API fee e Faturação

Como posso aderir à Conectividade API?

• EUA e Porto Rico: Marque a caixa “Permitir que as Reservas API sejam cobradas uma Taxa API” em Definições Avançadas da Empresa > Reservas > Reservas API antes da sua data de efetivação. Além disso, certifique-se de que um método de faturação está presente em Definições > Banco e Pagamentos > Faturação.
• Todos os outros locais: Basta adicionar um Método de Faturação ao seu Painel de Controlo em Definições > Banco e Pagamentos > Faturação.

Onde está a caixa de seleção “Permitir que as Reservas API sejam cobradas uma Taxa API”?

Encontrará esta caixa de seleção no seu Painel de Controlo em Definições > Definições Avançadas da Empresa > Reservas > Reservas API. Ative-a antes da sua data efetiva para continuar a receber automaticamente as reservas API.

Estou com problemas para adicionar um Método de Faturação. O que devo fazer?

Por favor, tente o seguinte:

• Termine sessão e inicie sessão novamente.
• Tente iniciar sessão em outro navegador ou no modo de navegação anónima.
• Utilizador Externo: Se você é um utilizador externo com vários painéis, inicie sessão em cada um separadamente para adicionar o método de faturação.
• Permissões Insuficientes: Verifique se o seu utilizador do painel tem permissão para gerir contas bancárias sob Nome do Grupo > Configuração > Gerir contas bancárias. Um funcionário da FareHarbor pode verificar isso para si.
• Informações de Contacto Incompletas: Certifique-se de que um endereço de e-mail está presente nas Informações de Contacto do Painel (não apenas na secção de faturação).
• Problemas com o Cartão de Crédito: Se estiver a usar um cartão de crédito, contacte o emissor do seu cartão, pois pode haver restrições que impeçam a sua adição.

Se nenhuma destas soluções funcionar, por favor envie um pedido de suporte e inclua:

• O seu nome abreviado da empresa, utilizador do painel e nível de permissão.
• Uma captura de ecrã do separador de consola/rede do seu navegador (siga estes passos).

Qual é o ciclo contabilístico da Taxa API?

A sua fatura API estará disponível no seu painel de controlo até ao dia 1 de cada mês, cobrindo as reservas API concluídas (data de disponibilidade) no mês anterior. A taxa será cobrada no dia 6 do mês, com uma nova tentativa no dia 13 se a cobrança inicial falhar.

• Exemplo: Para reservas API concluídas em janeiro, a sua fatura estará disponível até 1 de fevereiro e será debitada em 6 de fevereiro.
• Importante: Certifique-se de que as suas reservas estão com preços corretos até ao último dia do mês. As reservas canceladas ou modificadas após o último dia do mês continuarão a ser cobradas para esse mês, e não serão concedidos reembolsos (por exemplo, se cancelar uma reserva de janeiro em 4 de fevereiro, ela ainda estará na sua fatura de janeiro).

Serei cobrado por reservas canceladas ou reservas que não chegam pela API

Apenas reservas ativas e não canceladas serão faturadas.

Serei cobrado por reservas contestadas?

Uma vez que os pagamentos das reservas ocorrem fora do FareHarbor, o nosso sistema não diferencia entre reservas pagas e contestadas. Portanto, embora raras, as reservas API contestadas serão cobradas.

Qual é o limite mínimo de fatura?

As faturas estão sujeitas a um limite mínimo com base nas limitações do Stripe, conforme indicado na sua página de ajuda sobre Pagamentos. Se a sua fatura estiver abaixo deste limite, o valor será adicionado ao débito do mês seguinte até que o mínimo seja atingido e, em seguida, será cobrado.

Como é calculada a Taxa de API?

Calculamos a taxa como uma percentagem do “Total Pago ao Afiliado” para reservas conectadas à API. Este total inclui impostos, alinhando-se com os padrões da indústria. Reservas criadas manualmente por um utilizador do painel de controlo não serão cobradas, mesmo para afiliados cujas reservas normalmente vêm através da API.

Como sei quais afiliados serão cobrados pela Taxa API?

Afiliados conectados via API geralmente têm “- API” no seu nome. No entanto, a nossa ferramenta de faturação é projetada para excluir reservas manuais da taxa, mesmo para esses afiliados.

Onde posso encontrar a minha fatura da Taxa API?

A sua fatura da Taxa API estará disponível no seu Painel de Controlo sob Relatórios > Contabilidade > Documentos de processamento de pagamentos até ao 1º dia de cada mês. As faturas são acessíveis apenas através do Painel de Controlo e não serão enviadas por e-mail.

