VRBO Setup

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Revision as of 16:11, 28 January 2022 by Annette (talk | contribs) (→‎Setup)
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Connect with VRBO / Homeaway Group
This page is about the menu  (SETTINGS) CHANNEL MANAGER > VRBO/HOMEAWAY > ACCOUNT and explains how connect to VRBO/Homewaway and their companies.

Contents

1 Capabilities

Via the XML connection Beds24 can

  • Export property listings content (create listings at VRBO/Homeaway)
  • Update existing listings on VRBO
  • Export prices and availability
  • Import bookings
  • Send date changes and status changes to "Cancelled"

To allow accurate commission calculation we have to provide VRBO with a feed which contains all VRBO bookings.

If you use the XML connection all updates should be done in Beds24 (not in VRBO/Homeaway) because changes you make in VRBO/Homeaway will be overridden with the next update.

The connection can update following VRBO brands:

Homeaway.com, VRBO.com, abritel.fr, aluguetemporada.com.br, CanadaStays, fewo-direkt.de, homdelidays.es, homdelidays.it, homeaway.at, homeaway.ca, homeaway.co.au, homeaway.co.mx, homeaway.co.uk, homeaway.dk, homeaway.es, homeaway.fi, homeaway.gr, homeaway.it,, homeaway.nl,, homeaway.no, homeaway.pl, homeaway.pt, homeaway.se, homelidays.com, ownersdirect.co.uk, stayz.co.au vacationrentals.com.

2 Limitations

  • VRBO/Homeaway do not allow same day bookings.
  • Most agencies/property managers can use VRBOs XML connection. In some regions VRBO applies minimum requirements. If you are not eligible your can use our VRBO iCal connection to synchronise calendars.

You can not change your username when connected to VRBO because this will break the connection.

3 Before you connect

Prices We can only send availability if you have set up prices which are activated for this channel. This tutorial gives general information how to set prices for channels.

Bookings

Only bookings made after the connection is established will be imported and can be managed. Existing bookings can be imported via iCal or manually.

VRBO/Homeaway does not send confirmation messages. They require these to be sent from Beds24. The confirmation message you have set up in (SETTINGS) GUEST MANAGEMENT >CONFIRMATION MESSAGES will be sent to the guest.

4 Setup

VRBO/Homeaways XML activation applies per Beds24 account. All properties owned by the connected Beds24 account or sub account can send to the connected VRBO account. If you want to connect properties owned by different account/sub accounts you can override this. Click on the 'User' icon on the top right and then on 'Account Management (in the old control panel SUB ACCOUNT in the top right) Manage Account > Manage Property and go to "Channel Management". The setting "VRBO / Homeaway Connect via Account" allows you to set that the property connects to VRBO via a different account than the one owning it.

VRBO provides a self-onboarding tool which is started from Beds24. If self-onboarding is not available in your region you will not be able to complete the setup and VRBO will automatically create a support case and get in touch with you.

Step 1: Activate your rooms

Go to (SETTINGS) CHANNEL MANAGER > VRBO/HOMEAWAY > MAPPING and tick "Enable" for all rooms you want to connect. Click on HELP in the top right of this page for detailed instructions.

If you see a red button "Fix Content Errors" your content does not meet VRBOs requirements. Click on the button. Any settings which do not meet VRBOs requirements are highlighted on red. Click on the links to go to the settings where you can fix the problems.

Step 2: Have your credit card on hand

During the onboarding process VRBO will ask you to enter your credit card.

Step 3: Self-onboard to VRBO

When at least one room is activated to sending you can start the self-onboarding process.

  • If you have subaccounts double check you are logged into the account/subaccount you want to connect.
  • Click on "Connect with VRBO. This will start VRBOs self-onboarding process.
  • Follow the steps.

This will automatically generate your "VRBO Software User ID" which you can always see in in Beds24 under (SETTINGS) CHANNEL MANAGER > VRBO/HOMEAWAY > ACCOUNT / MAPPING.


VRBO defines the currency you can use for your VRBO account. Make sure this currency is set in (SETTINGS) CHANNEL MANAGER > VRBO/HOMEAWAY > ACCOUNT and is used in all properties in this Beds24 account. If you use a different currency in Beds24 you can set a multiplier in (SETTINGS) CHANNEL MANAGER > VRBO/HOMEAWAY > MAPPING. Click on HELP in the top right of this page for detailed instructions.

After you have connected with VRBO you will have a "View Listings" button. When you click you will see the properties/rooms which are in Beds24 feed for VRBO.


In Beds24:

In VRBO if you do not yet have a VRBO account:

In VRBO if you do have a VRBO account:

Step 5 - Check the listing status

  • Go to (SETTINGS) CHANNEL MANAGER > VRBO > MAPPING
  • Click on the View Status at VRBO" button
  • Check the content especially the "activeStatus"

5 VRBO/Homeaway.com Offline Bookings / Data protection

VRBO requires you mark bookings which originated from a VRBO/Homeaway enquiry by setting the Referer value on the "Details" tab of the booking to VRBO. VRBO/Homeaway requires you to enter the guests Email address in the booking.


VRBO/Homeaway will have access to these bookings for reporting purposes.

Make sure you comply with your local data protection laws.

6 Updates

Changes to availability and prices will be instantly sent to the channel. Other changes will be pulled by VRBO/Homeaway with their next poll.

7 Cancellations

If you set a booking to "Cancelled" we will send it as "Cancelled by guest" to VRBO/Homeaway. If the booking is cancelled by the owner you can set this as a "substatus" via the second selector next to the "Cancelled" status in the "Summary" tab of the booking.

If a different reason for the cancellation applies you can set this by adding one of the following info codes in to "Info" tab of the booking:

CANCELLED_BY_OWNER

CANCELLED_BY_OWNER_INVALID_CARD

CANCELLED_BY_OWNER_NO_PAYMENT

CANCELLED_BY_OWNER_UNIT_NOT_AVAILABLE

Never delete bookings from VRBO/Homeaway because VRBO/Homeaway expect to read the booking status even if they are cancelled.

8 Special offers for guests

If you want to offer a guest a special price ask the guest to book at full price. After the booking has imported you can change the price and manually sent the guest a confirmation with the revised price.

Beds24 will automatically send the amened price to VRBO so VRBO can adjust your commission.

9 VRBO commission

To allow accurate commission calculation we have to provide VRBO with a feed which contains all VRBO bookings.

If you have added on-site services to the booking, you can add the status stayfee to them. The status needs to start with stayfee but you can add to is for example stayfee_tour. VRBO will then not take this item into account when calculating the commission.

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