Understanding and Resolving Pricing Discrepancies Across Platforms
Pricing discrepancies between platforms like Booking.com, Airbnb, and Vrbo can arise due to differences in rate plans, promotions, markups, and additional fees. This article explains common causes and provides actionable steps to resolve these issues.
Common Causes of Pricing Discrepancies
1. Rate Plans and Derived Rates
Booking.com: Hospitable updates only the 'Standard Rate' on Booking.com. Other rate plans, such as non-refundable or promotional rates, are derived from the Standard Rate. If these derived rates are not correctly configured, discrepancies may occur. Ensure that child rate plans are based on the parent Standard Rate to avoid unexpected pricing.
2. Promotions and Discounts
Booking.com: Discounts like Genius, mobile-only, or country-specific promotions can reduce the guest-facing price. For example, a 10% Genius discount applied to a marked-up rate can make it appear as though the markup was not applied. Review and adjust promotion settings in the Booking.com Extranet to control these discounts.
Airbnb and Vrbo: Promotions or overrides on these platforms can also cause discrepancies. Check your Airbnb calendar and Vrbo settings for active promotions or overrides.
3. Markups and Additional Fees
Airbnb: PriceLabs may show a markup (e.g., 0.15%) that is not visible in Hospitable. Ensure that markups are consistently applied at both the account and listing levels.
Vrbo: Guest-facing totals include service fees added by Vrbo, which are not part of the nightly rate shown in Hospitable.
Booking.com: Host fees or commissions are deducted from the booking total before payout, which can make payouts appear lower than expected. Check your payout settings in the Booking.com Extranet.
4. Incorrect Connections
If a Booking.com listing is not correctly linked to the property in Hospitable, rates may not sync properly. Verify that the Room ID in Booking.com matches the one connected in Hospitable.
Troubleshooting Steps
Verify Rate Plans: - On Booking.com, ensure that child rate plans are correctly derived from the Standard Rate. - Review and adjust rate plan settings to align with your pricing strategy.
Review Promotions and Discounts: - Check active promotions on Booking.com, Airbnb, and Vrbo. - Opt out of unnecessary promotions or adjust settings to minimize their impact on pricing.
Check Markups and Fees: - Confirm that markups are applied consistently across platforms. - Compare guest-facing totals with the nightly rate and additional fees to identify discrepancies.
Ensure Correct Connections: - Verify that all listings are correctly linked between Hospitable and the respective platforms.
Monitor Updates: - Pricing updates from tools like PriceLabs typically occur every 24 hours. Ensure settings are consistent to avoid delays in updates.
Best Practices for Managing Rates
Use Hospitable as the source of truth for prices and availability if no external pricing tool is used.
Regularly review rate plan configurations and promotion settings on all platforms.
Compare like-for-like values (e.g., nightly rate vs. guest total) when diagnosing discrepancies.
By understanding the factors that contribute to pricing discrepancies and following these steps, you can ensure more accurate and consistent pricing across platforms.