This article walks through connecting your Vrbo account to Hospitable using the Vrbo Partner Connection — our official, API-based integration with Vrbo.
There are now two ways to start the connection, depending on whether you already have a Vrbo account connected to Hospitable through the legacy Chrome extension or not:
Connect/create a new Vrbo account to/on Hospitable — you don't yet own a Vrbo account, or don't have a Vrbo account connected to Hospitable (or you have one connected and want to add a different Vrbo account).
Upgrading from the Vrbo Legacy (Chrome extension) connection — you already have a Vrbo account connected to Hospitable via the Chrome extension and want to move it onto the Partner Connection.
✏️ Terminology:
The following terms can be used interchangeably to refer to the same thing; Hospitable's new Partner connection with Vrbo:
Partner connection
Partner integration
Official connection
Official integration
Hospitable has decided to use "Partner connection" in the UI and help articles. You may still see references to some of the others in some places.
Before you start
💡 The Vrbo Partner integration is available to hosts on all subscription plans. There is no limitation on the availability of the integration based on the Hospitable subscription plan.
Vrbo extra documentation requirements (EU)
In some regions (for example parts of the EU), Vrbo's own onboarding may require additional documentation — most commonly a VAT number — before letting you complete the SSO step. When this happens you'll see Vrbo's request inside their connection screen, and the Hospitable connection will appear stuck at Continue SSO.
What to do:
Complete the documentation step on Vrbo's side first.
If you can't provide what Vrbo requires, the connection can't be completed and you should stay on the legacy Chrome-extension connection for now.
If Vrbo's screens behave unexpectedly, Vrbo Partner Support is the fastest route to a fix — their phone and email support typically respond much faster than support tickets routed through Hospitable for connection-stage issues.
See Troubleshooting Connection Issues With The Vrbo Partner Integration for the full list of error states and resolutions.
🚨 After starting the connection process, if you are unable to complete it, DO NOT DELETE THE PENDING CONNECTION!
If issues arise during the connection process or you are unable to publish your connected listings, it's important that you do not delete the pending connection or disconnect your Vrbo channel, but instead reach out to Hospitable support for help!
Path 1 — You're new to Vrbo on Hospitable
Path 1 — You're new to Vrbo on Hospitable
Use this path if:
You want to create a new Vrbo account and connect it to Hospitable.
You already have a Vrbo account, which you want to connect to Hospitable.
You already have Vrbo accounts connected to Hospitable, and you want to connect additional Vrbo accounts.
Before you start
If you are connecting an existing Vrbo account:
Make sure you are logged into that Vrbo account on the same browser you are using for Hospitable.
If you have properties outside of the US:
Vrbo may ask you for additional bank and tax details, such as a VAT number.
If you are asked for these details during the connection flow, you must present them to Vrbo (fields in the connection flow) before you can complete the connection.
Step 1. Start the connection
In Hospitable, go to Channel connections.
Click on Connect Vrbo.
On the introduction screen, select Continue to start the Partner Connection.
💡 If you'd rather stay on the legacy Chrome-extension connection for now, there's a link at the bottom of the first screen labelled "Connect the Legacy integration instead". The legacy option is still available to hosts, but is not recommended!
Step 2. Understand how payments and the connection work
The next two windows give you more information about how guest payments, host payouts, and the connection flow work.
Read over these carefully in order to understand how this works.
Press Continue when you are ready to move on to the next window.
Step 3. Log in to Vrbo or create your Vrbo account, and authorise Hospitable
If you have a Vrbo account already
Input your Vrbo account email address and account holder name.
Press Continue when done.
ℹ️ Make sure you are logged into this account on Vrbo before continuing past the next step!
If you don't have a Vrbo account, and would like to create a new one
Type in the email address you would like to be your main account email address (you will use this to log into Vrbo in the future, and receive any communication from Vrbo).
Add an account holder name.
Press Continue when done.
Step 4. Self-Service onboarding in Vrbo
If you are connecting your own account
Open the Self-Service Onboarding in Vrbo using the "Open Self-Service onboarding in Vrbo" button.
Follow Vrbo's Self-Service Onboarding process.
Once complete, we'll automatically detect it and continue the setup.
If you are connecting Vrbo on behalf of an owner, and you don't have access to the Vrbo account yourself
Copy the onboarding flow URL.
Send it to the Vrbo account owner.
💡 If you are creating a new Vrbo account you will not see this step.
Step 5. Review your imported listings
Hospitable imports the listings from your Vrbo account. You'll see a screen that lists each property and tells you whether it can be brought online through the Partner Connection, based on:
The property's location.
Whether a supported payment processor (Hospitable as Merchant of Record, or Stripe) is available in that country.
Properties that can't be supported will be flagged here — you can still continue with the listings that are supported.
For more on partially-supported accounts, see Vrbo Partner Connection: Overview.
💡 If you are creating a new Vrbo account you will not see this step.