Como posso descarregar a minha fatura da Taxa API?

1. Navegue até Relatórios > Contabilidade > Documentos de processamento de pagamentos.
2. Clique no ID do Documento da fatura.
3. Clique com o botão direito do rato no documento e selecione Imprimir.
4. Escolha Guardar como PDF como destino.
5. Clique em Guardar.

Como posso executar um relatório sobre as reservas API?

Para rever os afiliados API e as reservas incluídas na Taxa API, aceda ao relatório Reconciliação da Taxa API sob Relatórios > Contabilidade > Reconciliação da Taxa API.

Os detalhes da minha fatura da Taxa API podem ser modificados?

Os detalhes da fatura são extraídos do Stripe. Para atualizá-los, deve verificar novamente a sua conta Stripe e ajustar os detalhes via Stripe, conforme necessário. Os detalhes atualizados aparecerão nas faturas futuras.

Como é tratada a taxa na fatura da Taxa API? Taxa API HP – Especificações de Faturação

Impostos sobre o consumo, como imposto sobre vendas, IVA e GST, geralmente não estão incluídos nas faturas da Taxa API, pois são considerados transações B2B. Na maioria dos casos, as empresas são responsáveis por autoavaliar e remeter qualquer imposto aplicável através das suas próprias declarações fiscais locais. No entanto, se a sua empresa não estiver registada para efeitos fiscais, a transação pode ser tratada como B2C, caso em que o imposto pode ser aplicado no ponto de venda e refletido diretamente na fatura.

EMEA – Países Baixos

Se a sua empresa estiver localizada nos Países Baixos, o IVA holandês será incluído na sua fatura da Taxa API.

EMEA – Fora dos Países Baixos

Se a sua empresa estiver localizada na UE, mas fora dos Países Baixos, a FareHarbor aplica as regras de inversão do IVA da UE: * Se um número de registo de IVA válido tiver sido fornecido durante a sua verificação Stripe, o IVA não será incluído na sua fatura. * Se um número de registo de IVA válido não tiver sido fornecido durante a sua verificação Stripe, o IVA será incluído na sua fatura de acordo com as regras de IVA holandesas.

América do Norte

Devido à natureza dos nossos serviços e regulamentações fiscais locais, a FareHarbor não aplica qualquer imposto (de vendas) às faturas de Taxa API emitidas para Fornecedores nos Estados Unidos.

APAC – GST Abaixo está a abordagem da FareHarbor à GST na Austrália e Nova Zelândia, em conformidade com as regras locais para fornecedores não residentes de serviços digitais:

• Se forneceu um número de registo GST válido durante a sua verificação Stripe, a FareHarbor não inclui GST na sua fatura de Taxa API ou Taxa de Processamento. É responsável por auto-contabilizar a GST de acordo com as suas leis fiscais locais.
• Se não forneceu um número de registo GST válido, a FareHarbor é obrigada a incluir GST na sua fatura de acordo com a lei fiscal aplicável.

O cálculo da Taxa API e o tratamento da GST são processos separados e distintos, regidos por princípios diferentes:

• Cálculo da Taxa API: A FareHarbor calcula a Taxa API com base no valor total da transação (TTV) que nos é submetido. O TTV reflete o valor total cobrado ao consumidor. Isso garante consistência entre os mercados e alinha-se com o acordo comercial da FareHarbor com o Fornecedor (tipicamente uma percentagem fixa do TTV).

• Tratamento da GST: A GST é determinada separadamente do cálculo da taxa e é regida pela lei fiscal local. Como fornecedor não residente, a FareHarbor não é obrigada a cobrar GST em faturas onde o Fornecedor tenha submetido um número de registo GST válido.

  • Embora a GST não seja adicionada à fatura nestes casos, a FareHarbor ainda contabiliza a GST aplicável nos nossos relatórios fiscais internos e obrigações de conformidade através do mecanismo de inversão de marcha.

Esta estrutura espelha a abordagem utilizada para as Taxas de Reserva: os valores das transações podem incluir GST, mas as faturas emitidas pela FareHarbor aos Fornecedores podem não o incluir, dependendo do seu negócio e do seu estado de registo fiscal. Esta distinção garante: * Um cálculo de taxas transparente e consistente, * Conformidade com as leis fiscais regionais, e * Um modelo financeiro unificado em todos os serviços FareHarbor.

