Understanding Cart Holds

When you add an activity to your cart in MyPerfectStay, we temporarily reserve that spot for you. This ensures that your selected time slot remains available while you complete your booking. Here is everything you need to know about how cart holds work and what to expect.

What is a Cart Hold?

A cart hold is a temporary reservation that secures your selected activity time slot while you complete the checkout process. When you add an activity to your cart, our system communicates with the activity provider to hold that specific slot for you. This prevents other travelers from booking the same spot while you are entering your details and payment information. Think of it like putting an item on hold at a store while you continue shopping. The item is reserved for you, but only for a limited time.

How the Hold Timer Works

Once you have items in your cart with an active hold, you will see a yellow banner at the top of your cart screen that displays a countdown timer. The message reads "We'll hold your spot for" followed by the remaining time shown in minutes and seconds format (for example, "4:32").

This timer counts down in real-time, giving you a clear indication of how much time remains before your reservation expires. The timer is prominently displayed so you always know where you stand.

Types of Holds

MyPerfectStay uses two types of holds to protect your booking:

• Availability Hold: This hold reserves the actual time slot for you. While this hold is active, no one else can book that specific departure time or slot. If this hold expires and someone else books the slot, you would need to select a different time.

• Price Hold: This hold locks in the current price for the activity. Prices can fluctuate based on demand, currency exchange rates, or promotional periods. While your price hold is active, you are guaranteed to pay the price shown when you added the item to your cart.

The app displays whichever hold expires first, ensuring you always see the most pressing deadline.

What Happens When a Hold Expires

If your cart hold expires before you complete checkout, a few things may happen:

• The time slot you selected may no longer be available if another traveler has booked it in the meantime. You would need to go back and select a different time for your activity.

• The price may have changed from what was originally shown. You can still proceed with the booking, but it would be at the current price rather than the price you saw when you first added the item.

• Your items remain in your cart even after the hold expires. They are not automatically removed. However, you will need to refresh the availability before you can proceed to checkout.

Proceeding to Checkout

When you tap the Checkout button, the app first checks whether your hold is still valid. If your hold has expired, the app will automatically attempt to secure a new hold for you. You will see a loading indicator with the message "Securing your spot..." while this happens.

If the new hold is successful, you will proceed directly to the checkout screen. If the time slot is no longer available, you will see a modal explaining which activities can no longer be booked and asking you to remove them from your cart and try again with different options.

When Items Become Unavailable

Sometimes, between adding an item to your cart and proceeding to checkout, an activity may become unavailable. This can happen for several reasons:

• Another traveler booked the last remaining spot

• The activity provider has updated their availability

• The activity has been cancelled or modified by the provider

When this occurs, you will see a popup titled "Some activities are unavailable" that lists the specific activities that can no longer be booked. You will need to remove these items from your cart and either select alternative times or choose different activities.

Refreshing Your Cart

If your hold has expired and you want to continue with your booking, you can refresh your cart by pulling down on the cart screen. This will check the current availability and pricing for all items in your cart. If the slots are still available, a new hold will be created when you proceed to checkout.

You can also remove items you no longer want by tapping the delete option on each cart item card, which helps you focus on just the activities you are committed to booking.

Tips for a Smooth Checkout Experience

• Have your details ready: Before adding activities to your cart, make sure you know the traveler information you will need to provide, such as names and contact details.

• Have your payment method ready: If you are logged in, you can save payment methods to your account for faster checkout. This reduces the time spent on the payment screen.

• Book promptly for popular activities: High-demand time slots at popular attractions can sell out quickly. If you have found a time that works for your schedule, try to complete your booking while your hold is active.

• Check your cart before checkout: Review all items in your cart to ensure the dates, times, and number of travelers are correct before proceeding. Making changes after checkout is not always possible.

Multiple Items in Your Cart

When you have multiple activities in your cart, the hold timer shown applies to your overall cart reservation. Each item is held as part of the same booking session. When you proceed to checkout, the app will attempt to hold all items together.

If some items become unavailable while others remain bookable, you will be notified about which specific activities have issues, allowing you to adjust your cart accordingly.

Need Help?

If you have questions about your cart hold, encounter issues during checkout, or need assistance with your booking, please contact us at info@cloudcops.de and we will be happy to help.