ThinkReservations features a direct two-way connection with Vrbo. This document will walk you through the process to get started.
Before you begin:
Please make sure you meet the below requirements as stipulated by Vrbo. See Vrbo for the full list of requirements.
You should be fully onboarded in ThinkReservations.
Each property listing on Vrbo must have a bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen/kitchenette.
Quebec region: You must provide a valid GST/QST
You must create and connect all Vrbo listings. You cannot manage some manually and some through ThinkReservations (as stipulated by Vrbo).
You can only connect one Vrbo account to one ThinkReservations account.
You need to have a payment processor connected to ThinkReservations.com
Please note: Mexican properties onboard on Vrbo US and must use USD as currency. Canadian properties onboard with Vrbo US, but they can use CAD or USD as currency.
Step 1: Create Listings in ThinkReservations
Navigate to ThinkReservations > Settings > Vrbo
Click the New Listing button.
Carefully fill out the form to create the listing.
Once complete, click the Save button at the bottom.
Repeat for each listing. You will create one for each room or room type you wish to list on Vrbo.
Already have listings on Vrbo? Vrbo requires you to re-create the listings inside ThinkReservations. Vrbo will merge them to retain reviews and reservation history from within the Vrbo platform for you.
Step 2: Connect ThinkReservations to Vrbo
Navigate to https://www.vrbo.com/p/onboard
Follow the on-screen steps to fill out the Vrbo onboarding wizard.
When you are prompted to enter your ThinkReservations Software User ID, enter the "ThinkReservaions User ID" found on the top right in ThinkReservations > Settings > Vrbo
When you are prompted "How many new properties would you like to import", enter the number of new properties that are not already on Vrbo. This number might be 0 if you have simply recreated the listings you already have on Vrbo.
If you do not have a Vrbo account, the onboarding wizard will help you create one!
Wait 1-3 days for the Vrbo onboarding team to reach out to you.
A Vrbo Onboarding Specialist will contact you to match each active Vrbo listing to a property in ThinkReservatoins.
Before you can complete Step 2, please ensure you have the following ready in ThinkReservations:
Listings have been marked as Active in ThinkReservations.
Meet all character count minimums:
Headlines with at least 20 characters
Descriptions with at least 400 characters
Each listing must have at least 6 photos
Bedroom and bathroom count included for each listing
An accurate address for each property (including city, state & postal code)
You've selected the forms of payment you accept.
Updated rates information in your selected Rate Type.
Step 3: Work with Vrbo Onboarding Team to complete the integration
Once you have submitted the onboarding form with Vrbo, you will wait for them to contact you with further information. In the meantime, your existing listings on Vrbo remain live if you have them. Once an Onboarding Specialist matches your properties, your integration with Vrbo will be triggered, and your listings will be connected to ThinkReservations. Vrbo thanks you for your patience.
Vrbo will send you an email in advance of the connection with some important details.
Click here to see a potential email from your Vrbo Onboarding Specialist
Click here to see a potential email from your Vrbo Onboarding Specialist
Likely, the subject line will be: "Vrbo/ThinkReservation Integration for your property."
Obviously, Expedia or Vrbo could change this information at any time, but we wanted to share it here because it seems helpful!
Welcome to the world of Integrated Property Management! Once your ThinkReservation/Vrbo integration goes live, you must manage your bookings/edits in ThinkReservation. This also means that, after that point, if you make changes directly in the Vrbo dashboard, the changes will be overridden next time the ThinkReservation feed runs. Information only flows one way—from your ThinkReservation software to your Vrbo account. This includes all listing content, ie., amenities, bedrooms/bathrooms, descriptions, and photos.
You will not use any parts of the Vrbo dashboard that pertain to Inbox, Calendar, Reservations, Rates, Booking Requests or Payments. These areas do not have live connections to your ThinkReservation software and will cause incorrect data to be sent to travelers if you use them.
You must have your own payment processor configured within ThinkReservation. You cannot use Vrbo payments to process guest payments any longer with your ThinkReservation connection.
Your ThinkReservation account will be your System of Record moving forward,once the integration connection is set live. The following information will feed directly from your ThinkReservation and must be managed within your software: descriptions, bed/bath, amenities, rates, calendars, and photos.
Regarding bookings made on the Vrbo platform before your ThinkReservation integration goes live:
Any pending traveler payments in your Vrbo account should be completed as usual.
Vrbo will still send payment notification to the traveler and handle payment processing and disbursement.
You will not be able to edit a payment, but you may refund if needed.
Pre-existing reservations (prior to the integration Go-Live date) are still managed in your Vrbo dashboard.
Commission CC: Confirm that you have a credit/debit card available to put on file in our system for Pay Per Booking listing commission charges. If you went through the SSO process, this is likely already complete.
We won’t need this until later in the process but it is crucial to get your listings live with the integration.
This card will automatically be charged the beginning of each month for all Pay Per Booking listing reservations that departed the previous month.
Important Notes:
Vrbo only accepts properties/listings with at least one private bedroom, at least one private bathroom, and either a kitchen or kitchenette.
Only new bookings made on Vrbo after the connection is complete will be imported into ThinkReservations.
You will continue to manage existing Vrbo reservations manually and in Vrbo.
If a guest looking at your property hasn't entered dates, the lowest price available for that unit in the next two years is used as the default value.
Helpful Resources:
Using software to manage your listings [Link to Vrbo]
Dashboard tour for integrated software properties [Link to Vrbo]
Rank and search position on Vrbo [Link to Vrbo]
PM = Property Manager = Hotelier/Innkeeper/etc.
IPM = Integrated Property Manager = Vrbo account connected to a channel manager.
Disclaimer: The articles providing help or instructions on third-party systems are provided in our effort to assist you.
Please note that these third-party systems are not owned or maintained by ThinkReservations. Changes made by third-party providers may render the instructions inaccurate.
We recommend cross-referencing with official third-party documentation to ensure up-to-date guidance. Thank you for understanding.