1. Does it fit your pitches?

Your pitches are not all the same. Check that the system can describe them the way they really are.

• Pitch types, sizes, hook-ups and hardstandings
• Guests only being offered pitches that fit their unit
• A site map, if you want guests to choose the exact pitch
• Statics or seasonal tourers on the same site, if you have them

2. How does it handle money?

Ask where the money goes and how much of it you have to chase.

• Do card payments go to your own account?
• Can the balance be collected by itself on the due date?
• Are payments matched to bookings without you doing it by hand?
• Are invoices and a VAT export produced for your accountant?
• Can you refund, including keeping the deposit?
• Can you take card payments over the phone and at a card reader?

3. Can it follow your rules?

A good system adapts to how you run the site, not the other way round. Check for:

• Seasons that line up with Easter, bank holidays and school holidays
• A minimum stay for any arrival day, and a way to hold busy weeks for regulars
• A deposit rule you can set as a percentage, a fixed amount or the first night
• Next year opening to regulars first

See seasons, minimum stays and deposits for how we handle these.

4. What does it cost, really?

Some systems charge a setup fee, a monthly fee and a share of each booking. Ask for the whole picture: setup, monthly, per booking, any yearly cap, and anything charged extra for features like AI or an app. Ours is on the pricing page: free to start, then 1.5% of each booking, lower for bigger sites, or a small booking fee guests pay.

5. How long to get going, and what about your old data?

• How long before you can take your first booking?
• Can it read the export from your current system?
• Does someone have to type your prices and pitches in by hand?
• Will your guests need to set up new passwords?

With Nimbo Stay, AI reads your current website and old bookings and fills most of it in, so you can be open the same day.

6. What about your team?

• Can staff see today’s arrivals and departures on their phones?
• Does it cover cleaning jobs and staff hours?
• Can each person only see what they should?
• Can you take a leaver off in one click?

7. Is your data safe?

• Where are backups kept, and how often?
• Has anyone tested restoring them?
• Are your guests’ details kept separate from other businesses’?
• Can you download or delete a guest’s data when they ask?

Our answers are on the security and backups page.

8. Who will you talk to?

When something goes wrong on a Saturday in August, who answers? Ask whether you will speak to the people who build the software, or a call centre. With Nimbo Stay you speak to the people who write the code.

Using the checklist

Score each question for the sites you are considering, and give extra weight to the things that cause you the most work today. Then ask for a demo with your own pitches in it. If you would like to see Nimbo Stay, tell us about your site, or read about our campsite booking system and our management features first.