Como a FareHarbor fará a cobrança das reservas geradas por API? A FareHarbor cobrará automaticamente os pagamentos das faturas da Taxa API utilizando o Método de Faturação no seu painel de controlo. Os métodos de cobrança variam por região/moeda:

• Euro (€): Débitos diretos SEPA. Siga estas instruções para configurar o SEPA.
• USD ($) (conta bancária nos EUA): Débitos diretos ACH. Selecione a sua conta ACH preferida em Banco e Pagamentos > Faturação.
• Outras Moedas e Painéis com PayPal como único processador: Cartão em Ficheiro.

Por que a FareHarbor está introduzindo esta taxa? Estamos introduzindo esta taxa para cobrir o investimento significativo necessário para manter e aprimorar as nossas integrações API com as Agências de Viagens Online (OTAs). Isso garante que possamos continuar a fornecer conexões confiáveis e eficientes e desenvolver novos recursos para atender às suas necessidades em evolução.

Quais reservas estão sujeitas à Taxa API? A Taxa API de 2% aplica-se às reservas geradas por API concluídas a partir da sua data de efetivação (por exemplo, 1º de maio de 2024, para empresas na Grécia).

Existem exceções à Taxa API? Sim, a taxa API não se aplica ao seguinte:

• Reservas Diretas: Reservas feitas diretamente através do seu website ou inseridas manualmente no FareHarbor.
• FareHarbor Distribution Network (FHDN): Reservas da nossa vasta rede de afiliados.
• Google Things to Do: Reservas originadas da plataforma do Google.
• Reservas AL-Desk.
• Botões de Reserva de Afiliados: Reservas feitas através do sistema da FareHarbor incorporado no website de um afiliado.
• Reservas do Portal de Afiliados: Reservas geradas pelos seus afiliados através do seu portal dedicado.
• Códigos Promocionais de Afiliados: Reservas feitas usando códigos promocionais especiais fornecidos aos afiliados.
• Reservas que falharam ao passar pela API.
• Reservas canceladas.

Como posso reduzir a minha taxa API? Para reduzir a sua taxa API, recomendamos que se concentre em aumentar as suas reservas diretas online. A FareHarbor oferece vários serviços e recursos gratuitos (como o Blog FareHarbor) para o ajudar a expandir a sua presença online e aumentar as conversões.

• Saiba mais sobre a Conectividade API na FareHarbor e os nossos últimos lançamentos de recursos API nesta página de ajuda.
• Explore formas de aumentar as suas reservas diretas online no Blog FareHarbor.

Slack Channels

• #api-fee-global: used to share grouped updates about the global initiative
• #api-fee-questions: available for all employees to ask their questions related to the API Fee
• #api-fee-noram: used to share updates about rollouts in NORAM exclusively – will be closed after the end of the rollout
• #api-fee-apac + #api-fee-europe: historical data about the APAC and EMEA rollouts – archived

Calendar

Previous rollouts

In 2023-2024, the API Fee was rolled out to most of our clients as per this calendar:

In 2025, the API Fee was rolled out in the USA and Puerto Rico:

Eligibility

Eligibility will be based on the Processor Country (location of the bank account) of a dashboard.

• Processor Country is in a monetized region: Dashboard will be charged for the API fee.
• Processor Country is in a non-monetized region: Dashboard will not be charged for the API Fee.

Example: My company is based in the Netherlands but the Processor Country is in France. The API Fee will be effective March 15, 2024.

Exception: In LATAM/Caribbean, the vast majority of our clients are registered in a different country than where they physically operate due to Stripe’s limitations to verify these accounts and we therefore use the Dashboard Primary Location instead of the Processor Country.

API Fee structure

All clients are charged a 2% fee on API-generated bookings. The fee is calculated on the “Total Paid to Affiliate” which is the booking total including tax.

Commercial Exceptions

Enterprise clients and clients with a high volume of OTA TTV (typically, over $1M OTA TTV yearly) may be able to negotiate an introductory rate, also called Commercial Exception. Please get approval from your manager before offering a Commercial Exception and refer to the Commercial Exception Process Help Page for more details on how to submit one.

After approval in AppSheet, the Payment Operations team will be solely responsible for modifying changing rates in the dashboard. The team will follow the data present in the lead’s Custom Fields in Close.

