OwnerRez has partnered with Vrbo to provide an integrated API connection between the two systems. This allows OwnerRez users to more easily handle their listings and bookings with Vrbo and their sister brands, including Vrbo and CanadaStays. Take a look at Vrbo's How to integrate with property management software guide to learn more.
Features
- The Vrbo API uses the payment processor you have set up in OwnerRez, instead of letting Vrbo handle the payment processing which is how it works when you are not using API. In this case, the guest's credit card shows charges from you, and a separate charge from Vrbo for their booking fee. This means you are in full control of all charges and refunds for Vrbo bookings once they have been made, and can make changes to them at any time without asking Vrbo's permission.
- To get started with the Vrbo API, check out our Vrbo Setup & Connecting article. And, here's a comparison of the differences between API and non-API.
- Note that, for bookings recorded in OwnerRez via the Vrbo API, OwnerRez is the source of truth. Vrbo sometimes can erroneously show bookings as still pending - this is incorrect and can be ignored.
Restrictions
Vrbo Quotes
- The Vrbo mobile app offers the ability to reply to inquiries and provide a customized quote, even if you are using their API. Don't use this! It looks like it works... and it seems like it works, because the guest actually receives the quote and can accept it. But then - nothing. You don't get informed of the booking via the API, it just ghosts - the worst possible outcome for a guest. Don't fall for this apparently useful, but actually worse than useless, feature of the mobile app!
- When using the API connection, it is not possible to send guests a quote using the Vrbo messaging system. Guests can make an inquiry, and you can communicate with them via email or using Vrbo's control panel. However, messages sent through Vrbo have all identifying characteristics such as URLs stripped out, so there is no way guests can receive or accept a special quote. You can, however, agree with the guest via email on a particular price - just tell them to make a booking at whatever price is displayed to them, and then you can update the charges on the booking afterwards.
- Some Premier Partners, unlike normal accountholders, receive real guest contact info on inquiries. When they are connected to an API, that function is turned off. That seems like a bug, and it is - but not the bug you think. As of February 2019, no premier partners were supposed to have access to contact info pre-bookings. The API has nothing to do with it. But it seems that some still do, Vrbo just hasn't noticed. When you connect the API, Vrbo staff check all your settings, and remove the access that shouldn't be there. :-(
- While there are still some limitations with sending quotes, OR is making headway with a unified inbox. See our Vrbo Messaging support article for more information.
- Vrbo Messaging history currently works on a go-forward basis starting June 7th, 2023, meaning that only bookings made after June 7th, 2023, will have Vrbo messaging activated. We will look to bring in some history of previous conversations in a future release.
- Vrbo only provides their own proxy email address, not the guest's real email address - and any email replies have all identifying characteristics such as URLs stripped out, so there is no way guests can receive or accept a special quote. You can, however, agree with the guest via email or the Vrbo internal messaging system on a particular price - just tell them to make a booking at whatever price is displayed to them, and then you can update the charges on the booking afterwards once it has been made in Vrbo and automatically transferred into your OwnerRez account via the API connection.
API Connections
- Vrbo now permits usage of the API connection for all owners without regard to the number of properties you have. However, all your properties in your Vrbo account must use the API connection - you can't have some properties in the same account using the API and others not.
- Once the Vrbo API has been activated for a property, all future bookings will be handled using the API. However, any pre-existing bookings which were placed prior to activation of the API will not be handled by the API. You must continue to sync them using Channel Bridge until the last one has come and gone. When Airbnb activates an API connection, it disables any iCals for that account, so you may as well disable any Vrbo iCal imports when the API goes live - they'll stop working anyway.
What actually happens to these bookings is, they're handled via the old pre-API system. It won't automatically appear in OwnerRez, but, if you know it exists, it can be brought in and populated with data by Channel Bridge. As with any other pre-API booking, Vrbo will handle all payments.
Financial Considerations
- A Vrbo API connection must use the credit card payment processor you have set up in OwnerRez for each property - each property can have a different credit card payment processor, but each property must be configured with one. Vrbo will no longer handle your payment processing. You become fully responsible for collecting and remitting all taxes payable. OwnerRez can be configured to calculate and collect the taxes due for each booking, but you must make your own arrangements with the appropriate tax jurisdictions and authorities for remitting the taxes to them in accordance with applicable laws.
- Vrbo's API only supports the following currencies:
- Australian $
- Canadian $
- Euro
- Great Britain Pound
- New Zealand $
- US $
- Japanese Yen
Booking Window
- Even if set to 500+ days in advance in OwnerRez, the Vrbo booking window is limited to 500 days (about 16 months) in advance. The Vrbo calendar will show as greyed out for dates for guests after the 500-day mark. When guests attempt to book a Vrbo property directly from the listing page for 500 days or more (about 16 months) in advance, the traveler will either receive an error message or the calendar will be greyed out and unable to be booked.
Vrbo PM Support
Having problems with your Vrbo API connection? Contact Vrbo IPM (integrated property manager) Tech Support.
Vrbo PM Support
877-239-2592 (7 days a week, from 8 AM – 6 PM CST)
pm-support@vrbo.com
Contacted Vrbo IPM Tech Support and still having trouble? Help us help you. When you contact us, be sure to include the following.
- Your PM support job/case number
- The name of the individual who is working on your IPM support job/case