A new workspace cannot send any email to customers until it has connected a live Stripe account. This keeps Samba from being used to send spam. Connecting is a one-time step: email switches on the moment you connect, with nothing to request or wait for.
What is paused
Every automatic email to a customer: booking confirmations, payment requests, installment reminders and receipts, booking-request updates, task reminders, and cancellation outcomes.
Sign-in links for the traveler portal.
Message customer on a booking or a customer, and Message customers on a departure. The buttons are grayed out with the tooltip "Connect a payment gateway to start using Samba".
Emails to your own team are not affected.
Paused emails are dropped, not queued. A traveler who books before you connect a live Stripe account never receives their confirmation, even after you connect.
Find your cause
My dashboard says "Connect a payment gateway to start using Samba"
My dashboard says "Connect a payment gateway to start using Samba"
You have not connected a live Stripe account yet. Select Connect Stripe on that banner, or go to Settings → Connect Stripe, and follow Connect your Stripe account.
As soon as the connection is made, the banner disappears and the message buttons work.
I connected Stripe, but emails are still paused
I connected Stripe, but emails are still paused
Check the Mode shown on Settings → Connect Stripe. Only a Live connection switches email on. A Test connection does not.
Connect your live Stripe account instead. See Reconnect Stripe or switch accounts.
My dashboard says "Your account is under review"
My dashboard says "Your account is under review"
Samba has paused customer email for your workspace. Connecting Stripe does not lift this. Contact Samba support to restore sending.
Email is on, but one customer gets nothing
Email is on, but one customer gets nothing
Some customers have no real email address on file. This happens with GetYourGuide bookings where the traveler gave no email, and with customers whose data was anonymized. They never receive email, whatever your workspace's status.
A booking's Sent emails tab is empty
A booking's Sent emails tab is empty
While email is paused, the Sent emails tab on a booking shows a notice that explains why nothing was sent.
Good to know
Once email is switched on, it stays on. Disconnecting or reconnecting Stripe later does not pause it again.