How can I manage my rates via API?

For our partners that prefer to manage their rates in real-time via API, we advise to integrate to our Search Webhook.

It is essential for partners that decide to manage their own rates via API to be able to guarantee response times below the SLA outlined in our signed contract. 

Benefits of using the API rates webhook:

• Real time updates: you can share with us your best rates directly from your system
• Scalability: API rates are suitable for partners that expect large volumes of price requests and want to expand coverage faster
• Analytics: API rates allow partners to track better performance, identify opportunities and optimize the rate for specific routes (ex. analyse search requests with conversion of bookings received)
• Availability: via API rates partners manage their availability by replying or not to a search request. It helps to control volumes not expected

Please find below the suggested steps to implement the Search Webhook:

1. Read our documentation on Search Webhook to understand what does it do, how it works, all the fields necessary in a search request
   
   
2. Once your Webhook is ready, test it using our Sandbox :

   - authenticate to get a token     

   - [POST] /v2/searchResults with your webhook credentials

   - the sandbox will respond telling any error

   This step is essential to find errors on authentication and search response mapping.

   Please do not move to the next step until you have properly tested your search webhook.

3. Self Register your production webhook base URL following the documentation

4. Contact your account manager to advise of webhook registration and agree the locations you want to activate. After your new locations API rates have been created, please activate via portal all the vehicles you wish to support in those API locations (how to guide)

IMPORTANT: Once a partner is moved to API rates management all the Portal Tools (Stopsales/Campaigns/Night Fees etc) will not work. Please also note that this webhook is not to update or create new fix routes.

To prevent errors, improve reliability of responses and reduce customer service enquiries from customers due to inconsistent information we advise to follow the below best practices.

Best Practices

• Make sure you are sending rates in the same currency of your vendor (verify with your Account Manager)
• Make sure to not return meetAndGreet value for non airport pickups

• Always verify that your maximum vehicle capacity settings on Booking.com Portal match the maximum passenger capacity you will return in your search response(ex. we call you for a ride in Bangkok, you return a Standard with maxPassengers 3, but your portal maximum capacity for Standard car in Bangkok is set as 2. This will create a problem with the customer experience. We expect you to have the Standard capacity on Portal set as 3 pax). Please read this article to check how to update your Portal vehicle capacity: HERE

• If you plan to share the end fleet name (provider.name):

- always make sure to share a valid phone number along with the provider.name. The two fields needs to be provided together or the search response will be ignored

- consider that the provider name field has 255 max characters limit

• If you wish to operate in Venice (Italy) and South Korea, please be aware that due to Google limitations the only way to offer rates is via Portal fix rates. Please verify with your account manager