Understanding Agent Channels
Master Agents and Net Rates Agents are added internally by BookingCenter when you sign up and activate GDS or OTA distribution channels. MyPMS Agents appear as you create them in My Agents. MyPMS Agents are typically used to set up promo codes, connect certain travel agencies, direct booking relationships, etc. See Promo Codes and Special Agents.
Agent Channels are primarily used to sell and distribute rooms online through your Website, GDS and specific Online Travel Agencies (OTA's). The only exception to this are Master Agents BC and BCM which are internal channels that manage your database (See below for details). Selling rooms online or, Online Distribution is process that first involves setting up your Agents and then allocating the Rooms and Rate plans to those Channels.The other two types of Agents are the PMS Agent and Net Rate Agent. Both of these are optional and are activated when you either create a special agent or promo code, or sign-up and activate a OTA Contract Rate Program.
Each online channel you choose to connect to MyPMS will be listed in Agent Relationships and will grow as you add more channels. For example, you may start with one online channel like your website and then choose to increase your online distribution through GDS and OTA Channels. The number of channels will depend on what you have elected to sign up for or activate.
Once the Agent Channels are set up and listed in Agent Relationships, they can then be managed independently in each channel. Room Type and Rate allocations can be customized to each agent, however there are three Master Agents that MUST have all ROOM TYPES allocated.
Once you have decided to sell your rooms online, it is time to think about how you will manage the availability and rates of these rooms to each Agent Channel. Since each Agent has a unique set of conditions and commission rates, you many want to tailor Room Allocation and Rate Plans to fit each channel. Each of these Channels can be further managed through Rate Loading. See Rate Loading
Once you have determined which channel you will be working with, proceed to the following sections:
- Allocating the Rooms and Rates to each Agent Channel.
- Room Type and Rate Plan Allocations
- Managing Rates and Availability
Common Agent Channels
- Website: Master Agent BC
- GDS distribution: Master Agent WR
- buuteeq website: PMS Agent BUT
- Contract Rate Program: Master Agent WR AND corresponding Agent Channel, ie. Net Rate Agent BKG, Agent EQR, etc.
- Promo code through your website (including buuteeq), use the PMS Agent you set up in My Agents. I.e. MyPMS Agent RETURN. See Agents for Promotional Codes
Agent Channels
Master Agents:
The BookingCenter PMS system automatically provides four Master Agent Channels by default. These agents control the availability and rates to your basic channels: frontdesk, members area, website and GDS (if activated). They must have Room and Rate allocations in order to function properly and are automatically populated with the Room Types and Rate Plans you setup in your system.
- Agent BC : Distributing rooms to your Booking Engine/website.
- Agent BCM: Internal BookingCenter channel that manages all of your allocations.
- Agent MyPMS: Controls Room Types and Rate Plans allocated to your Front Desk and is viewable by users when making or modifying a booking.
- Agent WR (Global Booking Network - Displays allocations on all GDS channels).
There are two standard channels used to sell online These channels must have subscriptions and be activated before the will be live online and be able to accept bookings.
- Agent BC (Distributes Rooms to your Booking Engine and Website)
- Agent WR (Global Booking Network - Displays allocations on all GDS channels).
The other channels that sell online are either added by you (MyPMS Agents) or added when you sign up for an OTA Contract Rate Program.
PMS Agents :These are agents that you have set up in the My Agents area.
Agent BUT: Choose the Agent BUT and follow the steps above to manage the allocations to your buuteeq website
Net Rate Agents: These agents will only be visible if you have signed up for a Contract Program with a major OTA such as Expedia, Booking.com, etc.Each channel must be managed individually.
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