The below exceptions are automatically granted:

• Guam and French Polynesia are exempted from the API Fee until further notice.
• USA/PR Paid Legacy FHS: For T2 & T3, the API Fee is waived for the full 2025. Their Effective Date is therefore January 1, 2026.
• Hawaii has a set pricing:
  • Tiers 0-2: No change – 2% fee, with no change to opt-in timing.
  • Tier 3: API Fee waived until end of October, set 1.5% fee from November 1, 2025 onwards. In case of a Paid Legacy FHS, the fee kicks-in in January 1, 2026.
  • Tiers 4 & 5: API Fee waived until end of October, set 1% fee from November 1, 2025 onwards.

Hawaii T3+ and Legacy FHS T2-3 Commercial Exceptions have been bulk-submitted on behalf of the AM team in AppSheet and should therefore appear in the API Fee Close CF.

Finding the API Fee

• In the FareHarbor Dashboard, under Advanced Settings -> Bookings -> API bookings. The field is only visible to FareHarbor Admin users, and only if ‘Allow API bookings’ is selected.
• In Close, in each shortname’s group Custom Field Group under API Fee & API Fee Update Date.
• In the AppSheet, only previously requested Commercial Exceptions will appear.

FareHarbor Rewards

In Portugal, France, Italy, Spain and Greece only, a select list of clients is eligible for a reward on total revenues (booking fee and API fees) generated according to the chart below (called “FareHarbor Rewards”). Outside of these markets, no FareHarbor Rewards will be granted.

How can I see which of my clients’ affiliates will be charged for?

While we are able to pinpoint affiliates whose bookings will typically be charged an API Fee for, some bookings might be coming manually for API affiliates and will therefore not be invoiced for.

To find the affiliates your client will be charged for:

1. Look at the clients’ affiliate list

   • Look at the list of affiliates under Settings > Affiliates
   • Look for all affiliates that have “API” in their Affiliate name

2. Run a booking source report by Availability Date, filter by Source: Network, group by Booking Created By, and discard bookings not generated via API.

Activations & Reactivations

Clients can opt-in to API Connectivity by:

• EMEA, APAC and NORAM Extended Markets: add a Billing Method
• USA/PR: Check the box “Allow API Bookings to be charged an API Fee”

Clients will need to request the Connectivity team to be connected via email at support@fareharbor.com.

Reconnections following a failed debit

Clients that were disconnected due to unpaid API Fee invoices and ask to be reconnected will need to get their invoices settled first. You can request a manual debit as follows:

1. Request the manual debit in #payment_operations using the workflow “Manual API Fee Debit Request”;
   1. In “invoices to debit”, add the Invoice ID found in Payment Processing Documents > Document ID. If there are several unpaid invoices, you can submit a single request and separate the several Invoice ID with a comma.
2. PayOps will debit unpaid invoices from the FareHarbor Dashboard (please debit and don’t do instalments as we can’t link those to invoices);
3. PayOps will click “Debit Done – Inform PayExp” which will post a message in #payment-experience-public. PayOps will add the Debit ID and Invoice ID in the thread of that new message.
4. PayOps will inform of the status of the debit:
   1. If debit fails, PayOps will reach out to the client to resolve
   2. If debit succeeds, PayOps will confirm to Connectivity who will in turn reconnect the client
   3. If debit status needs more time to update (i.e doesn’t succeed or fail straight away), PayOps will inform Connectivity who will in turn reconnect the client

Deactivations

Companies who do not wish to pay the API Fee can opt-out of API Connectivity, which requires the Connectivity Team to disconnect their API connections in their Dashboard.

1. Disconnecting API Connectivity:

* If the clients never used API Connectivity: uncheck “Enable API Bookings Creation” located in Advanced Company Settings. * If the client used API Connectivity previously: forward the disconnection request to the Connectivity team on their email at support@fareharbor.com. The Connectivity Team will disable permissions for API Affiliates connected to the Dashboard and leave the clients’ Billing Method active as we continue to charge the client for bookings initiated (booking date) prior to the opt-out date and completed (availability date) the month prior until no more API Bookings need to be billed for.

2. Notifying the API partners:

During a new region rollout: The Strategic Partnerships API team informs API Partners as follows:

• First email: on external comms date, a general memo is sent to all affected API partners, notifying them of the upcoming change;
• Second email: a few days after the disconnection date (the same as effective date), the specific list of clients that were disconnected is sent to each API Partner.

After a new region rollout: the Connectivity team member will inform the partner as part of the disconnection process.

