer section of the booking engine. Copy and paste the following code under Custom Footer for your Hotel Booking Page.
<style>
label[for=ebanking] > a {
font-size: 0;
}
label[for=ebanking] > a::after {
content: 'Gift Card/Voucher Code';
font-size: 14px;
}
</style>
After the code is added the Bank Transfer default option, will be renamed to Gift Card/Voucher Code in your booking engine, with your instructions displayed. Check the following example for a preview:
STEP 3b: Add the code to the Booking Engine Plus (v3)
1. Go to Settings
2. Click on Exit Guide
3. Go to Booking Engine -> Customize, and scroll down to the Customer Meta Tags and JavaScript options
4. Add the following code to the Custom Meta Tags section. To change the image you can change the URL of the image below.
<style>
[data-id="payment-bank-transfer-button-icon"] svg {
display: none;
}
[data-id="payment-bank-transfer-button-icon"] {
background-image: url('https://app.getaiva.com/static/media/aiva_logo_large.f89ed2fe.jpg');
background-size: cover;
background-position: center;
width: 105px;
margin-right:5rem;
height: 40px;
}
</style>
5. Add the following code to the JavaScript section. You can change the instructions and name text as needed.
<script>
window.addEventListener('on-booking-engine-ready', (e) => {
const { eventSystem } = e.detail;
eventSystem.dispatchEvent("custom-payment-option-change", {
id: "payment-bank-transfer-button",
instructions: "If you entered a Gift Card or Voucher Code on the previous screen, click on 'Book Now'. Your booking request will be received, and the Gift Card available balance will be automatically applied to your total.",
name: "Gift Card or Voucher Code",
});
});
</script>
After you save, go to the booking engine and the following option will start appearing
Create Vouchers and eGift Cards in aiva
The next step is to create a voucher in aiva. Log in and create a voucher with the following key information:
Voucher Details
Title (Text)
Introduction (Text)
Details (Text)
Conditions (Text)
Dates when the voucher is available for sale
Image(s)
Pricing & Inventory
Retail Price
Discount (if any)
Tax information
Redeem Instruction
Instructions to book online or with the hotel staff
Link to the Online Booking Engine
Instructions where to input the unique voucher code
Voucher Visibility
For everyone
Member only vouchers
Print only vouchers
Promote vouchers on digital channels
Now that the vouchers are created, you can create a standalone vouchers page and link it to your website. Alternatively, you can embed the vouchers in any of your web pages.
Usually, hoteliers will have a button on the website called "GIFT VOUCHERS" which will redirect the customer to your newly created vouchers store. From the aiva dashboard, you can fine-tune every aspect of the voucher store appearance to match your brand:
Choose Style
Embedded in your existing website
The standalone voucher store page, with a link from your website
A floating icon on your website, to open a vouchers widget inside your website
Appearance
Choose from many styles and layouts
Match every aspect of the colors
Choose a font, or upload your unique fonts
Customers buy or gift a voucher
Once the voucher store is live, customers can see the available vouchers and either buy for themselves or gift to a recipient
The voucher is delivered to the recipient in an email. Parts of the email like the logo will be uploaded to aiva dashboard.
Customers redeem the voucher online i.e. make a booking
The voucher recipient will go to the hotel's website to make a booking online. During the online booking, the customer will enter the voucher code in the custom field.
The customer will choose the Payment Method as Gift Card/Voucher Code.
Booking will be confirmed as per the Cloudbed's usual setup, and a confirmation email will be sent to the Customer from Cloudbeds. The Payment Instructions are also printed in the email.
The customer gets an email confirmation about the booking with Amount Paid as $0, as the Voucher is used to make the payment
Customers redeem the voucher by calling the hotel i.e. making a booking
While making a reservation from the Cloudbeds interface, hotel staff will input the Voucher Code as supplied by the guest.
Staff will select the payment Type as aiva voucher and enter the voucher amount. The reservation is confirmed.
Reservation in Cloudbeds
The reservation in Cloudbeds will show the Voucher Code that is entered by the guest or the staff.
aiva automation gets notified of every new reservation. For the new reservation made with a Voucher Code, aiva automation checks the status of the aiva voucher and add the notes. Notes examples:
This aiva code aivaVBAB9UGC7 is valid.
This aiva code aiva123ASASD is not valid.
For the voucher reservations, the aiva automation will also mark the status of the voucher in aiva to Redeemed.
Payment will be posted in Folio automatically for the amount that has been redeemed from the voucher. The corresponding amount will be also marked as used in aiva. If the full remaining balance of the voucher is not redeemed, the voucher balance will be updated.
FAQ's
What is the difference between a Voucher and eGift Card
A voucher is usually created for a particular item e.g. "2 nights weekday stay with breakfast for $399", while eGift Card is for a $ value.
In Cloudbeds, will the payment show as a deposit or payment?
Payment will show up as a payment in Folio.
Can the customer cancel the booking
Guest can cancel the booking, in which case the hotel staff will have to log into aiva and mark the voucher as Available.
Can the customer change the booking
As per the usual hotel policy, no impact on Voucher status.
Can customers use a partial balance from the Voucher?
The customer will use the whole balance in a single booking. Balance cannot be used in parts.
What if the customer enters the wrong voucher number and blocks the room without paying?
A background process runs within a few minutes of booking, and if the voucher code is found invalid or short of balance, one or both of the two things happen based on the configuration
A notification email is sent to the hotel, so that they can contact the customer and decide what to do with the booking
Reservation is canceled automatically and an email is sent out to the customer notifying them about the cancelation.
How do customers check their gift card balance?
Customers can go to the voucher store, click on Redeem, enter the gift card code, and check the status and the current balance.
How do I disconnect Aiva from Cloudbeds
You can disconnect the integration from inside Cloudbeds. Once you have uninstalled aiva, the redemption process will not be automated anymore.
Can I sell gift cards at a discount?
Yes, you can define a discount %age at the gift card level, customer will pay for the discounted price, while getting the full balance.
Have additional questions or need extra help?
For questions about the integration, please reach out to our team at [email protected].