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Expedia FAQ

Lorena Pamplona
Updated

In this article, you can find useful tips for the questions which may occur before or after connecting your property with Expedia.

What is the difference between the Expedia pricing models: Per Day Pricing and Occupancy Based Pricing?

 Cloudbeds PMS currently supports Per-Day Pricing and Occupancy-Based Pricing for Expedia.

  • The pricing model can only be set by your Expedia Market Manager.

Per Day Pricing Model (default)

With this pricing model, room inventory is assigned a cost each day for a base number of occupants.

Though commonly configured for two occupants, the base number can be customized by rate plan. A single guest will always be quoted the rate for the base number of occupants, whereas guests above the base number are charged extra person fees if configured in the channel's extranet.

Example: Double Room with 2 base occupants

  • Single Guest: quoted a base double rate for each day at the property
  • Four Guests: quoted the base rate plus extra person fees for two of the occupants.

Room rates are based on the number of adults in a booking, while children are charged an extra person fee. Children are only charged an adult guest rate if there are not enough adults to fill the base occupancy for a booking.

This pricing model is configured by default in Cloudbeds PMS mapping settings.

Occupancy Based Pricing

This pricing model allows properties to set dynamic rates based on the number of guests staying in a room, providing greater pricing flexibility and optimization.

For example, when a rate is specified for an occupancy of two, but not for an occupancy of one, the rate for double-occupancy will be applied automatically when a traveler wants to book a stay just for one person.

Any number of guests over the highest specified occupancy rate (up to, but not exceeding, the maximum occupancy allowed for the room), will be charged extra-person fees.

  Prices for adults and children can be set on base rate and rate plan levels and managed via the Availability Matrix.

I am already an Expedia user; how do I switch from the Per-Day Pricing model to Occupancy-Based Pricing?

  1. Ensure that the base rate and rate plans in the Cloudbeds property have the correct Per-Person Pricing amounts.
  2. Contact your Expedia Market Manager to update the pricing model on Expedia, as they are the only ones authorized to adjust this setting within an account.

  Any property wishing to make the switch must contact their market manager to request the change.

Do I need to remove my settings from the “Guest and Occupancy Fees” page in the Expedia extranet since Expedia will apply the per-person pricing sent from Cloudbeds?

You should retain the extra person fee settings in the extranet to cover guests beyond the specified occupancy. In general, if properties' per-person pricing configuration in Cloudbeds fully accounts for all occupancy scenarios, you can remove the settings from the “Guest and Occupancy Fees” page.

What happens if I continue using the settings on the “Guest and Occupancy Fees” page in the Expedia extranet? Which pricing will take priority—the one sent via ARI or the one set in the extranet?

Extra guest fees configured in the Guest and Occupancy Fees section apply only to guests exceeding the occupancy limit defined in the rate plans. For example, if the rate plan specifies pricing for 1–4 guests, the extra guest fee will apply to the 5th guest and beyond, up to the maximum occupancy limit.

What is the difference between Expedia channel collect and Expedia hotel collect bookings?

Expedia offers two methods of payment for their bookings:

  • Expedia Collect: Bookings are prepaid at the time of the booking and the property must charge the Expedia Virtual Card (EVC).
  • Hotel Collect: Bookings include credit card details, and the property charges the guest directly.

The reservation can be Hotel collect or Channel collect depending on the settings and payment type chosen on Expedia side.

The payment method is always noted in the reservation details in Cloudbeds PMS, as shown below:

Expedia Collect and Hotel Collect Booking Example

The Expedia Virtual Card will be displayed under the Credit Card tab:

Understanding How Expedia Commission Works for Each Booking Type: Expedia Collect or Hotel Collect

Cloudbeds does not receive or calculate Expedia’s commission percentage. Expedia sends only the net amount for Channel Collect bookings and the full sell rate for Hotel Collect bookings.

Expedia Collect (Channel Collect):

  1. Guest pays Expedia.
  2. Expedia withholds a commission before sending payment to the property (via Virtual Card or bank transfer).
  3. Cloudbeds only receives the final net amount.
  • You can confirm whether commission is withheld by checking the Special Requests field:
    • “Balance provided… has Expedia compensation withheld” → commission already deducted.
    • “…will be invoiced at a later date” → full sell rate sent; commission invoiced later.

