Understanding Customer and Booking References in v1 Bookings
In our v1 bookings management system, you'll encounter two distinct fields:
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customerReference(String): This is the customer reference. -
bookingReference(String): This is the booking reference.
While both are crucial for managing bookings, they serve different purposes and have specific characteristics.
Customer Reference
The customer reference is the overarching ID that a customer receives in their confirmation. You might also see this referred to as a trip ID. It represents the entire booking and can encompass multiple individual rides. It's important to note that customers themselves may sometimes refer to this as their "booking reference" or "Booking.com booking reference."
A single customer reference can have multiple associated booking references. However, you will never find duplicate booking references under the same customer reference.
Booking Reference
The booking reference is the unique identifier for a single ride. This is the ID customers typically see on the portal or in partner email confirmations, often labeled as "Booking ID."
Each booking reference is unique and should never be duplicated within the system. If you find multiple rides sharing the same booking reference, it indicates a data issue that needs to be addressed immediately. Partners must implement robust mechanisms to constantly verify that their system does not create or store duplicate booking references.
Furthermore, a booking reference represents a booking that must be fulfilled. If a booking reference is missing from your system, it indicates a booking that has not been correctly captured. It is critical that your system updates to collect any missing booking references to ensure all services can be delivered as expected.