Accounting calendar

1. On the 1st day of each month, API invoices are created automatically and immediately available in the Dashboard under Reports > Accounting > Payment Processing Documents.
2. On the 6th day of each month, clients are debited automatically on their Billing Method, provided the amount to debit is over the minimum threshold.
3. If the debit fails, the system will try again 7 days after the initial debit.

Invoicing

Invoicing eligibility

API Bookings are invoiced every 1st day of the month based on these variables:

• Booking was completed (availability date) between the first and the last day of the previous month.
• Booking was created (booking date) on or after the Effective Date in the clients’ region.
  • in the US, the Effective Date will be between April 1 and July 1 depending on the Tier.
• Booking was created by an API user.

Clients will be invoiced as follows:

• Active Clients using API Connectivity will be invoiced as per the logic above.
• Active Clients previously using API Connectivity who decided to stop will be invoiced every month for bookings initiated (booking date) between effective date and disconnection date, and completed (availability date) on the previous calendar month, until all eligible API Bookings have been invoiced. Offboarded Clients previously using API Connectivity will follow the same logic.
• For Active Clients who never used API Connectivity, no invoice will be generated.

Verify the invoice

Generate an API Bookings report using the API Fee Reconciliation Report in Reports > Accounting. The API Fee invoice amount is calculated off column “Total Paid to Affiliate”.

Updating business information on invoices

When clients update business details such as the owner name, tax ID, business name, or address on their FareHarbor Dashboard, these changes must be properly recorded to ensure that invoices reflect the most current information. Follow the instructions below to update these details and ensure they appear accurately on future payment processing invoices.

Updating the business tax ID

Clients can update their tax ID directly on the Dashboard or request assistance from a FareHarbor representative.

To update the business tax ID:

1. Navigate to Settings > Info and Policies > Logo & Contact.
2. Update the Tax ID field as needed.
3. Click Save changes.

Updating the business name and/or address

Clients can update their business name or address directly on the Dashboard or request assistance from a FareHarbor representative.

To update the business tax ID:

1. Navigate to Settings > Bank & Payments.
2. Click on Update within the second step (Enter customer verification information) of the Payment Setup Checklist.
3. Make the necessary changes to the business name and/or address.

Important note: Any updates made will appear on the next month’s invoice, not the current month’s one. If the update does not reflect in next month’s invoice, please escalate to Payment Operations (#payment_operations in Slack).

Debits

Debits are initiated on the 6th of each month for Dashboards with unpaid invoices. If a debit fails, the system will re-initiate a debit 7 days later.

Debit methods (a.k.a Billing Method)

• Dashboards processing in Euro will be automatically debited using SEPA Direct Debits.
• Dashboards processing in USD will be automatically debited using ACH Debits.
• All other currencies + PayPal-only dashboards will be automatically debited using Card on File.
  • All other currencies include AUD, GBP, NZD, etc…

Failed debits

See process for failed debits here.

Reconnecting a client following a failed debit

See in Activations & Reactivations.

Disputed Debits

In the case of a disputed debit, the payment method used to debit the disputed amount is invalidated and our team is no longer able to collect future invoice payment using that same mandate. The disputed payment status will also not change from “succeeded” to “failed” and it is hence not possible to debit again to recover the disputed amount as no amount shows as pending.

Fighting a disputed debit for PayOps

Disputes should be handled as usual by PayOps.

Recovering the disputed amount

The process to recoup the disputed funds from the client is as follows:

1. Upon reception of disputed debit notification from Stripe, PayOps will reach out to the client and:
   • Ensure they understand what the original debit was for,
   • Inform them that they need to reverify their billing method (it can be the same card/account),
   • Inform that FareHarbor will proceed with a debit of the disputed amount when this is done.
2. Once the billing method is reverified, PayOps will notify the @accounting team to reinitiate the payment using the workflow “Accounting Action Request” in #api-fee-global.
3. Once the debit is processed, PayOps will tag @payments-experience in the same thread to request them to link the new debit to the invoice.

Discrepancies

Flagging the discrepancy

To confirm a discrepancy, post in #api-fee-questions and we will confirm or help investigate.

Correcting the discrepancy: refund request

If a discrepancy was confirmed by our team, follow the process:

• If debit was not yet initiated:

  1. Notify @payments-experience to disable automated debits by tagging them in the Slack thread confirming the discrepancy.
  2. Submit a credit note + debit request in #api-fee-global using the workflow “Accounting Action Request”. The @accounting team will create a credit note for the AM to send to the client.
  3. The @accounting team will manually debit the correct amount using the Bank & Payments section and inform @ironbank of the manual debit ID to link to the invoice IDs for reconciliation purposes. This step will prevent our accounting system from trying to debit the invoice amount in the future.
  4. @payments-experience will link the debit to the invoice ID and re-enable automated debits for the affected company.

