GroupPay: Changing the Game for Families, Friends, and People You Don’t Even Know

For years, people traveling together have needed a better way to pay among a group.? Until now, the person booking a rental property (the “booker”) accepted the financial liability for the entire amount and had to chase down everyone else for their share of the booking.? A decade ago that meant collecting cash or checks from everyone (hoping the checks don’t bounce).? In the past few years, it would typically be Venmo or Zelle transfers whenever the group members got around to sending the money.? Instead of focusing on the payments and technology aspects, let’s discuss the psychology of groups and people most likely to be booking the group’s trip.

There are three profiles of groups where the need to split payment is prevalent:

• Families
• Friends
• People You Don’t Even Know

Families: this is the extended group of people the booker has known all their lives.? Some they may see daily, while others they may see annually or every few years - but ultimately you are “all family”.? We know each other well, and other than making excuses for being late in paying, the group is confident the booker will be reimbursed for paying upfront.? As the saying goes, “You can pick your friends, but you can’t pick your family.”

Friends: this profile could be friends in the same town going to a destination together or friends from various cities that don’t see each other as often to share an experience.? As friends, the people in the group are choosing to spend time together and appreciate the booker setting up the trip.? Friends want to stay in good standing with each other so collecting payment should be less stressful for the booker.??

People You Don’t Even Know: this is the group that can put the booker at the most risk of collecting payment from everyone.? These are the bachelor/bachelorette parties, destination weddings, spring break and ski leases, and any other event where the booker may say “I don’t even know half of these guys”.? The group members could show up without having paid before arrival, and it makes it very awkward for both the booker and the rest of the group.? These events are inevitable for most people, especially those under 35 years of age, which happens to be the next generation of travelers booking vacation rentals.

So what makes the booker different from the rest of the group?? Some traits that may be more common with bookers include:

• Very organized and happy to do the research for available rental properties
• Comfortable as point-of-contact with property manager or host
• Financially able to pay at booking to secure the rental

With GroupPay, StretchBill has solved for the fact that many times, the rest of the group may have none of the booker’s traits.? Specifically, GroupPay addresses:

• TIME: The group receives the schedule of who pays when, scheduled a week apart based on the order set by the booker (i.e. 5 group members, booking paid in 5 weeks)
• LIABILITY: Instead of the booker carrying the entire financial liability, the group splits the liability but is still responsible for paying in full or risk a canceled booking
• TRANSPARENCY: Everyone in the group knows who paid successfully, whose payment is coming up and if anyone didn’t pay that could risk cancellation - it is not just between the booker and each individual

On top of all of those benefits, property managers have a means to expand their email marketing database to all the group members.? Although most property management software does not collect underlying group member info, StretchBill does and it’s available on our online dashboard for property managers.

As the summer season approaches, there has never been a better time to offer a turnkey solution for groups enjoying their vacation together.? Take the guesswork out of group payments - let StretchBill make it easy for everyone!