Your client pays Tern in full at booking, by card, on the payment page.
Publish the itinerary and send your client the link. Your client clicks Authorize Payment and sees the total due now, estimated taxes and fees, and anything due at the property. The booking completes automatically once payment is authorized. Before charging, Tern confirms the room is still available. If the price changed, the payment page shows the new price before your client pays.
What if my client's payment doesn't go through?
Your client sees an error on the payment page right away. The booking status on your side doesn't change, so ask your client which message they saw.
Message your client sees
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What it means
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What to do
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"We couldn't process this payment. Try a different card or contact your advisor."
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The card number or CVV is invalid, there are insufficient funds, or the bank declined it.
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Check the card details and try again, or use another card. If the bank asked for more information, your client follows up with their bank.
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A request for extra verification from your client's bank.
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The card requires an extra security check from your client's bank.
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Your client completes their bank's verification step, or uses another card. If the verification fails, your client needs to submit the whole authorization again. If your client contacts you about it, tell us in chat.
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"We couldn't confirm a hotel room, so you haven't been charged."
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The room or rate was no longer available when your client went to pay.
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Your client wasn't charged. Choose another room or rate, then send the itinerary to your client again.
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"This trip can't be submitted right now. Contact your advisor to add their business terms & conditions."
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Neither you nor your agency has published terms and conditions in Tern.
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Publish your terms and conditions (see "Agency Terms & Conditions"), then ask your client to try again. You'll also see "Add your business terms & conditions before submitting an authorization."
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Note: Never share card details in chat or by email.
Where do I find the receipt?
The receipt is in the trip's Documents tab. It's hidden from your client by default. Share it with your client from there. Tern doesn't send a receipt email. The receipt doesn't show a Tern Booking Confirmation, because one receipt can cover several bookings. Find it on each booking or its voucher.
What will my client see on their card statement?
The charge shows as TERN* followed by the hotel name, for example TERN*SOFITEL MEXICO CITY. Card statements limit the length of this line, so a long hotel name may be cut off. Opening the transaction in the banking app shows the full name.
What if my client is booking multiple hotels or rooms?
Then Tern will only charge the client once for the sum of all hotels by Tern bookings. The client will see only the first hotel name in their statement but the charge includes all of the bookings.
How much is refunded?
Inside the free-cancel window: everything paid at booking.
After the free-cancel deadline: nothing, unless a waiver is approved.
Fees paid at the property: never refunded by Tern.
Refunds go back to the card your client used to pay.
When will the refund arrive?
Tern refunds once the cancellation is confirmed. The refund can take 7 to 10 business days to appear on your client's statement.
What if a refund is missing or wrong?
Refunds take 7 to 10 business days to appear. If it's been longer, or the amount is wrong, tell us in chat with the Tern Booking Confirmation and Tern's team follows up by email. If a refund failed or is wrong, Tern reissues it.
What if my client was charged twice?
Tell us in chat with the Tern Booking Confirmation and Tern's team follows up by email. The duplicate charge is refunded to the original card.
What if my client disputes the charge with their bank?
Tern handles the dispute with the card network. Tern may ask you for messages or documents from your client. The booking stays as is while the dispute is open.