• If debit was already initiated: If the debit succeeded, follow the steps below. If it is still pending, wait until the status changes to succeeded or failed and act accordingly:

  1. Submit a credit note + refund request in #api-fee-global using workflow “Accounting Action Request”. The @accounting team will create a credit note for the AM to send to the client.
  2. The accounting team will then refund the client for the invoice difference using the Bank & Payments section.

Communicating the correction

1. The @accounting team will provide the Account Manager with a credit note highlighting the difference (adjustment) brought to the original invoice.
   • No new invoice with the correct amount can be issued in respect to the GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles).
   • The credit note will not be attached to the Payment Processing Documents section of the FareHarbor dashboard as uploading manual documents is not currently supported.
2. The Account Manager will be responsible for sharing the credit note with the client via email, using the “API Fee – Credit Note notification” template. The template will need to be edited before sending:
   • Add initial invoice ID from the dashboard, section “Payment Processing Documents” and the amount of that initial invoice
   • Add credit note ID provided by the @accounting team and the amount of that credit note
   • Add resulting amount to be invoiced by adding the invoice amount and the credit note amount (the latter should usually be a negative amount)
   • Attach credit note to the email as we are not able to attach it to the dashboard at this time

International bank transfer fees (APAC-specific)

Some companies in APAC might incur international transfer fees as we use our bank account located in Europe to debit API Fees, but rest assured that we debit in the local currency of the company. When these occur, FareHarbor is covering the international fee by issuing a reimbursement to the client. Proceed as follows:

• Collect client’s request, including a screenshot of the transaction stating clearly that the fee was incurred following the FH API Fee debit, and by how much.
• Send the request to @Rowena Dacanay via PM who will in turn submit the “Accounting Action Needed” workflow in #api-fee-global, pinging Christine Maedche for approval.
• Once approval is granted, Rowena will fill the reimbursement form tasking @accounting to credit the funds to the client’s bank account.
• If approved, the requesting team member will confirm the refund to the client.

Should this scenario spread across more markets, we will update the process.

Offboarded Companies

Offboarded Companies who previously used API Connectivity will continue to be invoiced and debited for until all eligible API Bookings have been charged. We will debit using the Billing Method available, and in case of no Billing Method present the @accounting team will use all means available to get payment as stated in our API Fee Terms.

Note: these additional payment methods require manual work and we are therefore not able to offer them as regular API Fee payment methods at this time.

Escalations

Please handle escalations as per usual practice.

Where are you currently charging? The API Fee has been introduced in all of our markets, except French Polynesia and Guam.

What is the API Fee covering? The API transaction fee covers the costs of setting up and maintaining the connections you have with OTAs (Online Travel Agencies) you work with, including expenses related to system maintenance, support, and infrastructure required to ensure smooth connectivity and improved services. A more exhaustive list is available on the API Fee Help Page.

What will change for me? I’m going to get the same service as when it was free. We are committed to increasing the pace of our support time, investing in improving our API connections and providing more dedicated service to you. More specifically, the API Fee allowed us to accelerate our development speed and release critical new- and updates to affiliate-specific features since its first launch in Portugal in 2023. A few examples of newer affiliate features:

• Airbnb API Integration – May 2025
• Custom Fields mapping for OTAs – Sept 2024
• Google ratings for External API – Q2 2024
• Reminder emails for API bookings – Q2 2024
• Affiliate rules introduction – Dec 2023
• Affiliate rules feature updates: capacity-based (Jul 2024), permanent affiliate restriction (Sep 2024), time of day (Oct 2024)

Why are you charging your clients and not the OTA? We develop API Connections and tailor our services based on our clients needs and feedback. Whether API connected or not, the OTA will still get their bookings and the API connection helps to dramatically ease the operations for your company to manage your distribution. OTAs are valuable partners we connect with to enhance your experience and share your direct feedback to help shape the future of these connections.

Why are you basing the fee on the total including tax? Bonus: It’s illegal. After deep research on the matter conducted by our legal team, we are charging the API Fee on the total including tax to align with industry practices.

Why are you charging a percentage and not a flat fee? The percentage aligns with all the rest of our pricing model. The booking fee, the payment link fee, the private event fee, everything is a percentage.

