Ask an Expert: What are Expedia Collect Packages?
Online travel agencies (OTAs) are their own galaxies. Each one has a unique collection of perks, nuances, and offerings, from promotions for property managers to specialized strategies (like clustering) and everything in between.
Keeping track of all those nuances can be a dizzying task—trust us, we get it. But not keeping track of them can cost you in the long run. We’re here to help.
Expedia is a travel-industry juggernaut, but you know that already. What you might not know, though, is that Expedia offers two distinct methods of payment for their bookings: Hotel Collect and Expedia Collect:
- Hotel Collect: For this method, guests pay the lodging provider directly upon arrival or checkout by providing their credit card details.
- Expedia Collect: For this method, guests pay Expedia at the time of a booking. Since the booking is already paid, hosts charge an Expedia Virtual Card (EVC) instead of the guest’s credit card. Expedia retains the data and collects the payment, and the guest’s credit card information is never shared with the property.
VacayHome Connect’s Expedia integration utilizes Expedia Collect, which has some extremely important benefits property managers should know about—including packages.
Our Product Manager, Matt Kill, is an expert on the topic of Expedia Collect. Below, he answers some foundational questions about it, including what it could mean for your business.
What are the benefits of Expedia Collect for Property Managers?
There are several advantages, including being part of the Expedia Affiliate Network, higher placement in search results, and cancellation rates that are less than 5%. But another huge advantage is your properties are eligible for packages.
Vacation rentals are a natural fit for Expedia Collect packages and have the potential to drive quite a bit of incremental revenue to your properties on Expedia. It’s also how you gain access to programs like Chase Credit Card, Amex Travel, and Hawaiian Airlines.
What are Expedia Collect Packages?
Essentially, they are bundled deals, such as hotel + flight.
Does VacayHome Connect see a lot of bookings for packages?
Roughly one-third to half of our bookings are through packages and the Expedia Affiliate Network. They are very popular, and again, they are a natural fit for vacation rentals and property managers who want to bundle accommodations with other perks.
Aside from packages, what other Expedia Collect benefits can we highlight?
Expedia Collect also prevents payment failures, which is typically 20% of reservations that block inventory and lead to countless hours of manual work. Plus, like I mentioned before, Expedia Collect cancellation rates are significantly lower—less than 5% which is fantastic.
What does all that mean for a business?
A lot less work! The absence of payment failures coupled with significantly lower cancellation rates reduces reservations that bottleneck inventory, but never convert. That helps a business downstream by eliminating loads of manual work for reservation teams, call centers, and accounting departments.
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With VacayHome Connect, property managers can take full advantage of Expedia Collect and everything that comes with it, including—and especially—packages. These bundled deals are quietly becoming a driving force of revenue for properties on Expedia, and VacayHome Connect can help you capitalize on that trend. Other services do not offer this integration, so reach out to us today to learn more!
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And hey, while you’re here, feel free to check out some other installments in our “Ask an Expert” series: