For those accounts connected via API to Booking.com (BDC), native in-app BDC messaging is available! Corresponding with Booking.com guests directly in OwnerRez allows users to unify their guest messaging that much more. With OwnerRez's inbox, conversation view, system alerts, and channel templates/triggers, you can automate more of your messaging to be delivered via the channel (or "on the platform").
- To request your guest's contact information and ask them to sign your renter agreement, see the Ask Channel Booking Guest Without Contact Info, to Provide Contact Info and Sign Renter Agreement support article.
- Check out the Trigger Examples support article for more information and ideas for BDC guest messaging.
If you already use Airbnb or Vrbo messaging in OwnerRez, you'll be quite comfortable with Booking.com messaging.
OwnerRez recommends keeping your email triggers in place for Booking.com bookings alongside any new BDC channel triggers until all bookings that were booked prior to January 24, 2024, have departed. After that, users can rely only on BDC messaging if they so choose.
Booking.com messages come into OwnerRez even before a booking is made! So, if the prospective guest has a question about your property, it will appear in OwnerRez. There may be a minute or two delay for it to appear in OwnerRez (i.e., you may see the message come through via alert from Booking.com). Once it comes into OwnerRez, there are a few different places you can see it, but if it's not yet a booking, the quickest way to get to it will be the Inbox. If you keep alerts enabled, you can click the link in the email system alert you receive.
- Inbox
- Inquiries
- Guest Contact Information
- Conversation View
- Communication History
- Limitations
- Notifications
- Common Issues and Questions
Inbox
The Inbox is located within the CRM menu of OwnerRez. Users can navigate to their Inbox by clicking on the left menu Inbox.
Booking.com messages are listed in the Inbox. Note that the Via column indicates where the messages are from.
Clicking on each individual message opens the message in the Conversation View.
In the Conversation View, users can see any comments that Booking.com guests have added, allowing them to respond directly to the BDC guest within OwnerRez.
Inquiries
Booking.com (BDC) inquiries do not appear in OwnerRez. BDC messages only show up in OwnerRez once the booking is confirmed.
Guest Contact Information
As of February 2024, Booking.com (BDC) guest platform emails are not passed to OwnerRez from new BDC bookings. Is there any way to get the guest's real email address? Yes. Use a channel template and trigger to ask the guest for their email address directly.
Similar to the Request Airbnb Guest Contact Information process, OwnerRez recommends that all BDC API-connected users configure their own channel template and an associated trigger to request guest email addresses and phone numbers.
OwnerRez will add a channel trigger in your account for all new Booking.com bookings so that guests are asked for contact information as soon as bookings occur. We do this for Vrbo and Airbnb bookings, so now it will work for Booking.com bookings as well. Users will see the new trigger showing alongside the others in your Settings > Triggers list. If you already had this kind of channel trigger, that trigger will now work for Booking.com, Vrbo, and Airbnb.
Users can verify their current templates by navigating to Settings > Messaging > Templates and current triggers by navigating to Settings > Messaging > Triggers. OwnerRez recommends that users review their messaging templates and triggers to ensure they are sending the correct template to their guests across BDC, Vrbo, and Airbnb. This can be done in place of or to augment other custom messages (e.g., email, SMS) sent on your behalf to the guest.
What happened to the BDC platform email addresses? The platform email address that Booking.com provided was always problematic. It created a lot of duplicate messages, stripped out links and formatting, truncated lines, and caused other mayhem. While Booking.com provides it along with the booking, it was really a terrible way of communicating with guests, so the BDC platform email address will no longer be added to bookings in OwnerRez.
Conversation View
When users open the Conversation View, they can see any comments that Booking.com guests have added, allowing them to respond directly to the BDC guest. Click Send.
Users will see a Message Queued modal pop-up in the upper right side of the screen letting them know that the message is outgoing.
Back in the Conversation View, users will be able to see their guest conversations. Note that this outgoing message is still in the queue to be sent. Users can open specific sections by clicking on the right side downward facing arrow to view more information.
Users can open specific sections by clicking on the right side downward facing arrow to view more information. Clicking on the View BDC Message will display that specific BDC message.
Users can view message details at the top of the message including the following.
- Message sender
- Message recipient
- What Inquiry number the message was sent regarding
- How the message was sent. In the case below the message was sent manually.
Users can click on the green links to return to the Inquiry or All Messages.
Communication History
More info and screenshots coming soon...
Limitations
See our Channel Message Limitations support article that details channel messaging redacted items.
Closed Messages
Booking.com (BDC) limits the range of time that you can message with your BDC guest and closes the message thread within 7 days of the guest checkout or booking cancelation.
How do you know if your BDC guest message thread is closed? On Booking.com's guest messaging platform, you will see the message "The message thread is closed, you cannot message this guest anymore."
Properties can send messages to guests within the following time frames.
- From the time of booking until 7 days after the guest checkout.
- From the time of booking until 7 days after the booking is canceled.
Booking.com "Structured" Messages
Booking.com (BDC) has introduced special "Structured" messages that are not available in OwnerRez, and BDC has no plans to make them available to us as part of our native in-app BDC messaging in the future. You can only view and respond to these messages through Booking.com.
Specifically, BDC won't pass structured messages to OwnerRez relating to the following.
- Check in/out time
- Date change
- Cancel for less
- Parking
- Bed preference
- Extra crib
- Extra bed ("Add an extra bed")
Notifications
Booking.com messaging Notifications (found under the Profile dropdown menu) are enabled by default. You can disable them if you do not want to receive email and push notifications when a message comes in or fails to send. We recommend keeping them enabled until you know how they assist you in your workflow.
Please Note: Turning off Channel Message Received Notifications will also disable notifications for Vrbo.
Common Issues and Questions
See the Messaging section of the Booking.com Common Issues & Questions support article.