Email Notifications

Properly configuring notifications is an important aspect of managing your booking system. In this step-by-step guide, we’ll help you set up e-mail notifications and troubleshoot any issues you may encounter.

Define the Sender Account

The first step is to define the sender account. All notification e-mails will be sent from this account. You can define many sender accounts, but only one is used in the system at a time.

Go to the menu item ‘Chauffeur Booking System’ -> ‘E-mail Accounts’. To add a new account, click the ‘Add New’ button. After clicking ‘Add New’, you will be directed to a page that allows you to create a new E-mail account. First, enter the e-mail account title. Below, you will see three main tabs: ‘Sender’, ‘SMTP Authentication’, ‘E-mail Testing’.

‘Sender’ Tab

Sender Name

Enter the sender’s name.

Sender E-mail Address

Enter the sender’s e-mail address. It is recommended that an e-mail account with this address exists in your server configuration.

‘SMTP Authentication’ Tab

SMTP authentication is a method of securing your e-mail sending. It is recommended to complete this tab. Although it happens that some hostings do not use SMTP authentication and you can leave this option disabled, in most cases you need to enable SMTP authentication and complete all fields in this tab. Moreover, if you encounter problems with notification e-mails going to spam, it is also worth enabling and configuring this option.

To configure SMTP settings, you’ll need specific information from your hosting provider. Typically, you can obtain this data from your hosting provider’s support. Look for details such as the SMTP server (host), port number, and the type of secure connection (SSL, TLS, or none).

For example, for Hostgator it is:

• Username is one of the e-mail accounts you created on hostgator.
• Password is the e-mail account’s password.
• Host is ‘mail.yourdomainname.com’.
• Port is 465.
• Secure connection type is ‘SSL’.

You can use free online tools to test your configuration, e.g.: https://dnschecker.org/smtp-test-tool.php

Username

Username, usually the e-mail address of an existing account.

Password

Enter password assigned to this account.

Host

Enter hostname.

Port Number

Enter port number.

Secure Connection Type

Set connection type. SSL usually but check with your hosting provider.

Debug

The ‘Enable’ setting is for testing purposes and allows you to view communication with your SMTP server. If you enable this option, go to step #4 on your booking form, then enable the console in your web browser (‘F12’ -> ‘Console’). Now click the ‘Book Now’ button, you will see the request in the console and you can check the response.

‘E-mail Testing’ Tab

Using this tab, you can send a test e-mail and check the server’s response.

After completing the configuration, remember to save the changes by clicking the ‘Publish’ button. You will see your newly created account in the ‘E-mail Accounts’ list.

Setting Notifications for the Form

The second step is to configure e-mail notifications for the booking form. To do this, go to the menu item ‘Chauffeur Booking System’ -> ‘Booking Forms’. Click on the form of your choice (or create a new one if you haven’t done so already). Go to the ‘Notifications’ -> ‘E-mail’ tab.

‘Notifications’ -> ‘E-mail’ Tab

Sender Account

Here, select the previously created sender account from the list.

Recipients E-mail Addresses

Here, define the address or e-mail addresses of the notification recipients. This may be, for example, the e-mail address of the business owner or system administrator. Enter one or more e-mail addresses separated by semicolons.

New Booking Notifications Sending to Customers

Enable or disable sending e-mail notifications to customers. If the option is enabled, customers will receive a notification immediately after making a booking in the system (even before making the payment). Moreover, after successful payment via PayPal or Stripe (when the order status changes), the customer will receive a second e-mail notification. Disabling this option will result in no notifications being sent to the customer.

New Booking Notifications Sending to Customers in Case of Successful Payment Only

This setting only works when ‘New Booking Notifications Sending to Customers’ option is set to ‘Enable’. Enabling this option means that an e-mail is not sent to the customer immediately after making a booking, but only when he or she successfully makes a payment via PayPal or Stripe (as a result, the customer receives only one e-mail – after completed payment).

New Booking Notifications Sending to Defined Addresses

Enable or disable sending e-mail notifications to a defined list of recipients which you have previously defined in the ‘Recipients E-mail Addresses’ field. If the option is enabled, the defined list of recipients will receive a notification immediately when a new reservation is created in the system (even before the customer makes the payment).

New Booking Notifications Sending to Defined Addresses in Case of Successful Payment Only

This setting only works when ‘New Booking Notifications Sending to Defined Addresses’ option is set to ‘Enable’. Enabling this option ensures that e-mail notification is only sent when a customer makes a successful payment via PayPal or Stripe.

Configure Global Settings

Go to the plugin’s main settings, menu item ‘Settings’ -> ‘Chauffeur Booking System.’ Go to the ‘E-mail’ tab.

Default Sender E-mail Account

Set up a sender account here.

Congratulations, you’ve successfully configured your e-mail settings!

FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions

1. When Does the System Send E-mail Notifications?

E-mail notifications are sent after a reservation has been made, immediately after the booking is created in the system (to the customer, and to the list of recipients). In addition an e-mail is sent after each change in the reservation status (in this case, only to the customer). You can change this behavior (from plugin version 6.8) so that e-mail notifications are sent only after a successful payment via PayPal or Stripe. In this case, go to the menu item ‘Chauffeur Booking System’ -> ‘Booking Forms’, to the ‘Notifications’ -> ‘E-mail’ tab, and find the appropriate setting.

2. How Does This Relate to Payments?

By default, notifications are sent immediately after making a reservation and before making a payment. After payment is made, the status changes and a second e-mail is sent. You can change this behavior. See point 1. of this FAQ.

3. Customers Receive Notifications but I Don’t Receive Any E-mails About Reservations

a) Make sure that in the ‘Booking Forms’ menu, in the ‘Notifications’ -> ‘E-mail’ tab, you have entered your e-mail address in the ‘Recipients E-mail Addressess’ field.

b) Check if your e-mails are not going to the spam folder. If so, configure SMTP according to the guide above.

4. Customers Do Not Receive E-mails

a) Check your SMTP configuration in the ‘E-mail Accounts’ menu in the ‘SMTP Authentication’ tab. Enable SMTP Authentication option and complete the fields ‘Username’, ‘Password’, ‘Host’, ‘Port Number’, ‘Secure Connection Type’, according to the guide above.

b) Go to the plugin’s main settings, menu item ‘Settings’ -> ‘Chauffeur Booking System’. Go to the ‘Log manager’ -> ‘Mail’ tab. Check what errors appear in the log. Such entries:

[0] => SMTP Error: Could not connect to SMTP host. Failed to connect to server.
or
[0] => SMTP Error: Could not authenticate.

Means that there is a problem with the SMTP configuration and the entered data must be corrected.

5. All E-mails Go to the Spam Folder, Both Those Sent to Me and to Clients

Enable SMTP Authentication option in the ‘E-mail Accounts’ menu in the ‘SMTP Authentication’ tab. Complete the fields ‘Username’, ‘Password’, ‘Host’, ‘Port Number’, ‘Secure Connection Type’, according to the guide above.

6. How to Change the Content of E-mail Notifications Sent?

You can do this by editing the file:

{YOUR_WORDPRESS_FOLDER}/wp-content/plugins/chauffeur-booking-system/template/email_booking.php

7. The Last Booking Step ‘Book Now’ is Not Completed, and the Window is Frozen

Disable ‘Debug’ option in ‘Chauffeur Booking System’ -> ‘E-mail Accounts’, ‘SMTP authentication’ tab.