Instant confirmation vs Request to book

Instant confirmation or Request to book: how each booking type works on Pickup, the time you have to reply, which suits your vertical and how to switch.

2 min readUpdated 2 November 2026For operators

Each listing has a setting called How guests book. It decides whether a guest's booking is confirmed once they pay, or waits for you. Either way, the guest pays when they book.

Instant confirmation

The booking is confirmed as soon as the guest pays. It goes straight to your upcoming trips.

Best for: operators with a reliable calendar and verified chauffeurs or crew ready to assign. Only dates open on your calendar can be booked.

Your responsibility: keep your calendar accurate. If a guest books a date you cannot serve, cancelling counts against you. See Cancelling as an operator.

Request to book

The guest pays and sends a request. It appears on Home under Requests as Requested. You review the details and tap Accept or Decline. If you decline, or the request lapses, the guest is refunded in full.

Best for: boats and aircraft, where weather, crew hours, routes or slots need checking first, and for high value or unusual trips. Jets always need you to confirm: they use Request to book, Quote on request or both.

Your responsibility: reply promptly, within 12 hours of the request, or 2 hours before the start if that is sooner. Your response record is visible to you in the app and forms part of the Charter Elite standards.

Change your booking type

  1. Open Listings and choose the listing.
  2. Tap How guests book.
  3. Choose Request to book or Instant confirmation.
  4. Save your changes.

You can also switch Instant confirmation on or off in Calendar settings. The change applies to new bookings only.

Which should I choose

Start with Request to book while you learn the platform. Move to Instant confirmation once your calendar, chauffeurs or crew and response routine are steady.

See Accepting and declining requests and the Operator Standards.

Need more help?

Open Menu, then Help, then Still need help?. An automated assistant answers first, and Talk to a person brings in the team. Or email support@pickupcharter.com with the booking ID. Emergency? Call 112. See Contacting operator support.

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