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You'll want to set this up for mutual blocking. I have a property that is 5 acres and has 3 units on it. I have them set up as "rooms" on BDC. But in OR, its all controlled by mutual blocking. Here's how to set it up in OR: https://www.ownerrez.com/support/articles/combined-properties-blockoff-lockoff
Booking.com (BDC) does have one payment option requiring the host to collect "at arrival." This is based on a hotel model and does not work for the majority of short-term rentals. It is even possible to have some listings receive credit card details whilst others require payment at arrival in the same account.
This is a BDC determination and not related to API.
As far as I know, Booking.com (BDC) has not eliminated the ability to obtain the guest's "real" email address once the booking is created.
If Booking.com (BDC) puts you on payments by Booking, where they collect and pay you at arrival, you should still be able to request a credit card from your guest for security deposit reasons. With that card on file, you can (with the guest's OK) run the payment for add on services.
OwnerRez is working, now, with Booking.com (BDC) to create a more robust API. It's my understanding that the messaging will be released first and listing content sync later:
1. I have to create a convoluted 95% listing in BDC anyway. They import pics from Airbnb! When I asked why there was no answer but a complained that the pics from Airbnb were low resolution! So why import from Airbnb in the first place
True & frustrating! This is controlled by BDC, not OwnerRez. You'll want to upload high resolution directly to GDC and mark/label them to a room/amenity. This only needs to be done once.
2. They do not want us to have credit cards and prefer to take payment themselves but have no real viable solution when we need to add in extra costs like pool heat, extra clean.
Whether or not a property (not just your account, but approval can be property by property) is eligible for credit card details depends on BDC's computer evaluation. You should be able to require a Security Deposit Hold, bringing in the credit card info for your records.
To add post-booking extra costs, like pool heat, you'd need to go into the OwnerRez booking > Charges > Convert to manual charges > edit to add your new charge before tax (make sure the taxes are applied) & save. If you have the guest's credit card for the security deposit, communicate with the guest and get their OK to run that payment.
It's a good idea to add a mention of the security deposit and extra charges in your Property > Your Profile > Descriptions on Booking.com Extranet.
3. Rates have to be uploaded on BDC, not vis OwnerRez
For API connected properties, the rates sync. However, they only sync to one pricing model. When you begin adding all the extra plans BDC suggests, it does get messy & complicated.
5. Dud bookings coming thru blocking my dates, but no credit card holds or payment taken by BDC
This seems to be a common complaint for US based guests. This is not something that can be controlled, with or without OwnerRez. You can reduce the number of cancellations by setting your Property > Policies > Cancellation Policy to 60 days & the same for Property > Policies > Advanced Cancellation > Cancellation exceptions > 8 weeks. If you reduce your booking window to 90 days, most cancellations can be prevented.
OwnerRez should not be promoting BDC as a channel until there is a full API integration
There will be a full API integration released in 2024, however, BDC will still have some of the same issues.
Yes, all of us would be experiencing these same issues. BDC is going the way of Airbnb in not allowing us to directly interact with guests except for their platform. This is a huge problem as we cannot send rental agreements, or deposit requests, or charge for extras such as pool heat
I was told by my rep that payment is sent on day of guest arrival. But this conflicts with OwnerRez saying we need to request payment!!!
BDC is actively discouraging property managers from taking guest credit cards. They want us to use their payment systems, similar to Airbnb. BUT, they have no viable way of allowing us to take extra payments for pool heat, mid stay clean, etc. Very disappointed with booking.com
I am on the point of dropping BDC until OwnerRez has a full API connection. This limited connection does nothing for me personally:
1. I have to create a convoluted 95% listing in BDC anyway. They import pics from Airbnb! When I asked why there was no answer but a complained that the pics from Airbnb were low resolution! So why import from Airbnb in the first place
2. They do not want us to have credit cards and prefer to take payment themselves but have no real viable solution when we need to add in extra costs like pool heat, extra clean.
3. Rates have to be uploaded on BDC, not vis OwnerRez
4. My rep was not helpful, just apologetic.
5. Dud bookings coming thru blocking my dates, but no credit card holds or payment taken by BDC
6. They are already charging me commission for dud reservations which I then have to spend time disputing
7. Instead of a seamless time saving channel, BDC has turned into a nightmare.
I could go on, but I'll stop here. OwnerRez should not be promoting BDC as a channel until there is a full API integration
Nader:
You can request a new card:
https://www.ownerrez.com/support/articles/payment-processing-overview#request
If you go into a booking's Transactions tab, and click "Request", and then "Request New Credit Card", you should see a prompt where you can click "Compose Email:
When you click "Compose Email", and send it to the guest, the guest should see a link they can click on within the email, to update these details.
When the guest clicks on that blue link within the email, they should see a form (where at the bottom, they can choose what the new card should be used for).
Then, once the guest has submitted the new payment info, you'll want to check the Transactions tab, to make sure the next scheduled payment (and any potential security deposit) will both be paid by the new card.
In the specific case you mentioned, where the security deposit is already set up, you would verify that the guest had properly attributed the new card to the security deposit and the change had occurred.
Can a guest fill this out and provide a new credit card after the security deposit had been processed but prior to check in?
