What Happens After You Hit Book on CIOS

If you've never used a peer to peer platform before, the idea of booking gear from someone you've never met can feel a bit unclear. What actually happens after you hit the book button? Here's the full walkthrough.

Step 1: You Choose Your Dates and Pickup Time

You pick when you need the item and, where the listing allows it, a two hour pickup window that suits you. Then you enter your card details to secure the booking.

Step 2: Your Card Is Authorised, Not Charged

This is the part people are usually surprised by. Your card is authorised for the full amount, but nothing is actually taken yet. The owner has to approve the booking first.

Step 3: The Owner Reviews Your Request

The owner gets an email and an in-app notification. They can approve, decline, or suggest a different pickup time if the one you chose doesn't work for them. If they suggest a new time, you'll get asked to confirm it before anything moves forward.

Step 4: Approval and Payment

Once the owner approves, that's when payment is actually captured. You'll both get an email with the full booking details, and at that point the pickup address is revealed to you. Addresses stay private until a booking is confirmed, which protects the owner's privacy until there's an actual agreement in place.

Step 5: If the Owner Declines

If the owner isn't able to fulfil the booking, they'll decline with a reason, and no payment is ever taken. You'll get notified straight away and can look elsewhere.

Step 6: Pickup and Return

You collect the item at the agreed time and return it as arranged. If the listing has a deposit, it's held by Stripe throughout and released back to you automatically once the owner confirms the item's come back in good condition.

What If the Owner Doesn't Respond?

Owners have 48 hours to approve or decline a booking. If nothing happens in that window, the authorisation is automatically cancelled and you're never charged. CIOS also runs a background check every five minutes to clean up any abandoned bookings older than 30 minutes, so nothing sits in limbo.

Why It's Built This Way

Manual approval means owners are never forced to hand over gear to someone they haven't had a chance to review. Delayed capture means renters are never charged for a booking that doesn't go ahead. It's a small amount of friction that protects both sides.

If you're weighing up whether to hire something or just buy it outright, we've broken down the real maths of renting versus buying here.

Browse what's currently available at cios.net.au.