Expedia Hotel Collect

  1. Guest pays the hotel directly.
  2. No commission is withheld upfront.
  3. Expedia invoices the property later for commission.
  • The commission percentage for these bookings does not appear in Cloudbeds and is only visible on Expedia Partner Central (Access Finances → Billing & Payments → Invoices).

How to match taxes for Expedia reservations?

To ensure accurate tax calculation, the taxes configured in Cloudbeds PMS should match the tax type and amount in Expedia’s extranet.

  Issue with taxes for Expedia Collect reservations

We have identified an issue with Expedia Collect reservations. Even if your Expedia account is correctly configured as Tax Inclusive, it's possible that this is not properly configured for Expedia Collect reservations.

Solution: Reach out to your Expedia's Account Manager or Support and ask them to set the taxes as Inclusive for your Expedia Collect bookings. This setting is done on the Rate Plan level. If you need our assistance with this issue,, contact our support team.

How to set up shared dorms on Expedia?

Use the following example to configure shared dorms on Expedia:

  • Room type: 5-bed dorm
  • Number of rooms: 4
  • Total accommodations: 20

Steps to configure:

  1. On Expedia’s extranet, configure the room type to allow only 1 person to stay.
  2. The number of rooms for our example room type on Expedia would then be set to 20 (4 dorm rooms, each with 5 beds = 20 total accommodations).
  3. Name the room something like “1 bed in a 5-bed dorm” for clarity.
  4. If the guest wants more than 1 bed, they book the room multiple times.
  5. If there are 8 beds available for example, we set an availability of 8.

After connecting to a channel manager, does Expedia send the original guest email to the property?

Per Expedia (April 2019):

"No, we do not currently send the information to the partner as our policies for transmitting this information are now in line with General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR)."

If the original email is not sent, does Expedia send emails generated by the channel's domain?

Per Expedia (April 2019):

"The information is not currently transmitted on all bookings at this time. This is in the works, but we do not have an expected time frame when this will be completed."

Why am I not receiving any type of guest email contacts?

Per Expedia (April 2019):

"A temporary system email address is accessible in Partner Central and the partner is informed via email currently when a booking takes place. The partner can use the email address information in Partner Central or use the email address information available there."

How does Expedia handle the 3D Secure Regulation?

From Expedia:

"Starting from 14th September 2019, the revised Payment Services Directive (PSD2) comes into play across all European Economic Area (EEA) countries. This may affect some connected properties, so we wanted to share some information on the solutions we are offering to help them get prepared."

What is the change?

"The change will require all consumers to provide two-factor authentication for their credit card payments to prove their identity. This means that consumers will have to give two of the following:

  • Something they know (password or PIN)
  • Something they own (e.g., the physical credit card)
  • Something they are (biometrics e.g., fingerprint)."

How might this affect properties?

"This change will have the most impact when properties are charging guests without them being physically present, e.g., for pre-stay deposits, cancellation, or no-show fees. If customers aren’t able to complete two-factor authentication, banks may reject payments."

How can Expedia Group help properties?

  1. "Cancellation & no-show fees: Properties can opt-in to our new collection service at no extra cost and we’ll collect any no show or cancellation fees for them. We’ll validate their guests’ cards at the time of booking and if the charge is successful, the property will be provided an Expedia Virtual Card (EVC) to collect payment from Expedia.
  2. Pre-stay Deposits: For properties with rate plans that require deposits, we’re recommending they move these to Expedia Collect only. This means we will collect the balance in full at the time of booking. With added confidence they will get paid, this means partners will no longer need a deposit. We’ll then pay out to properties at check-in through either EVC or bank transfer/direct debit."

Why was the reservation received without any payment information?

We have received information from Expedia that they are currently testing an option to allow guests to make bookings without providing a credit card up-front. According to Expedia,

this would make it quick and easy to book on the go and can help encourage last-minute bookings to fill the remaining rooms.

You can control your settings for these bookings, so Expedia only gives travelers this option if you have a certain amount of inventory remaining. Or, you can opt-out of this feature altogether. In order to do so, you would need to communicate with your Expedia Account Manager.

If a guest cancels or doesn't show up, be sure to reconcile the reservation by the fourth day of the month after they would have to check out and waive the cancellation fee to avoid paying unnecessary compensation.

This is an option that Expedia Group made available to all partners, with communication being sent out upon its activation.

Why are there differences in the balances for Expedia Channel Collect reservations?

