My Allocator

[BananaE29]

Has anyone else seen the new price increase for My Allocator? Am I understanding correctly that the current price of $17 (I assume everyone pays this amount right now?) is going to $25 next month? I have an issue with this, if so. Granted, it's only $8, but it's a 47% increase. Am I the only one that thinks this is outrageous?

 

[Arks]

Yes outrageous. I also pay $17/mo. and will be going to $25. I only need it to pass my ResKey schedule to Booking. I'll have to look long and hard at whether I'll continue with Booking.
Wish I could pay ResKey $17/month more and have them communicate with Booking directly!

 

[GoodScout]

Just got my email. I just switched over my GDS/OTA from Innlink to MyAllocator, supposedly because I was going to save money. Now, not as much. No, I think that big a hike is pretty egregious.

 

[BananaE29]

Yes outrageous. I also pay $17/mo. and will be going to $25. I only need it to pass my ResKey schedule to Booking. I'll have to look long and hard at whether I'll continue with Booking.
Wish I could pay ResKey $17/month more and have them communicate with Booking directly!.

That would be wonderful. I've only been with MA for two months, so this is a bit disappointing. I have no idea how time consuming it is to update availability for Booking and Exped tho, so unfortunately, I will probably just suck it up and stay with MA. Which is, of course, what they assume everyone will do.

 

[Morticia]

Yes outrageous. I also pay $17/mo. and will be going to $25. I only need it to pass my ResKey schedule to Booking. I'll have to look long and hard at whether I'll continue with Booking.
Wish I could pay ResKey $17/month more and have them communicate with Booking directly!.

That would be wonderful. I've only been with MA for two months, so this is a bit disappointing. I have no idea how time consuming it is to update availability for Booking and Exped tho, so unfortunately, I will probably just suck it up and stay with MA. Which is, of course, what they assume everyone will do.
.

That would be wonderful. I've only been with MA for two months, so this is a bit disappointing. I have no idea how time consuming it is to update availability for Booking and Exped tho, so unfortunately, I will probably just suck it up and stay with MA. Which is, of course, what they assume everyone will do.

It's a pain to keep all of the calendars up to date manually. I'm still working on getting myself set up with a new rez system that works with an allocator.

 

[Lee2014]

Yes outrageous. I also pay $17/mo. and will be going to $25. I only need it to pass my ResKey schedule to Booking. I'll have to look long and hard at whether I'll continue with Booking.
Wish I could pay ResKey $17/month more and have them communicate with Booking directly!.

Contact Jon and let him know. His name is Jon from Reskey, right?

 

[Arks]

I contacted John at Reskey. He said even with the increase, Myallocator is still the cheapest such "middleman" he can find. But he said he will give high priority to a look at making Reskey export the calendar to Booking and Expedia directly, because so many Reskey clients use Myallocator ONLY for Booking, with Expedia a somewhat distant second.
So, there's hope!

 

[Generic]

I contacted John at Reskey. He said even with the increase, Myallocator is still the cheapest such "middleman" he can find. But he said he will give high priority to a look at making Reskey export the calendar to Booking and Expedia directly, because so many Reskey clients use Myallocator ONLY for Booking, with Expedia a somewhat distant second.
So, there's hope!.

That's what I use MyAllocator for... BKG and XPD. I wanted to use their own reservation system, but it's so convoluted and impractical. They don't seem to understand that in some jurisdictions you must list taxes separately. Tried to talk to them, but they just don't seem to be business oriented.... which is ironic, since that's what they are in... a service business.

 

[Arks]

I contacted John at Reskey. He said even with the increase, Myallocator is still the cheapest such "middleman" he can find. But he said he will give high priority to a look at making Reskey export the calendar to Booking and Expedia directly, because so many Reskey clients use Myallocator ONLY for Booking, with Expedia a somewhat distant second.
So, there's hope!.

That's what I use MyAllocator for... BKG and XPD. I wanted to use their own reservation system, but it's so convoluted and impractical. They don't seem to understand that in some jurisdictions you must list taxes separately. Tried to talk to them, but they just don't seem to be business oriented.... which is ironic, since that's what they are in... a service business.
.

That's what I use MyAllocator for... BKG and XPD. I wanted to use their own reservation system, but it's so convoluted and impractical. They don't seem to understand that in some jurisdictions you must list taxes separately. Tried to talk to them, but they just don't seem to be business oriented.... which is ironic, since that's what they are in... a service business.

Trying to talk to Booking is futile. It's their way or the highway. And their way is, in many respects, obtuse*.
______________________
* Yes, I just watched Shawshank Redemption again, and obtuse is on my mind.

 

[Generic]

I contacted John at Reskey. He said even with the increase, Myallocator is still the cheapest such "middleman" he can find. But he said he will give high priority to a look at making Reskey export the calendar to Booking and Expedia directly, because so many Reskey clients use Myallocator ONLY for Booking, with Expedia a somewhat distant second.
So, there's hope!.

