FAQ
Questions operators ask before switching.
Short, direct answers about what BookDinePlay does, who it's for, and how it fits into a website you already run.
What is BookDinePlay?
BookDinePlay is a reservation platform that lets restaurants, sports bars, pubs, game cafés and event venues take direct bookings for tables, billiards, darts, bowling lanes and other bookable resources from their own website.
Who is BookDinePlay for?
Venue owners and operators — restaurants, sports bars, pubs, game cafés and entertainment venues — who want a direct booking channel instead of phone calls, social DMs or generic marketplace apps.
Does BookDinePlay handle game bookings as well as tables?
Yes. Billiard tables, dart boards, bowling lanes, shuffleboard lanes and event areas use the same reservation engine as restaurant tables, each with independent pricing and availability.
Do guests need to install an app to book?
No. Guests book through a widget embedded directly on your website. No app download is required to make or manage a reservation.
Is online payment required to use BookDinePlay?
No. Online payments and deposits are optional. You can require a deposit for high-demand slots or game bookings, or accept reservations with no payment at all.
How do I embed BookDinePlay on my website?
Use the plain JavaScript SDK with a single script tag, install the WordPress plugin and use the bookdineplay_widget shortcode, or build a custom integration with the .NET SDK.
What integrations does BookDinePlay support?
A framework-free JavaScript SDK for any website, a WordPress plugin with a shortcode, and a typed .NET SDK for custom applications — all built on the same public API.
Is my reservation and guest data mine?
Yes. BookDinePlay runs as a booking channel on your own website rather than a marketplace, so your reservation and guest data stays with your venue.
Can BookDinePlay manage menus and prices, not just bookings?
Yes. You can publish menu groups, items and prices, including tax/VAT information and optional availability windows, alongside your reservation flow.
What happens if my venue has irregular opening hours?
BookDinePlay supports regular weekly opening hours plus special hours for holidays, private events and one-off closures, so availability always reflects reality.
Can BookDinePlay handle bowling centres?
Yes. Bowling lanes are a first-class bookable resource: publish each lane, price it per hour, take reservations from your own website, and let guests order food and drinks straight to the lane.
Can BookDinePlay handle event nights and tournaments?
Yes, from the Pro plan. Publish an event — a dart league final, a Champions League night, a quiz — and guests register on your own website. Every attendee gets a named ticket with a code your team checks in at the door.
Can I sell tickets for a paid event?
Yes, on the Premium plan. Guests pay for their tickets online while they register, and the money is paid out to your venue’s connected payout account. Free event registration is included from Pro.
Can I sell gift vouchers on my website?
Yes, on the Premium plan. Guests buy amount, percentage or item vouchers on your own website — through the JavaScript widget, the WordPress shortcode or the .NET SDK — and receive them by e-mail with a printable PDF, or send them as a gift on a date they choose. The money is collected through Stripe and paid out to your venue’s connected payout account; as with every online payment, BookDinePlay and Stripe fees are deducted transparently.
Can a voucher be used in several visits?
Yes, an amount voucher can. Each visit deducts only what was spent, and the remaining balance stays on the voucher until it is used up or expires. Percentage and item vouchers are used once. If a payment made partly with a voucher is refunded, the voucher part goes back onto the voucher.
Do I need online payments to use vouchers?
No. Issuing vouchers at the bar and redeeming them at the table work on every plan, without online payments. Only selling vouchers on your website needs the Premium plan. Redeeming online follows each channel’s plan: QR table tabs from Pro, reservation deposits and paid event tickets on Premium.