Can my customers pay by card on my portal, and does that money come straight to my own bank account?

Yes, you can take card payments on your own portal, and the money reaches your own bank account rather than passing through us first. The way this works is that the payment gateway account is opened in your company's name, and your portal is simply connected to it, so every card payment your customer makes settles into the bank account you have registered with that gateway.

To set this up you sign up with a payment gateway that operates in your country, complete the business verification they ask for, and then give us the keys they issue so the checkout on your portal can talk to them. Which gateways you can use depends on where your business is registered and what your plan covers, so it is worth asking before you assume a particular one will work. The gateway, not us, decides how quickly your money settles and what it charges you per transaction, and those terms come from your own agreement with them.

Refunds go back out the same way they came in, through your gateway and onto the customer's card, so that money leaves your account and it is worth keeping enough there to cover cancellations. Also remember that a successful card payment does not by itself guarantee a confirmed ticket or room, because the supplier still has to accept the booking, and if it does not you will need to refund from your side.

Before you go live, check with the gateway you have chosen which currencies and card types they accept, and make sure the bank account you give them is the one you actually want your booking money landing in.