Connect to Vrbo API - Exporting new listings

The Hostaway software allows you to create new listings on Vrbo by automatic export. Vrbo will connect your current listings to these newly created listings if you have them. This way you can have your new properties listed on Vrbo quicker than when you do this manually.

Important

Since you are using Hostaway, you can connect to Vrbo API no matter your location or the number of listings you have. You can apply for API integration
API integration allows you to sync every content detail, amenities, fees, and taxes
If you need to adjust any content information you can do it manually on Hostaway
Vrbo booking lead time under Listings > Additional Info. In Hostaway you can select how many days in advance you require to receive a booking from Vrbo. However, please note that Vrbo does not accept same-day bookings, so even if you select ‘0’ in Hostaway, the lead time will be 1 day
Complete the below steps from 1 to 4
Once you complete the steps, have a signed content API contract with Vrbo and get in touch with a Vrbo pre-implementation specialist. Do not contact Vrbo before Hostaway validates your setup and you have exported the listings
Vrbo supports 6 currencies: USD, CAD, EUR, GBP, AUD, and NZD
Multiple Vrbo Accounts
If you used a channel manager and would like to import Vrbo reservations

Note

It is important to review and complete the steps below, inform us that you have done it so we can enable the connection for Vrbo, otherwise Vrbo implementation specialist will not be able to start the integration project. Find more information from Vrbo on How to integrate with property management software.

Step 1. Set up the Payment Provider

Make sure that you have a Stripe or Braintree account connected with Hostaway before the integration. Once the integration is completed you will be able to charge your guest directly via Stripe/Braintree on Hostaway. Vrbo will not take payments for you. For more information on Payment Providers.

Step 2. Set up Auto Payments for Vrbo

Use Auto payments to set up the payment automatically, so you will not have to process it manually. Once set up, it will only apply to new reservations.

Step 3. Get ready for Content Export

In your Hostaway Dashboard, update all the listings by menu Listings > Edit button per listing and provide as much information as possible. Specifically:

Basic information tab
Correct and full address details of the listing
Make sure bed settings are correct
Financial Settings (update taxes for the listing)
Prices & fees - refundable damage deposit
Under "Additional info" the Check-out, check-in start, check-in end time, and square meters
The Channel-specific: title, headline, description and upload a Vrbo rentals agreement PDF
In Channel specific the Property Name must be between 20 - 30 characters, Headline should be between 20 - 100 characters and the Property Description must be 400 characters or more.
Note: The total character count and content consists of Property description + House rules from the 'Additional Info' tab since these two fields are exported together in one listing description to Vrbo
Handle Payment By Invoice Or At Location > Select if you process the payments by credit card or send an invoice manually to guests with payment instructions. When you select Handle Payment By Invoice Or At Location "Yes", you will need to manually send invoices to the guest to pay by bank or cash on arrival. When you select "No", Vrbo will send CC details by Hostaway to your Stripe account to charge the guest
Add the contact person's information
Add all the amenities that exist in the Amenities tab
In Financial Settings > Vrbo host channel fee > Add the percentage Vrbo charges per reservation. This can then be used in Financial Reporting with the field HostChannelFee. Please note that it will only calculate for newly received reservations after this value has been updated (read Step 7)
Add in the Minimum Age Rule by going to Channel Manager > Channels > Configure Vrbo > Settings. Add in the minimum age of the renter and click on Save

Important

Set up taxes for Vrbo before the integration is completed
Avoid any duplicate photos in the listing

Step 4. Set your listing export ready for Vrbo

Once you completed steps one to three please submit a request with your Hostaway email address to enable the Vrbo Export option and validate your setup. Once the feature is enabled please follow the next steps to export the listings to Vrbo:

Go to your Hostaway Dashboard > Channel manager
Under the Channels tab > Vrbo > Configure
Export your listings

Do not contact Vrbo before Hostaway validates your setup and you have exported the listings.

Step 5. Sign the Onboarding Contract Form from Vrbo

Vrbo Contract

Once you export the listings from Hostaway, the listings will be enabled for Vrbo and the implementation specialist will be able to access these during the signup process.

Notes

You need to have a signed content API contract with Vrbo and be in touch with a Vrbo pre-implementation specialist
During the signup process, you will need a Hostaway Account ID (known as advertiser ID) - you can find it in Hostaway Dashboard > Settings > Account ID
Make sure you mention the channel management software Hostaway
During Vrbo SSO, be sure to select the country (or region) before you start. It can be misleading because it may seem that you are selecting the language, when in fact you are also selecting the local Vrbo office that will handle the account.

Step 6. Connect your Hostaway > Vrbo Proxy email address

Once your account has been created in Vrbo:

Copy Vrbo inquiry email: It can be found in Channel Manager > Channels > Configure Vrbo > Settings. Copy it and add it as a secondary email address in your Vrbo account
After this, it may take up to 24 hours before the listing is showing on Vrbo

Attention

When you export your listing to Vrbo, it creates an XML connection between Hostaway and Vrbo software. From this moment forward, the changes you need for your property details, rates, and communication need to be handled by your Hostaway software.

The Hostaway software supports the very well-working basic configurations for Vrbo however when you are looking for advanced pricing or discount rate plan options to set up in Vrbo it is possible the software does not support this yet. When you need an adjustment that is not supported, let us know.

We evaluate if and if so when it is expected to be possible to support this new setting. If you were using the iCal connection and switched to the XML/API connection, please remove the iCal link to avoid getting reservations via iCal.

Time & Settings review

Hostaway aims to have you exporting the highest quality listings to Vrbo in the fastest way possible. However, you as the manager, remain fully responsible for verifying your listings and settings on Vrbo after export at all times.

Steps 7. How to calculate Vrbo commission?

For Vrbo, Hostaway calculates the HostChannelFee that will be reflected in each reservation internally based on the value updated to the field in each listing. It can be updated by navigating to Listing > Edit > Financial Settings, where a percentage based on your Vrbo subscription amount per listing should be entered into the field 'Vrbo Host Channel Fee'. It will calculate the Vrbo commission on the Base Rate and other fees. Please note that it will only calculate for newly received reservations after the percentage has been updated and it will be reflected in the reservation financial as HostChannelFee.

Step 8. Manually add existing Vrbo Reservations to Hostaway

If you already had listings and reservations (past and future), we will not import them
You can create manual reservations for these or do it via a CSV

Notes

If you used another Channel Manager before and these listings have reservations, you must import them (manually or CSV) with the channel Hostaway Direct
Or, if you have already connected your existing Vrbo listing in Hostaway via iCal connection make sure to update present and future reservations to block the dates
If you do not do that, Vrbo will not be able to open the properties. You will need to upload all future reservations and reservations made 45 days before the upload day
After connection, these reservations and their communication can not be handled by the software and continue to work directly in your Vrbo account. When one of these reservations changes or is cancelled you need to manually update this in your Hostaway account.

To learn more please read this article.

Vrbo Listing Status

Kindly be advised that Hostaway has implemented some changes to better understand the Vrbo process of setting the listings live. In the image below you can see the Export Date which tells you that you have already exported the listing to Vrbo (no pending actions are needed on the Hostaway side):

In the below image, you can see that the listing is not live in Vrbo and you can see the exported data as well:

So, in this case, either the listing is still being exported to Vrbo or it was set as OFF there. The action to set this to ON needs to be done on the Vrbo side. Once it is active you should be able to see the active date as well.

Additional note

If you require registration information for your listings, please make sure to add it in Vrbo once the listing is exported from Hostaway to Vrbo (otherwise the listing will be off in Vrbo).

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