Online Travel Agent (OTA) Tool Kit

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. 

Which OTA’s Does Rezfusion Boost™ Connect To?

 

 

AIRBNB

BOOKING.COM

GOOGLE

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 

BDC Policy Info

Custom 

No Refund, 60-Day Strict, 60/30 Firm Policy, 30/14 Moderate, 14/7 Relaxed, Custom
Vrbo Policy Info

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.

 

 

AIRBNB

BOOKING.COM

  • 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.

GOOGLE

  • 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.

VRBO

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.

HomeToGo

  • 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