🚨 If you have unsupported properties, you can read more about how to manage those here: Who can not use the Vrbo Partner connection
Step 6. Choose your default payment processor
Pick how Hospitable should handle guest payments on this Vrbo account:
Hospitable as Merchant of Record — Hospitable processes guest payments, cancellations, chargebacks, and handles tax collection where supported. This is the default for most regions and the only option in some markets.
Stripe — guest payments are processed through your own Stripe account. Available in supported countries.
Read more about the payment processor setup here: Vrbo Partner: Payment Processing Settings
Step 7. Select whether you want your listings brought back online or not
During the connection flow, your Vrbo listings will be taken offline for a few minutes.
If you want them to automatically become available again as soon as possible, make sure to tick the "Bring back online" box.
If there are any that you would like to remain offline, for example if you need to review their details and setup before setting them live, then leave the "Bring back online" box unticked.
Press Continue when ready.
Path 2 — You're upgrading from the Vrbo Legacy (Chrome extension) connection
Path 2 — You're upgrading from the Vrbo Legacy (Chrome extension) connection
Use this path if you already have a Vrbo account connected to Hospitable through the Chrome extension and you want to move it onto the official Partner Connection.
Before you start
If you are connecting an existing Vrbo account:
Make sure you are logged into that Vrbo account on the same browser you are using for Hospitable.
Step 1. Start the upgrade
In Hospitable, go to Channel connections.
Find your existing Vrbo channel and select Upgrade.
If you don't see the Upgrade button:
Clear the cache on your browser
Reload the Channel connections page on Hospitable
Step 2. Understand how payments and the connection work
The next two windows give you more information about how guest payments, host payouts, and the connection flow work.
Read over these carefully in order to understand how this works.
Press Continue when you are ready to move on to the next window.
Step 3. Log in to Vrbo or create your Vrbo account, and authorise Hospitable
Input your Vrbo account email address and account holder name.
Press Continue when done.
ℹ️ Make sure you are logged into this account on Vrbo before continuing past the next step!
Step 4. Self-Service onboarding in Vrbo
If you are connecting your own account
Open the Self-Service Onboarding in Vrbo using the "Open Self-Service onboarding in Vrbo" button.
Follow Vrbo's Self-Service Onboarding process.
Once complete, we'll automatically detect it and continue the setup.
If you are connecting Vrbo on behalf of an owner, and you don't have access to the Vrbo account yourself
Copy the onboarding flow URL.
Send it to the Vrbo account owner.
Step 5. Review your imported listings
Hospitable imports the listings from your Vrbo account. You'll see a screen that lists each property and tells you whether it can be brought online through the Partner Connection, based on:
The property's location.
Whether a supported payment processor (Hospitable as Merchant of Record, or Stripe) is available in that country.
Properties that can't be supported will be flagged here — you can still continue with the listings that are supported.
For more on partially-supported accounts, see Vrbo Partner Connection: Overview.
🚨 If you have unsupported properties, you can read more about how to manage those here: Who can not use the Vrbo Partner connection
Step 6. Choose your default payment processor
Pick how Hospitable should handle guest payments on this Vrbo account:
Hospitable as Merchant of Record — Hospitable processes guest payments, cancellations, chargebacks, and handles tax collection where supported. This is the default for most regions and the only option in some markets.
Stripe — guest payments are processed through your own Stripe account. Available in supported countries.
Read more about the payment processor setup here: Vrbo Partner: Payment Processing Settings
Step 7. Select whether you want your listings brought back online or not
During the connection flow, your Vrbo listings will be taken offline for a few minutes.
If you want them to automatically become available again as soon as possible, make sure to tick the "Bring back online" box.
If there are any that you would like to remain offline, for example if you need to review their details and setup before setting them live, then leave the "Bring back online" box unticked.
Press Continue when ready.
Connecting more than one Vrbo account
The new flow supports adding additional Vrbo accounts. Start at Connected accounts → Connect channel → Vrbo and follow Path 1 above. If one of those accounts is still on the legacy Chrome extension, you can keep it on the legacy connection while connecting another account via the Partner Connection — the legacy entry point is available from the first screen of the Vrbo connection flow.
If you are currently using Hospitable's Vrbo Legacy connection, via the Google Chrome extension, do not disconnect your current connection! Maintain that connection, and simply upgrade it to the new Vrbo Partner connection!
Advertiser ID / Hospitable ID
The Advertiser ID is sometimes referred to as your Vrbo channel's "user_id". Vrbo support might also mistakenly refer to this as your "Hospitable ID" or "Hospitable user ID".
This refers to the ID of your Vrbo > Hospitable connection.
💡 You do not need this ID before starting the connection process; one will be generated during the flow and automatically input into the correct fields on Vrbo.
Should you ever need your "Advertiser ID", for example, if Vrbo ask for it, you can find it on your Channel connections page on Hospitable.
💡 When reporting issues with your channel connection to Hospitable support, please include the Advertiser ID of the channel you are referring to.
