FAQ

ChannelConnector FAQ:

What is a Channel Manager?

A channel manager is a service that links your system with online distribution channels so that reservations, rates, and availability update automatically. This means that inventory is always up to date and you are never overbooked, no matter how guests make reservations, whether they were made directly with you, through your website, or via an online travel agency (OTA), like Booking.com, Airbnb, or VRBO. A channel management solution can save you time and help you avoid overbooking. We can help you forward your inventory or collect from various sources into one feed.

Is ChannelConnector available as a white label solution?

Yes, our solution can be offered in your brand and style.

How does your API benefit developers?

The ChannelConnector API provides access to all the world’s largest vacation rental marketplaces through an enterprise-grade API. The ChannelConnector API provides the gateway to expand the capabilities of your PMS and the vacation rental industry as a whole.

What information is available through the API?

The ChannelConnector Developer API provides a programmatic way to access the listing data that is publically available in your PMS. In addition, if a ChannelConnector user grants you permission, you may access a limited set of his/her private ChannelConnector information, such as upcoming reservations.

What support is available for the Developer API?

The ChannelConnector Developer API is supported by our team of experienced integration engineers. We encourage users to reach out if they have questions, bugs, answers, or even general feedback. As a partner, we will help diagnose any connection issues between our systems or connected systems. We provide development resources to guide and help new connections.

How do I tell if the service is up?

We will report any outage information within the ChannelConnector Developer API Portal.

How do I learn about changes and updates to the API?

If we do any major updates or add new features to the ChannelConnector Developer API, we will email all registered developers about the updates before they go live. We will also post on the ChannelConnector Developer API Portal.

How do I report a bug?

Please report any bugs in the ChannelConnector Developer API to Support@channelconnector.com and our engineers will look into the ticket and respond as we investigate.

What are the throttle limits of the API?

Currently, all clients in the open tier will be throttled to 60 requests over a one minute interval.

What are the throttle limits based on? (OAuth, client ID, etc.)

Throttle limits are tied to your client’s OAuth ID. This means that any request with a token tied to that ID (this includes user-based tokens) will count towards that one minute interval.

Can I charge people to use my app?

Yes. There are no restrictions on what you can charge people to use your app, as long as it does not violate the ChannelConnector Developer API terms and conditions.

What information is collected by ChannelConnector?

The ChannelConnector Developer API collects reservation, listing, and owner inbox data.

Can I use the ChannelConnector brand to market my app?

We are currently working on a number of exciting ways to integrate the ChannelConnector Developer API apps to our users. Stay tuned for more details.

What is PCI/PII compliance?

PCI stands for Payment Card Industry, and PII for Personally Identifiable Information. We’ll review your compliance based on regulations from the European Union and the PCI Security Standards Council.

“The ChannelConnector Connectivity APIs enable connectivity partners to send and retrieve data for properties listed in their PMS. They can manage room availability, reservations, prices, and many other things — all using their own systems. This enables them to build a “one-stop shop” for their connected properties, allowing property owners to easily manage their information on multiple websites.

Available APIs

The ChannelConnector Connectivity APIs offer a number of specialised functions, divided into these categories:

  • Content — Create properties, rooms, rates, and policies, and link this information together for the ChannelConnector connected sites.
  • Rates & Availability — Load inventory counts, rates, and price availability restrictions (for specific room-rate combinations), per date and/or date range combination.
  • Reservations — Retrieve reservations, modifications, and cancellations made on ChannelConnector.
  • Promotions — Create special promotions for certain date ranges and booker types.
  • Reporting — Report credit card problems, changes to reservations after check-in, and no-shows.

About Us

ChannelConnector makes it possible for large and small PMS developers globally to have the channel connectivity capabilities integrated natively into their applications without the hassle and effort of individually writing to various OTA’s APIs. The way ChannelConnector does this is by providing connectivity APIs as a service that can be embedded with a PMS.

The best way to think about these API capabilities is via the functions that they enable.

ChannelConnector facilitates a range of very common, practical-use cases such as syncing rates, availability, and content between property management software platforms and online travel agents, or transmitting payment card information between the guest and payment processor for online transactions. You can now offer connectivity features that professional vacation rental property managers need to expand their business.

Build, automate and grow your vacation rental PMS business with ChannelConnector’s technology solutions.