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Commerce Distribution API

The Commerce Distribution API is a SaaS-based service that enables third parties to synchronize products, receive availability updates, and create reservation bookings for Inntopia Commerce suppliers. If you are a lodging supplier, you can connect your product supply to a Commerce distribution partner (reseller) to distribute product information, including Availability, Rates, and Inventory (ARI) through the Commerce Distribution API.

By working with a distribution partner, you can greatly expand the visibility of your lodging products to potential customers. Depending on the rate type you and the distribution partner agree upon, you can sell lodging products that use either rack or net rates. You can also sell promotional, or discounted, products with rack rates.

Note: Commerce Distribution API partners cannot sell DHISCO-integrated supply. DHISCO ARI is obtained in real time and is not stored in the same way ARI is stored for RMS-loaded ARI or Commerce Supplier integrations.

Commerce distribution partners differ from many other resellers because they do not use Inntopia CRS as their booking platform. Instead, they connect with Inntopia product supply through a gateway integration known as the Commerce Distribution API and sell Inntopia inventory through a third-party booking system. This integration is restricted to lodging products only and lets distribution partners access Inntopia lodging product supply via XML messaging, or a collection of transmitted data fields.

The Commerce Distribution API is a two-way integration: Availability, Rates, and Inventory (ARI) are sent from Inntopia RMS to the distribution partner while completed reservations, modifications, and cancellations are sent back to Inntopia RMS from the distribution partner.

Distribution partners receive product names, descriptions, amenities, locations, and photos in XML format through the Commerce Distribution API. That information is then extracted and entered into their third-party system in a process known as product synchronization. Once a completed reservation or cancellation is sent back from the distribution partner, the lodging supplier's inventory is automatically adjusted.

Note: There is no product synchronization for taxes and fees. You must provide the taxes and fees setup in your Inntopia RMS supplier account to your distribution partner so that the setup can be configured identically on both sides.

The default rate type for lodging products sold through a Commerce distribution partner is rack; however, you can also distribute products with net rates. You can also distribute products through promotions that have discounted rack or net rates by creating a unique lodging promotion specifically for the distribution partner or by using an existing promotion.

The following suppliers, product types, discount types, and features are not supported:

  • DHISCO-integrated suppliers
  • Derived products
  • Activity products (only lodging products are supported)
  • Tiered rate discounts
  • Private promotions
  • Product synchronization for taxes and fees
  • When distributing promotional (i.e. discounted) product rates, no discount types are supported except percentage discount types.
  • When sharing a promotion with a distribution channel, date overrides are not supported. You must use blackout dates instead.

    Note: Overrides will not be recognized by a distribution partner's booking engine and will cause a reservation request to fail if it falls on a date that has an override.

Discounted promotional rates rely on promotion cross-reference codes to ensure the correct promotion is being passed to the distribution partner. Each promotional rate being passed to the distribution partner must include a unique promotion cross-reference code.

Notes:
  • If offering promotions with minimum length of stay requirements, you must apply those requirements to the promotion discount rather than to the entire promotion or a tiered-rate discount.
  • If you are using SMS, Maestro, Opera, or another PMS system that supports multi-rate functionality, it is possible to push promotional rates back down to your PMS system when an item is sold. Contact Inntopia Partner Services with any questions about your specific system configuration.
  1. Load the ARI for the products and dates you want to offer your distribution partner into the Inntopia RMS Tape Chart or through a supported integration such as Agilysys VisualOne.
  2. If you are using net rates, configure a net rate for the products you want to sell using the Net Rate Optimizer in the RMS Tape Chart.
  3. In Inntopia RMS, configure channel restrictions for each product you want the distribution partner to sell:
    • If you are currently using sales channel restrictions by permitting specific sales channels, permit the distribution partner's sales channel.
    • If you are currently using sales channel restrictions by denying specific sales channels OR are not using channel restrictions, skip this step.
  4. If distributing promotional rates:
    1. Update an existing promotion or create a new promotion that includes the following:
      • a promotion cross-reference code,
      • a percentage discount type applied to the net or rack rate, and,
      • if applicable, minimum length of stay requirements applied to the promotion discount.
    2. In Inntopia RMS, select the sales channels for which the promotion is valid.
  5. Ensure the distribution partner has been informed of all taxes and fees placed on the products you want to sell. Provide the distribution partner with your RMS account name and number so that they can add your RMS account to their Inntopia sales channel.
  6. Confirm that the promotion is now available by visiting your distribution partner's website and trying to book the promotion.

    The distribution partner can now begin selling your lodging products.