We also provide value in a myriad of aspects such as mapping connections, improving/strengthening our API, working closely with OTA to increase matching endpoints, looking for new partners, developing new features, improving these features etc… and we’ve been accelerating the speed of all of the above since August 2023, when we started charging the API Fee in Portugal and collected something to reinvest.

Our API is helping operators of all sizes and ticketing price, and finding the right the right amount for a flat fee would be a lot of guesswork and any number would be too much for smaller ticket prices, so we think a percentage is more fair to everyone. And charging a small flat fee wouldn’t allow us to provide all of the above at the quality we aspire to reach at some point.

Also while we are usually trendsetters, we are very late to the party as we are the last booking software to start charging for an API connectivity that is far superior to most competitors, and the only ones having a client-facing team dedicated to API questions.

How is the fee calculated? For companies subject to a 2% API Fee: If Company A gives 20% commission to an OTA and receives a $100 booking, $80 will be paid to the client, $20 will be kept by the OTA and the client will be charged $2 to pay to FareHarbor.

We understand the importance for businesses to take control of their online channels and establish meaningful connections with customers with the final option to maximize tickets sold and profitability. Our team is committed to supporting you in identifying opportunities and offering additional services that can enhance your online presence, enabling you to reach a wider audience and drive more conversions at the right profitability level. We believe that for tour providers, balancing both direct and OTA channels is crucial to 1) reduce risk, 2) maximize ticket sales and 3) drive profitability by tapping into a diverse customer base and leveraging the reach and marketing power of different channels. We are here to provide guidance and assistance every step of the way.

Can we negotiate the fee with clients who push back? At this time, we are only allowing an invited list of clients to negotiate the fee.

Can clients raise their rates on OTAs to cover the fee? If clients want to raise their rates on the OTA to cover the API fee we can give them the general guidance. First ask the client to please check their contract with the OTA if it actually has a parity clause. Second, it’s common knowledge that even if OTAs have a parity clause in their terms, they are not likely to enforce it. And if they do, they are likely to start with a warning. It’s up to the activity provider what to do with this info.

What happens if the client does not agree to the API Fee by their Effective Date? Will we charge for it anyway? We will be removing their API connectivity so bookings will not be able to be made via the API. Clients can still manually enter bookings in their FareHarbor Dashboard and tag the affiliate, but API bookings will not be able to be created, canceled or rebooked.

Invoicing & Reporting

How will the booking appear in the Dashboard? Bookings will appear as they normally do.

Will we base our fee out of OTA prices that come through the API or what we have set in the Dashboard? What is set in the Dashboard. With the implementation of pricing APIs coming this will eventually get fixed, but we’re confident prices are mostly accurate.

Will the API fee on bookings be included in the Reports section in FareHarbor’s internal report? The fee cannot currently be visible in reports, but they will see an invoice for the fee associated with their bookings in the Payment Processing Documents report.

Why is FareHarbor doing this?

FareHarbor builds its business model on a partnership and a win-win relationship with our clients. When making decisions that may impact you, we always consider how to align with your needs and strategies. Introducing the API fee ensures the alignment between FareHarbor’s overall strategy and your current and future goals. By charging a fee on API bookings, we can maintain and improve our level of service related to API connections. It’s important to note that you only pay the API fee if you utilize API connections and receive API bookings.

Why should I stay with FareHarbor now that you changed the API fee?

We understand the concern surrounding the API fee change, and we remain dedicated to your success. By introducing the API fee, we can maintain and enhance our level of service for API bookings. You will still benefit from a tailor-made dashboard, our high-converting booking system, our 24/7 technical support, and our range of free services to help you expand your online presence and boost online conversion!

As the largest reservation platform in the world, we offer access to over 20,000 vendors and more than 150,000 bookable activities.

Capterra and Phocuswright have rated us the #1 Tour & Activity Software, showcasing our commitment to excellence. With a team of over 800 employees across seven offices, we take pride in being a member of the Booking Holdings family.

Rest assured that your business is in capable hands, and we will continue to provide the highest level of service and support to ensure your continued success. If you have any further questions or require additional information, please don’t hesitate to contact our support team.

Can I absorb the booking fee now that you’re also charging me for API bookings?

We understand your concern about absorbing the booking fee. The introduction of the API fee was a decision made to maintain and improve our services for clients utilizing API connections. However, we still want you to succeed and generate as many bookings as possible directly through your website, which will not incur any cost. We encourage you to leverage our high-converting booking system, the powerful dashboard for managing your bookings, and our dedicated support team to optimize your online presence and maximize your revenue.

