Instant Booking allows renters to confirm a reservation without waiting for manual approval. You control what verifications are required before a booking is auto-approved.
How to Configure
- Go to Settings → Rentals → Instant Booking
What is Instant Booking?
Without instant booking, every rental request comes in as a quote that you must manually approve. With instant booking enabled on a vehicle, renters can book immediately — the rental is auto-approved as long as all verification requirements are met.
Instant booking is configured per-vehicle (on each vehicle's rental settings), but the verification requirements are set here globally.
Verification Toggles
Require Renter Identity Verification
When ON, renters must complete Stripe Identity verification before their instant booking is confirmed. The verification process:
- Renter receives a verification link (via SMS or in the booking flow)
- They take a photo of their government-issued ID (driver's license or passport)
- They take a selfie for facial matching
- Stripe confirms the ID is valid and the selfie matches
- The booking proceeds
When to enable: Recommended for all operators. Identity verification prevents fraud and ensures the person booking is who they say they are.
Require Insurance Verification
When ON, renters must verify their personal auto insurance through Axle before booking. The process:
- Renter receives an insurance verification link
- They connect their insurance provider through Axle's secure portal
- Axle confirms the policy is active and meets your requirements
- The booking proceeds
When to enable: Recommended if you want to ensure every renter has active personal auto insurance before driving your vehicle. This provides a layer of protection beyond Bonzah.
Default Rental Agreement
Select a default agreement template that will be automatically attached to all instant bookings.
- Choose from the dropdown (only "rental" type agreements appear)
- Select "No default agreement" to skip auto-attaching
The renter will be asked to sign this agreement as part of the booking process.
Prerequisite: Create your rental agreement template in Settings → Agreement Templates before configuring this.
How Instant Booking, Verifications, and Agreements Work Together
When a renter attempts to instant-book a vehicle:
- The system checks if identity verification is required and complete
- The system checks if insurance verification is required and complete
- If a default agreement is set, it's attached to the rental
- If all requirements are met, the booking is auto-approved
- If any requirement is missing, the renter is prompted to complete it
Frequently Asked Questions
Do these requirements apply to manually created rentals?
No. These verification requirements only apply to instant bookings made through the marketplace. Manually created rentals skip these checks (though you can still send verification links from the rental detail page).
Can I require different things for different vehicles?
The verification requirements (identity, insurance) are global — they apply to all vehicles with instant booking enabled. However, instant booking itself is toggled per-vehicle, so you choose which vehicles offer it.
What happens if a renter's insurance lapses after booking?
The verification is checked at booking time. If their insurance lapses during the rental period, you would need to verify manually at check-in using the Axle verification link on the rental detail page.