Annie-
Another approach from a different angle. If you import the Vrbo monthly CSV report, that should create expenses for the right bookings and properties, automatically.
https://www.ownerrez.com/support/articles/vrbo-commission-file-imports
After a little checking, for future readers, it appears you are on the Vrbo professional plan:
Get ready for our professional plan
We’re now moving forwards with making our professional plan the single option for property managers across Europe, Australia and New Zealand. With our professional plan, you’ll pay a commission on each booking while your guests will no longer pay a Vrbo traveller service fee.
Annie- we are not familiar with the 13.5% Stayz/Vrbo fee, if you have anything outlining that info can you email it to help@ownerrez.com?
Hi Annie:
As far as I know, Vrbo bills one monthly automatic payment per Vrbo login. If all the properties are on one Vrbo account, you are going to see one charge. However, you can certainly pay the credit card bill appropriate share from each property's account & bill the owners. Vrbo sends a downloadable spreadsheet file and includes the property name, you can also edit that spreadsheet to address each owner's bookings.
Is there a way that the default is expanded?
So it shows this instead?
And is there a way that the default flag for the phone # is Canadian??
Same day triggers typically will work, but there are many variables that can cause it to be quite a precise process. In your case I'd actually recommend emailing into our helpdesk with the property details and a current or recent example of the triggers you're working with so we can take a look.
~Caleb
Hi
I am new to OwnerRez have just completed the VRBO API integration (which took over 3 weeks because VRBO were so slow). They told me now the guest will no longer pay the guest service fee and I will pay VRBO a commission of 13.5% going forward for all VRBO bookings, which will be invoiced each month. However when asking them if they can invoice me separately for each property (so I can then easily send individual invoices to each property owner for payment), my VRBO account manager said he wasn't sure but he asked around and was told no it must be a gross monthly invoice for all property commissions in one. I am using VRBO Australia (locally called Stayz.com.au)
I was just wondering if any other property managers know of a way around this with VRBO to get their monthly commission invoice per property rather than all properties rolled into one invoice?
Thanks Annie
We are looking to do the same thing. Rent out whole space or just rent out rooms. Following
Yes, this is normal, because unfortunately, Airbnb turned off their proxy email system last month. The only way to communicate with Airbnb guests initially is via their own Airbnb internal messaging system. Fortunately, OwnerRez integrates with this system, so, you can configure OwnerRez to send a request to Airbnb guests to sign your rental agreement. That signing process, in turn, collects the guest's real email address, which can be used thereafter as with any other booking.
Here's general guidance:
https://www.ownerrez.com/support/articles/request-airbnb-guest-contact-information
In particular the green box:
https://www.ownerrez.com/support/articles/channel-templates
For my last few bookings from AirBnB, the guest platform email is not being populated.
This has caused my automated messages not to be sent.
Is anyone else having this problem?
Yes, that's accurate - you'll need to write in to the Helpdesk with the email address of the new Vrbo account you want to connect to (or create).
Hello, I have a property that gets mostly next day or same day bookings, sometimes with only an hour between the booking request and check in. This only becomes an issue when dealing with OwnerRez channel triggers for auto messages. Currently I have my welcome message and guest instructions, which include wifi password and how to get into each unit, triggered to send one day before booking and with a partial of the payment received.
If the booking has been requested a few days in advance everything works fine, but if it's next or same day, none of the messages go through because theres not enough time between the request and check-in, and because even though the payment goes through on AirBNB and VRBO, it doesn't register on OwnerRez. I still have bookings that came from AirBNB that have been fully paid, that OwnerRez still says needs to be paid off.
How do I get the triggers to work with same day bookings?
I am trying to add a new listing for Vrbo and connect it to Vrbo. Upload all the info on to Vrbo. How do I do this? It says I have to contact support for second listing. All the info for my Sea Pines home is on OwnerRez.
Thanks.
Claudia
Currently there isn't a means internally to do this, we've talked about this several times in the past and I have confirmed with our engineers it is planned, we just can't give an ETA at this time.
There are manual methods such as exporting the report and sending it in an email directly, however the automatic portion is what we're still missing.
~Caleb
Does anyone have any advice for the best software to use for obtaining signatures in an online doc format? I know I can use OwnerRez for VRA's but they've said I can't use it for an Owner Contract.
Hello! You are correct - there is not. Developing to save field codes inside of Airbnb House Rules is not as easy as it seems.
Most users' house rules are pretty static and not changed much, so users usually just create custom field codes for those types of needs. In this case, using Property type field codes.
-Shawn
Hi Katie,
Not directly no, however there are workarounds. A common one would be to create a custom template/trigger, we briefly mention that here: https://www.ownerrez.com/support/articles/third-party-communications-options#custom-trigger
If you're having trouble with the specifics of setting that up, please feel free to email into our help desk and we'll see if we can help guide you to what you're looking for.
~Caleb
I must be missing something that should be obvious. How do I schedule a report to be sent via email? Something simple like the "Booking" report being sent daily via email?
Want to send daily at a specific time to specific people. Is this not an option?
Is there a way to modify the fields displayed in a 3rd party alert?
They are working great but there is additional info I want to include in the alert. Is there a way to do this?
Thanks!
