Before mapping to Expedia
To control Expedia’s inventory from our platform, first make sure you have added Expedia, created your rates on both their extranet and our platform, and mapped your rates to it.
Expedia has some unique features, so before you start mapping, read the information in the following links.
Expedia’s features:
Rate types
Pricing models
Rate conversion multiplier
Reservation commission percentage
Expedia Traveller Preference (ETP) program
Reservation e-mails
Reservation delivery
Stop sells at room level
How to map and multi-map.
💡 If you are not connected to Expedia, follow the steps in Connect to Expedia.
Expedia rate types
There are various rate types supported by Expedia that you might encounter during the mapping process. To find out what inventory updates are supported by these rate types, read the following sections below.
💡 Note:
Map all of your Expedia rates; not just the “Sell rates”.
Expedia can block inventory updates depending on the rate type.
You can identify Expedia rate types in the following places.
Expedia’s extranet.
Our platform: while mapping a room rate to Expedia, the mapping drop-down menu will show you the room rate name, the rate type, pricing model, and whether it is standalone or corporate.
Sell rates
A base rate — also called the master rate and manual rate — is identified with the word "SellRate" in Expedia’s extranet and our platform. Sell rates enable our platform to send Expedia all of the inventory updates that are integrated with the channel, such as the rates, availability, stop sell, CTA, CTD, minimum stay, and maximum stay.
Derived rates
Derived rates contain the word "Derived". They inherit their pricing and restrictions from their parent rate plan on Expedia, which means our platform does not send any inventory updates to Expedia for these rates; the channel blocks the values being sent.
💡 Derived rates are only mapped to deliver reservations to our platform; you will need to map them because they share availability with the “SellRate”.
Linked rates
Linked rates are indicated by the word "Linked". They also get their prices and restrictions from the channel’s extranet — but unlike derived rates, they are inherited from the parent room rate, not the rate plan. Our platform can only send some inventory updates to Expedia for linked rates; most commonly, rates and/or restrictions might be blocked by Expedia (such as minimum stay, maximum stay, stop sell, CTA, and CTD).
💡 Linked rates share their availability with the “SellRate”, so in order for corresponding reservations to be delivered to our platform, they need to be mapped.
Package rates
Package rates are displayed with the word "Package". This type of rate is a price-bundle deal consisting of products, services, and extras — from flights, car rentals, and insurance, to tours and other activities. Their prices are calculated by Expedia, so our platform does not send pricing to Expedia. Restrictions are also frequently blocked by the channel.
💡 Like linked rates, these rates share availability with the “SellRate” and must be mapped.
Expedia pricing models
Expedia has two pricing models for properties to choose from:
Per-day pricing (PDP)
Occupancy-based pricing (OBP)
💡 To change an Expedia pricing model, contact your Expedia Market Manager for assistance.
Per-day pricing (PDP)
With the PDP model, the room price is assigned on each day regardless of how many guests stay in the room; the final price of the reservation is calculated according to the number of days a room has been booked for, not the number of guests staying in it.
➕ For example:
A guest books a room with a two-person occupancy and a price per night of AUD 100.
With PDP, the rate is the same whether one or two guests stay in the room.
The property is therefore offering this room at a price that does not change based on the occupancy.
Occupancy-based pricing (OBP)
With the OBP model, however, Expedia lets you vary the nightly price based on the number of guests staying in the room.
➕ For example:
A double room has adequate space to add an additional double bed, if required.
With OBP, the room price varies when two, three, or four people are staying in it.
The property has an Extra guest rate of AUD 20, so this room would cost:
AUD 100 for two guests;
AUD 120 for three guests;
AUD 140 for four guests.
With the OBP model, you need to enter additional information while mapping, as detailed below.
Single rate only — a status indicating if the rate is for a single guest. (Select Yes if the mapped rate is always just for a single guest.)
Included occupancy — the number of guests included in the rate set on your inventory. (This should be set to two or more occupants.)
Max occupancy — the maximum number of guests that can be booked for the room rate.
Extra guest rate — the amount to charge the additional guest(s) not included in the Included occupancy field.
Single guest discount — the amount to deduct from the room rate’s Inventory price when there is a single-guest booking.
Extra guest percentage — the percentage to charge the additional guest(s) not included in the Included occupancy field. (This field will only be visible when the Single rate only field is set to ‘No’ .)
Rate conversion multiplier
If you use the Rate conversion multiplier on an Expedia channel rate, all of the corresponding rates entered on our platform will be multiplied by a specified value before they are sent to the channel — similar to the , except on the rate level instead of the channel level. However, if you leave the value of the Rate conversion multiplier blank, the rates will be taken from the Inventory page and sent as is to Expedia.
⚠️ Note:
For example, you can enter 0.8 to send 80% of the rate, or 1.2 to send 120% of it.
If you enter a Rate conversion multiplier for a room rate, the amount displayed in the Inventory page will not show this multiplier applied.
Ask Expedia if you should use this tool and if it should be done on the channel level or rate level.
Setting up a Rate conversion multiplier will overwrite any for Expedia.
Map to Expedia
💡 Before you proceed, complete the steps in the section.
Properties connected to Expedia often have to use multi-mapping, especially those that are members of the Expedia Traveller Preference (ETP) program.
They can also have completely different configurations, making their mapping unique.
➕ For example:
On Expedia, you have a standard double room rate sold in the following ways:
Standard double room - SellRate - Hotel Collect
Standard double room - Package - Expedia Collect
Standard double room - Linked - Expedia Collect
Standard double room - Derived - Expedia Collect
And in your SiteMinder platform, you have only one room rate:
Standard double room
However, you do not need to create a new room rate for the four Expedia rate types listed above; instead, you just map them to the single “Standard double room” rate via multi-mapping.