Stripe FAQ

At Smily, we understand that connecting your Stripe account with Smily might seem like a significant step. We want to reassure you that this process is designed to be straightforward, secure, and beneficial for your vacation rental business. 

Since November 2023 we use Stripe Connect to facilitate secure and seamless payment processing on your behalf. Stripe Connect is a platform and set of tools provided by Stripe, a leading online payment processing company, that enables businesses to easily build and manage online marketplaces, platforms, or any application where they need to handle payments on behalf of others. It is designed to facilitate complex payment flows, handle multi-party transactions, and provide a seamless experience for both businesses and their customers.

Here's why you can feel confident about connecting your Stripe account with Smily via Stripe Connect:

1. Security and Data Protection:

Your security is our top priority. Stripe, our trusted payment processing partner, employs robust security measures to protect your sensitive financial data. In addition, Smily is fully PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard), meaning that we adhere to a comprehensive set of security standards and practices established by the Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council to ensure the secure handling of payment card data, including encryption, access control, and ongoing monitoring.

In order to connect your Stripe account with Smily, you will be requested to complete an OAuth (Open Authorization) process. This ensures that only the necessary data is shared securely between your Stripe account and Smily, and your full Stripe account details remain confidential.

2. Ease of Use:

We've designed the onboarding process to be user-friendly and intuitive. You'll be guided through the steps required to connect your Stripe account seamlessly. If you ever have questions or encounter any issues, our support team is here to assist you every step of the way.

3. Full Control:

Rest assured that by connecting your Stripe account with Smily’s Stripe Connect account through Stripe OAuth, you retain complete control of your Stripe account. Smily will only have access to the necessary information to process payments, while you maintain control over the rest of your account, including settings and financial details.

4. Efficient Payment Processing:

By connecting your Stripe account with Smily, you enable Smily to efficiently process payments on your behalf. This means you can focus on managing your vacation rental business while we take care of the payment logistics, making your life easier.

Stripe Connect FAQ

1. Why do I need to connect my Stripe account to Smily?

From October 2023, the Smily integration with Stripe works through Stripe Connect. So, in order to continue to process payments through your Stripe payment gateway, you need to authorize the connection between your Stripe account and Smily. This will enable you to continue to securely process payments as before, but with an improved integration which enables quick and easy onboarding of new Stripe accounts and an enhanced customer support experience if ever you have questions or queries about your Stripe account or transactions. 

Smily utilizes Stripe Connect to facilitate secure and seamless payment processing on your behalf. By connecting your Stripe account, you can collect guest payments efficiently and transparently through all the different booking and payment channels available with Smily into your Stripe account.

2. Is my financial information safe when I connect my Stripe account to Smily?

Absolutely! Smily prioritizes your financial security. Stripe, a globally trusted payment processing platform, handles the connection and ensures the utmost safety of your sensitive financial data. Smily does not store or access any of your sensitive financial information.

3. How do I connect my Stripe account with Smily?

If you’re adding a new Stripe account as a payment gateway for your Smily account, you'll need to follow the simple, guided process from the Settings > Payments section within your Smily account. We'll provide you with step-by-step instructions to ensure a smooth and secure connection.

For the final step of this process, you will be directed to https://connect.stripe.com/oauth to authorize the connection of your Stripe account with Smily. The OAuth (Open Authorization) process ensures that only the necessary data is shared securely between your Standard Stripe account and Smily, and your full Stripe account details remain confidential.

If you are connecting your existing Stripe account to our new Stripe Connect integration, you can go to Settings > Payments in your Smily Account. You will see a list of payment gateways. For any Stripe gateways that are not yet connected, you will see a small warning symbol and a link to connect. Click the connect link and you will be directed to https://connect.stripe.com/oauth to authorize the connection of your Stripe account with Smily.

The OAuth (Open Authorization) process ensures that only the necessary data is shared securely between your Standard Stripe account and Smily, and your full Stripe account details remain confidential.

4. Do I retain control over my Stripe account when it's connected to Smily?

Yes, you maintain full control of your Stripe account even after connecting it to Smily's Stripe Connect. Smily will only have access to process payments, and you can independently manage the rest of your account, including settings and financial details.

5. What data can Smily access from my Stripe account?

Smily will be able to see your account data (such as all payment, payout history and customers), including any data created by other businesses you've connected. Smily will also be able to create new payments and take other actions for you.

6. Why does Smily need to access this data?

Smily needs access to transaction data in your Stripe account to provide a comprehensive payment processing service via Stripe Connect.

7. What happens if I want to disconnect my Stripe account from Smily in the future?

If you decide to disconnect your Stripe account from Smily, you can do so at any time. We provide an easy disconnect process, and your vacation rental business will continue to operate seamlessly using your Stripe account as it did before.

In order to disconnect your Stripe account, you can follow the steps detailled here: disconnect your Stripe account from a connected third-party platform

8. Can I trust Smily to handle my payments efficiently?

Smily is committed to ensuring the security of your payment information and we want you to feel confident about using our services. We are proud to affirm that Smily is fully PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard) compliant and, as such, we adhere to the strict standards set forth by PCI DSS. This means we have implemented rigorous security measures to protect your sensitive payment data. We employ the latest industry standard security protocols to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of your payment information.

9. Are there any additional fees or charges for connecting my Stripe account with Smily?

No. The fees for using Stripe are those stipulated in your agreement with Stripe for payment processing. Connecting your Stripe account with Smily has no impact on these fees.

10. What if I have issues or questions about the payment process after connecting my Stripe account to Smily?

Smily provides dedicated customer support to assist you with any concerns or inquiries. Our support team is available to answer your questions and address any issues that may arise during the payment process.

You also retain complete access and control of your Stripe account, so you can interact with Stripe's support services as before.

11. Is there a minimum transaction volume required to use Smily's Stripe Connect integration?

Smily does not impose any minimum transaction volume requirements. Whether you have a small vacation rental or a large portfolio, you can benefit from our Stripe Connect integration to process payments efficiently.

12. I have already activated the feautre on my Stripe account to enable third party 3DS tokens for Vrbo bookings, will this still be activated after the connection with Smily?

Yes. This feautre will be enabled by default for the Smily Stripe integration, meaning that you will not need to request to activate this feature for any new Stripe accounts that you create. For more information about this feature, please check our dedicated article here.