When you receive Expedia Channel Collect reservations, the following messages are displayed under the Special Request field based on each booking payload:

 Terms explanation:

  • Daily rates have Expedia compensation withheld: The price of each day of stay will be the calendar price minus compensation.
  • Will be invoiced at a later date: The price will be the "sell rate" - full rate which is sent over to Expedia, and Expedia will send a bill at a later date for the compensation.
  • Important: Cloudbeds cannot see or calculate Expedia’s commission percentage.
    All discrepancies must be verified inside Expedia Partner Central because the amounts Cloudbeds displays are exactly what Expedia transmits in the reservation payload.
  1. Reservation paid for by Expedia Virtual Card. The card can be charged XX USD after DATE/TIME UTC. The Expedia Virtual Card balance provided in this booking has Expedia compensation withheld, but the daily rates include Expedia compensation.

Reservation example 1

  1. Reservation paid for by Expedia Virtual Card. The card can be charged XX USD after DATE/TIME UTC. The daily rates and Expedia Virtual Card balance provided in this booking include Expedia compensation, which will be invoiced at a later date.

Reservation example 2

  1. Reservation paid for by bank transfer. You will receive XX USD. The bank transfer balance provided in this booking has Expedia compensation withheld, but the daily rates include Expedia compensation.

Reservation example 3

  1. Reservation paid for by bank transfer. You will receive XX USD. The daily rates and bank transfer balance provided in this booking include Expedia compensation, which will be invoiced at a later date.

Reservation example 4

Possible difference in the balances

In the following example, the balance dropdown and the amount to be charged on the Virtual Credit Card (VCC) are different.

The Expedia Virtual Card balance amount shown on the Special Requests field for some properties is the net amount that you will receive from Expedia, which is the total amount of the reservation, minus commission (consisted of Expedia’s compensation, taxes on compensation, and compensation on taxes).

Possible difference in the balances.png

How does the Pricing Breakdown look on Expedia's side?

This is the amount that we receive from Expedia, therefore, both Cloudbeds PMS and Channel Manager do not have any control over it.

How does the Pricing Breakdown look on Expedia side.png

Diagnosing Balance Differences for Expedia Reservations

If the amount charged to the Expedia Virtual Card or received via bank transfer is lower than your Cloudbeds totals, the most common causes are:

1. Commission withheld by Expedia (Channel Collect only)

  • Cloudbeds receives the net amount after Expedia compensation. This can include:
    • Expedia base commission
    • Taxes on the commission
    • Compensation applied to taxes

2. Tax & Fee mismatches (Hotel Collect and Channel Collect)

Differences occur when:

  • Expedia uses exclusive taxes but Cloudbeds is configured as inclusive (or vice-versa).
  • Certain Expedia fees (service fees, occupancy taxes, environmental fees) are not added to the Cloudbeds source configuration
  • Extra-person rules differ between Expedia and Cloudbeds.

How to fix:

  1. Compare the reservation totals in Expedia Partner Central vs. Cloudbeds.
  2. Go to Settings → Taxes & Fees → Sources and ensure all Expedia taxes/fees are listed.
  3. Correct inclusivity/exclusivity settings to match Expedia.
  4. Manually adjust or add missing charges to the Cloudbeds folio if needed.

Solution:

To adjust the balance due (which should be the full amount of the reservation minus the amount retained by Expedia), you need to manually add a payment referring to that remaining balance to record that it has been paid to Expedia.

  Check this article for details on how to do it: How can I add a payment to a reservation on Cloudbeds PMS?

How to create 'Members Only' promotions on Expedia?

  Remember that all your room types and rate plans on Expedia Group must be correctly mapped on Cloudbeds.

Create a New Members Only promotion

  1. Navigate to the Marketing section of your Expedia Partner Central.
  2. Click on Promotions.
  3. Select Create a Promotion.
  4. Select Members Only.

Create a New Members Only promotion 1.png

Create a New Members Only promotion 2.png

  1. Click on Next Section to move forward and choose:
    • Audience
    • Offer
    • Minimum length of stay
    • Booking window restrictions
    • Travel Dates
    • Promotion Name (for internal tracking; travelers won't see it)

  You can limit your audience to Members searching from specific countries or using mobile devices. Click Edit to make any necessary changes.

Create a New Members Only promotion 3.png

  1. Click Create. Your promotion is now live.

Create a New Members Only promotion 4.png

Add a Members Only deal on top of an existing promotion

  1. Navigate to the Marketing section of your Expedia Partner Central.
  2. Click on Promotions and choose an existing promotion.
  3. Click Manage this promotion and then Edit.

