Experience the difference of "Elite".

API & VRBO

Lou & Brenda Z
Nov 20, 2021 1:23 PM
Joined Apr, 2017 4 posts

Howdy gang....
Per the suggestion of a few in this group to use API for my Owner rez & VRBO listing's... I've got a question...
Seems VRBO wants to be paid for bookings originating on & OFF their platform as well ??? Can this be right ?? When the calendar synch's, do they see the guest info or does it just say blocked ?
Thanks in advance
Lou Zandy

Ken T
Nov 20, 2021 1:30 PM
Joined Aug, 2019 1707 posts

I understand your concern about Vrbo needing a 10% "commission" for offline bookings once you are integrated to their API.

Let me emphasize: this DOES NOT apply, in any way, to bookings that have nothing to do with Vrbo. So if somebody places a booking using your own website, Vrbo does not expect nor deserve any piece of that. They don't even know the booking exists; all they know is that your calendar is blocked off for those dates.

What they are referring to is if somebody calls you *because of Vrbo*. As in, they were already chatting with you via Vrbo and they decided to give you a call instead of going through the website and API. For these cases, the guest really did come via Vrbo and so paying them a commission is fair.

Even so, this is a manual function controlled by you - there's a button "Attribute to Vrbo" under the Channel tab. You can push this button, and the system tags that booking as "really being from Vrbo" so they can collect their commission. This won't happen until and unless you actually push that button yourself though.