We know that navigating the changing landscape of Online Travel Agents (OTA) can be hard, and we’re here to help. In this OTA Tool Kit, we’ve provided our Bluetent Insiders with a general overview of the most important aspects of each OTA that Rezfusion Boost™ connects to.
We hope that this tool kit will help Property Managers determine which OTA channels will be most suitable for them to distribute to through Boost™. We encourage you to read through the “cliff notes” below on each OTA channel you are interested in listing on through Rezfusion Boost™ and check out the additional links and resources for more detailed information on each OTA’s policies.
AIRBNB | BOOKING.COM | VRBO | HomeToGo | ||
Merchant of Record | Airbnb is the Merchant of Record | You, the host, are the Merchant of Record * | You, the host, are the Merchant of Record | You, the host, are the Merchant of Record | You, the host, are the Merchant of Record |
Instant Book Required | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes, but option for 24 hrs for PM to process | Yes, but option for 24 hrs for PM to process |
Allows for Optional Fees | Pet Fee | No | No (may be supported in the future) | Damage waiver, Pet Fees | Damage waiver only |
OTA Commission for PM | 3-5% | 12-18% | N/A | Subscription and Pay-Per-Booking options available. | 15% |
OTA Guest Fee | Yes* | No | No | Yes | No |
Cancellation Policies | Flexible, Moderate, Firm, Strict, or Super Strict 30, Super Strict 60 | Several options | Custom | No Refund, 60-Day Strict, 60/30 Firm Policy, 30/14 Moderate, 14/7 Relaxed, Custom | No Refund, 60-Day Strict, 60/30 Firm Policy, 30/14 Moderate, 14/7 Relaxed, Custom |
Supported Fee Types | Per stay (Boost can build in nightly fees to the rent) | Per Stay, Per night, Per night per person | Per Stay, Per night, Per night per person, Fees based on LOS groupings* | Per Stay, Per night, Per night per person | Per Stay, Per night, Per night per person |
*Airbnb Note: In some cases and locations, Airbnb has a “Host-only fee” structure where a host fee of 14-16% is charged to the host and no guest fee is charged. If you are unsure of what fees apply in your situation please contact Airbnb. https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/1857/airbnb-service-fees
*BDC Note: In some cases, there may be the option for Booking.com to be the Merchant of Record. Ask your Implementation Specialist or Client Success member for more information.
*Google VR Note: Example of a fee based on length of stay groupings: 2-4 nights charge $50, 5+ nights charge $100
Important Note
Charges and price structures listed in the table above may vary by location or could be outdated. For the most accurate information for your listings, we advise you check with each OTA.
Important Note
Charges and price structures listed in the table above may vary by location or could be outdated. For the most accurate information for your listings, we advise you check with each OTA.
Airbnb is the Merchant of Record.
Airbnb often remits taxes (see policies below).
Airbnb collects commission from both hosts and guests in each transaction.
Only displays nightly rates.
No conditional/optional fees collected at checkout (see Resolution Center information in links below).
Only charges fees on a per-stay basis — nightly or per person fees can be added into the rent.
Since Airbnb is the merchant of record, security deposits will not be deposited into your account automatically when a booking is made — if damages occur you can reach out to Airbnb to collect that money after the guest has left. Airbnb also has a million dollar guarantee for hosts — click here to learn more.
In what areas is occupancy tax collection and remittance by Airbnb available?
Resolution Center Link — click here to learn about what the Resolution Center is.
You, the host, are the merchant of record, meaning you are responsible for collecting all rents, fees, and taxes at the time of the booking.
No conditional/optional fees collected at checkout — you can charge fees that the guest opts in to after the initial reservation is made.
There are lots of cancellation policies to choose from, but you must pick one that Booking.com provides and is available in Boost.
Host are not able to cancel reservations.
Commission ranges from 12–18% and is only charged to the host. Booking.com will invoice you monthly in arrears after your guests have left to collect their commission.
70% of all searches on Booking.com are for 1 and 2 night stays.
You are the merchant of record, meaning you are responsible for collecting all rents, fees, and taxes at the time of the booking.
Fees & taxes must be provided directly from your Property Management Software.
You are able to provide your Cancellation Policy in your Terms and Conditions at checkout.
Bookings will come through similar to a direct booking on your website but via a Boost Secure Payment Server (SPS) checkout page.
Currently Google is not charging a channel commission.
Guests are not charged a service fee.
Google controls which photos are displayed and in what order.
In order to view many of the hyperlinks below, please sign into your VRBO account to view the articles. |
You, the host, are the merchant of record, meaning you are responsible for collecting all rents, fees, and taxes at the time of the booking.
Booking policy - Vrbo has two choices for booking:
Instant Booking - When a traveler books a property with an Instant Booking badge, the reservation is immediately confirmed and no action is required by the Property Manager. Travelers prefer Instant Booking properties, and these properties typically have a higher conversion rate. Travelers can filter search results to only include Instant Booking properties.
To enable Instant Booking, make sure you meet these requirements:
The booking response must have a CONFIRMED reservation status at the time of booking, though the traveler’s credit card does not need to be charged instantly.
PM must have Online Booking (OLB) enabled and comply with Vrbo’s Marketplace policies.
PM must maintain high booking acceptance rates and low cancellation rates.
PM must maintain a consistent Booking update service.
Only available for PM Softwares that support this feature (currently only LiveRez) - Quote and Hold - When a traveler books a property without an Instant Booking badge (Quote and Hold), the reservation is not confirmed until the PM manually confirms the reservation in their software. Reservations should be confirmed within 24 hours.
Pricing policy - Vrbo has two choices for pricing
Guaranteed - If Guaranteed is selected, the Fast Availability and Booking services are used by travelers to reserve properties.
Quoted - If Quoted is selected, the Quote and Booking services are used.
There are 5 different cancellation policies to choose from - Relaxed, Moderate, Firm, Strict, Non-Refundable - for further details, please review Vrbo's cancellation policies.
For more information about HomeToGo, please refer to their FAQ
You, the host, are the merchant of record, meaning you are responsible for collecting all rents, fees, and taxes at the time of the booking.
Fees & taxes must be provided directly from your Property Management Software
5 different cancellation policies to choose from - Relaxed, Moderate, Firm, Strict, Non-Refundable
Commission to HomeToGo is 15% commission on all bookings.
Guests are not charged a service fee