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Hey OR team! In my Owners Portal (PM module), the owner dashboard allows financials to be viewed for the current and previous year as either the total amounts ("all time") or the amounts booked as of the current date. The latter allows for a truer apples-to-apples comparison of previous year financial data.
It would be SO helpful to have this same option when we run our own Booking Summary Report. However, there's no option to select that same type of "booked as of today" comparison.
Y'all deemed it a beneficial data-point for our homeowners to see. I'd say it's equally a beneficial data-point for us to be able to see across our internal reports as well.
Nope, still what Shawn said - Q3 of this year.
Everything is potential....
Melissa has this now.
Here are some nice parts about VRBO staying Merchant of Record:
On large five bookings (20k-30k) that gets expensive depending on how you handle refunds for cancellations. With VRBO as merchant, this goes away.
On large five figure bookings with we process over 250,000 a year in sales taxes that we pay 3% to collect. With VRBO as merchant, this goes away.
VRBO handles all the sales and lodging tax remittance and compliance.
@Jake I
FYI if you want to use the Lynx door code in a message, you need to use the code BXLYNXACCESSCODE
The "BDOORCODE" field will not work. OR creates a custom field BXLYNXACCESSCODE to store the data from lynx. If you go to the insert field screen, Booking tab, and search on Lynx it will pop-up for you.
Thank you Jake! I'm setting up my properties now!
There already is an open source option that was around $100 per unit per year when I found them a few years ago, but Lynx does provide value for what they charge. I have them on 6 properties and recommend them.
Terrific update! Looking forward to when this gets completed.
Any update?
The owner doesn't want the added administration, he prefers to be set up like Airbnb, where they handle the taxes and funds, I like it as well, we have it all set up the way we want other than the messaging issues with VRBO. He only wants the direct bookings coming through us. it's just easier for both of us this way.
@BlueSky Getaway,
Why would you want VRBO (or anyone else) to be the merchant of record? I don't see any benefit to giving them the financial control, except simpler administration, where VRBO and AirBnB is the same vs direct bookings.
Also, I think you save on the VRBO fees by managing the booking financials yourselft, and OR does a great job enabling that.
Currently I manage my own 3 listings, only, and don't manage others' listings, so my perspective is based on my experience.
Thank you for letting me know! I would rather keep them as the merchant of record, the owner and I only want our direct bookings to go through us. So I'm looking forward to when there's at least a choice to only API integrate for messaging only.
So very excited to hear this; having one platform to reply and receive messages is so time saving!
Will you have to be API integrated with VRBO for it to work? there are a few of us that do not want to API integrate with VRBO for various reasons and that would leave us out.
Hello - yes, Vrbo messaging will require being API integrated. This is based on Vrbo limitations. Vrbo is planning a method where they can stay merchant of record so maybe someday that can help ease the switch to going API. We don't know if it will be this year or not. Possibly not, with all their API work on Messaging and Reviews happening this year.
Will you have to be API integrated with VRBO for it to work? there are a few of us that do not want to API integrate with VRBO for various reasons and that would leave us out.
You could text it to them, as well. I do both typically so they'll check their email once they've read my text.
We use the Schlage Encode with RemoteLock managing codes, integrated with OR doing our automated messaging. It has worked pretty well for us.
What key code and lock system do you use? Are you happy with it.
Oh man. Can’t wait. Tired of having guest reaching about their door codes. Since it is the only communication that goes to their email instead of their message box so they don’t look for it by email.
You can do that using Custom Fileds of Type Booking and make them required. In this example, I use it for a number of adults but you can use for a person's name. Add as many fields as you need per number of adults.
Adding my voice to the chorus here. When emails automatically go out, guests like to respond with great information. That should be persisted to support recurring bookings and future communications with the guest.
This feature is needed! Thanks!
Thanks Jake
Tbh tho, $18 to set the codes a month is extortionate and unjustifiable. I did wonder why they were not being transparent with their pricing.
The upselling can be done via other means.
I’m probably going to wait for an open source type solution that I can install into my existing smart hubs.
Think Seam offer this but sounds complicated to setup.
All the best!
Nevermind!
I only have 3 locks and paying $18/lock/month, annually in advance. This is much more than RemoteLock and several other options.
The Lynx support has been excellent. They also offer messaging and other services (charging to early/late check-in/out, etc.) for an additional fee. I do not use those.
You can set up master codes for the cleaning and maintenance teams, and one time codes for folks coming in to do one time repairs.
Have been using Lynx since January, 2022 and at the time this seemed to be the best solution. The initial integration with OwnerRez has been one way from OR to Lynx through iCal calendar.
This new integration promises to pass the door codes from Lynx to OR. Typically (about 90%) those codes are the last 4 digits of the guest phone number, but not always.
Great news
Excellent! Thanks for the update!
Add an API method to pull a booking using the OTA's reservation ID.
Thanks for letting us know about this. Do you know approx how much it is per lock?
Thanks!
Lynx has a new integration with OwnerRez which passes the door code back to OwnerRez. See set up instructions here:
https://support.getlynx.co/hc/en-us/articles/14211270001805-How-To-Add-OwnerRez-Integration-in-Lynx?source=search&auth_token=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJhY2NvdW50X2lkIjo5NzY5NTUwLCJ1c2VyX2lkIjoxNDEwMzI1OTQ3NzkwMSwidGlja2V0X2lkIjo5ODgxMSwiY2hhbm5lbF9pZCI6NjMsInR5cGUiOiJTRUFSQ0giLCJleHAiOjE2ODIxOTkwODB9.4mnwvAJOGGOcZm7AJvv27heTJieX0lR2VD4qybUSlMs
I just set it up, and presumably will be disabling the iCal integration, once I confirm this is working.
If anyone has set this up and tested it, please comment.
We have a major accounting update in development which would be a necessary precursor to adding this capability, and then, we do plan to add this option after that. Most likely later this year.