Add a Members Only deal on top of an existing promotion 1.png

Add a Members Only deal on top of an existing promotion 2.png

  1. Under Offer, check the box to stack an extra discount for Members.
  2. Choose your discount percentage.
  3. Click Save.

Add a Members Only deal on top of an existing promotion 3.png

Apply Members Only Discounts to All Existing Promotions

  1. Navigate to the Marketing section of Expedia Partner Central.
  2. Select Promotions.
  3. Navigate to the box Give Members a Deal and click Edit.
  4. Toggle the option to stack an extra discount for members and select the promos you want it to apply to.
  5. Apply.

Apply Members Only Discounts to All Existing Promotions 1.png

Apply Members Only Discounts to All Existing Promotions 2.png

How do I change my payment collection method from Hotel Collect to Expedia Collect?

The payment collection model is managed directly within your Expedia account, not through Cloudbeds. To switch from Hotel Collect to Expedia Collect (pre-paid), please follow these steps:

  1. Contact your Expedia Market Manager or use Partner Central to close any existing Hotel Collect rate plans.
  2. Activate an Expedia Collect (pre-paid) rate plan within your Expedia account.
  3. Once the new Expedia Collect rate plan is live, re-map only this new rate plan in your Cloudbeds channel mapping.

This process ensures that future reservations from this new rate plan will be processed as pre-paid.

Syncing Multiple Rate Plans with Expedia

Cloudbeds allows you to synchronize multiple rate plans with Expedia, but this requires the Advanced Channel Rates feature to be enabled on your account. With this feature, you can map each of your Cloudbeds rate plans directly to a corresponding rate plan on Expedia, providing more flexibility in how you manage your pricing and availability.

To set this up, follow these steps:

  1. Navigate to the Distribution section in your Cloudbeds account.
  2. Select Expedia and go to Rate Plan Mapping, then click "Configure".
  3. For each room type, you will need to map your Cloudbeds rate plans to the correct Expedia rate plans. For example:
    - Map your Cloudbeds "Standard" (or Base Rate) plan to the Expedia "STANDARD – SellRate $".
    - Map your Cloudbeds "Distribution" plan to the Expedia "Distribution – LowestAvailableRate".
  4. After assigning your rate plans, click Save and perform a "Full Refresh" to push the updated pricing and availability to Expedia.

Once this process is complete, Expedia will display both of your rate plans with the values you have configured in Cloudbeds, eliminating the need for derived rates or complex rules within Expedia's system.

Why does Expedia bookings show lower rates than in Cloudbeds PMS?

Common Reasons

  1. Net rate vs. sell rate
    • Expedia usually sends the net nightly rate (after their commission), while Cloudbeds PMS displays the full sell rate you entered.
  2. Expedia promotions/discounts
    • Member deals, Mobile-Only rates, Limited-Time Sales, or derived rate plans in Expedia can reduce the sell price before the booking is confirmed.
    • Cloudbeds receives only the discounted net rate — we don’t control these promotions.
  3. Taxes & extra-person fees configured differently
    • If Cloudbeds and Expedia don’t match in how extra guests, supplements, or local taxes are set, totals will differ. Expedia only sends what is stored in their system.
  4. Incorrect mapping
    • Wrong rate plan linked during mapping (e.g., Early-Bird) or a negative Base-Rate Adjustment can cause undercut rates.
  5. Currency conversion/rounding
    • If Expedia uses a different currency, their conversion and rounding rules may leave Cloudbeds totals slightly lower.

What to Check

  • In Expedia Partner Central, confirm which rate plan was used and whether promotions/discounts applied.
  • Review Cloudbeds–Expedia mappings and ensure any Base-Rate Adjustments are intentional.
  • Confirm taxes, fees, and extra-person pricing match in both Cloudbeds and Expedia.
  • Make sure both systems use the same currency settings.

If Issue Persists

  1. Share the Expedia booking ID with their connectivity support team.
  2. Ask Expedia to confirm the net rate delivered to Cloudbeds.
  3. Once confirmed, reach out to Cloudbeds Support can review the XML data.
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    Juss Reyes

    Hello, Ryan Gittins!

    We have created a new ticket for you so that our Support Team can take a closer look at your request and assist you as soon as possible. 

    Regards!

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