Housemates, the instant book student accommodation marketplace operating across 40 cities in the UK and Ireland have released two new features they believe will not only help the business work with all PBSA providers, but will push the sector forward to adopt the instant book way of working. The launch marks the entrance of new to market features – Payments+ and Housemates Tag.
Payments+ has been developed on top of the Housemates platform payment architecture. It allows PBSA providers to use their own bank accounts in a plug and play way, which also means providers can manage refunds directly. The service is offered to PBSA providers at no additional cost, and is bundled into Housemates pay on success transaction-driven business model.
“We are gaining momentum [for Payments+] across the UK with a range of accommodation providers, but we want to continue to push the movement of the instant book further. We have identified that some accommodation providers and their shareholders aren’t against the concept of instant book, but they just need to be able to handle payments themselves. The launch of Payments+ means any accommodation provider can work with Housemates in a way that works for them and their operations.”
Lydia, CEO, Housemates
The second feature, Housemates Tag is the company’s way of tackling availability issues for accommodation providers who don’t have the time, resource or compatible PMS system with Housemates, but who want to ensure their inventory is up to date on the Housemates marketplace.
“Ensuring we avoid double selling beds and offer the best student first online experience is crucial to our success. We understand that accommodation providers are busy with the day to day operations, so my business development and accounts team help operators update their availability. Reducing cost is something we remain focused on for all parties involved in the transaction. Housemates Tag allows us to capture real-time availability based on accommodation providers’ websites, which then automatically updates the bed availability in Housemates Occupy – as a result updating our marketplace inventory for students.”
“We have spent the last two years working closely with a range of accommodation providers and this has been a great opportunity for us to gain insights. We are fixed on building a platform that provides a range of functionality, without the cost that traditional lead generation platforms and services.”
Lydia, CEO, Housemates