I always heard FH would never charge for your services because you only grow if I grow. How can I rely on you from now on?

We assure you that FareHarbor’s commitment to your growth remains unchanged. Our decision to introduce the API fee reflects our dedication to providing reliable and improved services to support your evolving needs. We still adhere to our partnership and win-win relationship, and our success is deeply intertwined with yours. We will continue to deliver a high-converting booking system, an exceptional dashboard and 24/7 technical support.

I want to disconnect the API immediately; which steps should I take?

If you wish to disconnect your API connection, please get in touch with our support team directly. They will guide you through the process and ensure a smooth disconnection of the API. We value your business and will provide the necessary assistance during this transition.

If you choose to disconnect immediately, the affiliate will send these bookings to you via email, and you will need to enter them manually into FareHarbor (our system). If you enter bookings manually, those bookings are not subject to the fee. To continue receiving API bookings in FareHarbor automatically, we recommend that you join FHDN or GTTD (Google Things to do). Joining these platforms will ensure seamless integration of bookings and save you the hassle of manual entry. Our support team can provide you with more details on how to join these platforms. By joining these platforms, you will ensure seamless integration of bookings and eliminate the hassle of manual entry. Our support team can provide you with more details on how to join these platforms.

I want to start accepting API bookings again; which steps should I take?

To get started with accepting API bookings, we recommend reaching out to our Support Team. We will be more than happy to assist you further with the necessary steps and provide you with a comprehensive understanding of our API connectivity options. They will work closely with you to ensure a smooth onboarding process and answer any questions you may have about the fees and pricing structure.

I feel cheated now that you’re changing your pricing model.

We understand that and we sincerely apologize for any negative emotions this changes may have caused. Our intention was never to deceive or betray your trust. The introduction of the API transaction fee was a decision made with careful consideration, aiming to enhance our services and better align with your evolving needs. We remain committed to your success and providing you with a high-converting booking system, an exceptional dashboard, 24/7 technical support, and the guidance of our Support Team.

Can you provide more details on the costs of managing clients working with OTAs and API integrations that the API transaction fee covers?

The API transaction fee covers the costs of setting up and maintaining the connections you have with the OTAs (Online Travel Agencies) you work with, including expenses related to system maintenance, support, and infrastructure required to ensure smooth connectivity and improved services.

More specifically, it will cover (but is not limited to) the human resources needed to ensure your connections are up to date, managed, accurate and flowing into one software for management in addition to things like downtime communications, help communicating with your Viator/GYG rep, ability to answer questions about those connections and other variables needed for a software and connections to continue performing so our clients don’t have to take care of it themselves.

How will the API transaction fee contribute to ensuring reliable connectivity and improved services for businesses?

The API transaction fee ensures reliable connectivity and improved business services by providing the necessary resources from FareHarbor to maintain and optimize the API infrastructure, helping to minimize disruptions, enhance system performance, and deliver a seamless booking experience for clients utilizing API connections.

Can you clarify the specific communication channels and advance notification methods used to inform clients about the API transaction fee?

We have transparently communicated the API transaction fee through various channels, including direct client communication via email and notifications within the FareHarbor dashboard. We have provided advance notification to ensure clients are well-informed about the fee and its implementation.

How does FareHarbor utilize the collected fees to support businesses with low online transaction volumes and enhance the services provided?

The collected fees from the API transaction fee support businesses with low online transaction volumes by enhancing the services provided. FareHarbor utilizes the collected funds to invest in system improvements, technological advancements, and customer support initiatives, ultimately benefiting these businesses and optimizing their experience with FareHarbor.

How will clients be notified about future updates or changes related to the API transaction fee?

We will communicate any updates or changes related to the API transaction fee through official channels. Clients can expect proactive communication and support who will address specific concerns and questions regarding the fee. Our commitment to transparent communication ensures that clients are well-informed about any updates or changes related to the API transaction fee.

Clients are asking if FareHarbor is financially stable because of all the recent pricing changes, how should I respond?

Reinforce that FareHarbor is continually investing in our people and our product. Last year alone we hired close to 120 employees, driven by our success and ambitious goals and never have had to do layoffs. We are reinvesting in our rapidly-growing Connectivity team and Engineering team due to increased demand for our industry-leading API services. Our recent product releases related to this service prove that we’re putting our money where our mouths are: affiliate rules, etc.