What Happens After You Connect
Listing Detail Sync
ℹ️ Connecting or upgrading doesn't push your Hospitable listing details to Vrbo.
When you connect a Vrbo account, upgrade an existing Vrbo connection to the Partner integration, or merge a Vrbo listing into a property in Hospitable, we don't push your listing details (title, description, photos, fees, amenities, etc.) from Hospitable to Vrbo. Your Vrbo listing keeps whatever it had on Vrbo, and Hospitable pulls those values down into Hospitable so each channel can keep its own version of the data.
If Hospitable's value for a field is different from Vrbo's, Hospitable automatically creates a per-channel override for Vrbo so the two values can co-exist. You can review and edit those Vrbo-specific values from the property's Details page.
After connection, changes you make in Hospitable's UI do push to Vrbo as normal.
If you want Hospitable's values to apply on Vrbo, open the affected fields on the property's Details page in Hospitable and save them — that re-push will sync them to Vrbo.
Listing Status After Connection
After connecting your existing Vrbo listings to Hospitable on the new Partner connection, it can take up to five minutes before you are able to control the listing status of your listing on Hospitable.
Once the listing is fully synced and processed between Hospitable and Vrbo, your listing will automatically be Listed on Vrbo. You can change this on Hospitable if you want (after the few minutes processing time it takes for Hospitable to take full control of your Vrbo listing).
Next Step: Set Up Payout Method
If you haven't already, you will need to set up your payout method on Hospitable, in order to be paid out for your Vrbo bookings.
As the merchant of record for Vrbo Partner reservations, Hospitable collects payments from guests and pays them out to hosts.
Read more about this here: Vrbo Partner Connection: Payments & Payouts
See how to set up a payout method on Hospitable here: Setting up a Bank Account
Changes on Vrbo After Connecting a PMS
After you connect a property management software to your Vrbo account, you lose access to your calendar on Vrbo. This is not unique to Hospitable; no matter what PMS you connect to your Vrbo account, you will no longer see the Calendar page on Vrbo directly.
Instead, the calendar is controlled by and must entirely be managed on your PMS.
How do I know what prices have been pushed to Vrbo if I can't see my calendar on Vrbo?
In order to see what prices have been applied to your Vrbo calendar by Hospitable, accounting for the markup rate on your Vrbo listing, you can select the date in the Hospitable calendar.
The way to see what the price is on Vrbo is to:
Go to Hospitable → Calendar
Select a date in your calendar.
In the "Price" field, type in the current price on that date, or the price that you want to change it to.
This will show you the marked up price the guest will see on Vrbo.
Hospitable will eventually provide an easier method for telling your price on Vrbo. Improvements are being made every day.
Who can not use the Vrbo Partner connection
The Vrbo Partner connection is available to all hosts who either:
Have access to Direct Premium on Hospitable or
Have access to Stripe
The accessibility of these two payment processing methods is determined by the country in which a property is located.
Examples:
A property in the US is supported by both Direct Premium and Stripe, allowing the host to choose either payment processing option.
A property in France is not supported by Direct Premium, but is supported by Stripe.
This means that a host with properties in France can use the Vrbo Partner connection, with Stripe as their payment processor.A property in Iceland is not supported by Direct Premium or Stripe. A host with properties in Iceland cannot use the Vrbo Partner connection.
See the full list of countries supported by Stripe here: https://stripe.com/en-es/global
What about Vrbo accounts with supported and unsupported properties?
It is possible that a host may have properties in multiple countries on one Vrbo account. If and how payment processing is supported for those is handled in the following ways:
A host with one property in the US and another in Mexico on the same Vrbo account can connect to Hospitable and choose either to:
Use Hospitable as the Merchant of Record for the US property, and Stripe for the Mexican property.
Use Stripe as the Merchant of Record for both properties.
A host with one property in the US and another in Iceland on the same Vrbo account can still connect their Vrbo account to Hospitable on the Partner connection, but:
They can only pick a Merchant of Record (Hospitable or Stripe) for their US property. The Icelandic one is not supported by either option.
Their Icelandic property will become unlisted on Vrbo, and the host cannot set it live. This is a restriction by Vrbo, because they require Vrbo Partner connected properties to set up a payment processor via their property management software (PMS).
In the second example, the fix is to:
Create a new Vrbo account.
Move the Icelandic property over to that new account (you can ask Vrbo support for help with migrating it).
Connect the new Vrbo account to Hospitable on the Legacy connection.
This way, you will be able to fully manage the supported property on the Vrbo Partner connection, while also maintaining calendar sync and guest messaging for the Vrbo Legacy-connected property.
Do I need a company in order to use the new Vrbo Partner connection?
In some parts of the world, Vrbo may require that you have a VAT number in order to use the Partner connection.
This does not apply to properties and hosts in the US.
In countries like Italy, Vrbo will ask hosts for a VAT number during the setup process. If you cannot provide this VAT number, you will not be able to complete the connection.