That's what I use MyAllocator for... BKG and XPD. I wanted to use their own reservation system, but it's so convoluted and impractical. They don't seem to understand that in some jurisdictions you must list taxes separately. Tried to talk to them, but they just don't seem to be business oriented.... which is ironic, since that's what they are in... a service business.
.

That's what I use MyAllocator for... BKG and XPD. I wanted to use their own reservation system, but it's so convoluted and impractical. They don't seem to understand that in some jurisdictions you must list taxes separately. Tried to talk to them, but they just don't seem to be business oriented.... which is ironic, since that's what they are in... a service business.

Trying to talk to Booking is futile. It's their way or the highway. And their way is, in many respects, obtuse*.
______________________
* Yes, I just watched Shawshank Redemption again, and obtuse is on my mind.
.

Actually, it was MyAllocator that I have trouble talking to. They have a reservation widget that is interesting, but they insist that you have to have your prices in their system including taxes.

 

[bmdennis]

Hey folks, this is Brandon Dennis, VP of marketing at Cloudbeds, the makers of myallocator. Myallocator has had the same super-low price for over six years. To put that in perspective, six years ago we were all suffering through the final stages of the great recession.
A lot has changed since then. Myallocator is now a more sophisticated piece of software. It connects to over 300 online marketplaces, and dozens of 3rd-party PMSs and booking engines. We improve myallocator with new features and integrations every month.
In order to keep myallocator a modern, nimble channel manager, we needed to increase its price (for the first time in six years) to better reflect the world we all live in today. Even after our price increase, myallocator is still one of the most affordable channel managers out there.
We will publish a new feature along with this price change--regional currency. You can now pay in your own regional currency instead of USD only, if you choose. This has been a highly requested feature that many non-US property owners have wanted. I'm happy to say that myallocator is now one of the few channel managers that accepts regional currencies.
Of course, customers who have already pre-paid for their accounts will keep their old price for the remained of the payment cycle.
I just wanted to hop in here and lift the hood a bit so you can understand where we're coming from. We love our customers and we want myallocator to work hard for them for many years to come. This price change is a necessary step towards making sure that it is.
I'd love to hear from all of you. What are some features you'd love to see myallocator have? How can we improve to better suit the way you do business? I'm all ears.
P.S. - For those with questions about our property management system myfrontdesk, it's changed a lot from where it was a year ago. We have updated its interface, added a wizard, and improved our support. If it wasn't ready for you when you last tried it, I encourage you to check it out again.
www.cloudbeds.com
Thanks all!

 

[bmdennis]

I contacted John at Reskey. He said even with the increase, Myallocator is still the cheapest such "middleman" he can find. But he said he will give high priority to a look at making Reskey export the calendar to Booking and Expedia directly, because so many Reskey clients use Myallocator ONLY for Booking, with Expedia a somewhat distant second.
So, there's hope!.

That's what I use MyAllocator for... BKG and XPD. I wanted to use their own reservation system, but it's so convoluted and impractical. They don't seem to understand that in some jurisdictions you must list taxes separately. Tried to talk to them, but they just don't seem to be business oriented.... which is ironic, since that's what they are in... a service business.
.

That's what I use MyAllocator for... BKG and XPD. I wanted to use their own reservation system, but it's so convoluted and impractical. They don't seem to understand that in some jurisdictions you must list taxes separately. Tried to talk to them, but they just don't seem to be business oriented.... which is ironic, since that's what they are in... a service business.

Trying to talk to Booking is futile. It's their way or the highway. And their way is, in many respects, obtuse*.
______________________
* Yes, I just watched Shawshank Redemption again, and obtuse is on my mind.
.

Actually, it was MyAllocator that I have trouble talking to. They have a reservation widget that is interesting, but they insist that you have to have your prices in their system including taxes.
.

Hey Generic, I just wanted to chime in to let you know that the booking widget that comes with myallocator is an "add-on" booking widget with minimal features.
Our true booking engine is called mybookings. It is completely commission-free and is mobile responsive, meaning that it works on all devices. It is part of Cloudbeds' full software suite. It is much more feature-rich and flexible, and addresses the issues you raised.
So if you're looking for a robust booking engine to be a true work horse for your inn's website, I suggest mybookings, not the widget that comes with myallocator.
More on mybookings: https://www.cloudbeds.com/mybookings

 

[BananaE29]

Hey folks, this is Brandon Dennis, VP of marketing at Cloudbeds, the makers of myallocator. Myallocator has had the same super-low price for over six years. To put that in perspective, six years ago we were all suffering through the final stages of the great recession.
A lot has changed since then. Myallocator is now a more sophisticated piece of software. It connects to over 300 online marketplaces, and dozens of 3rd-party PMSs and booking engines. We improve myallocator with new features and integrations every month.
In order to keep myallocator a modern, nimble channel manager, we needed to increase its price (for the first time in six years) to better reflect the world we all live in today. Even after our price increase, myallocator is still one of the most affordable channel managers out there.
We will publish a new feature along with this price change--regional currency. You can now pay in your own regional currency instead of USD only, if you choose. This has been a highly requested feature that many non-US property owners have wanted. I'm happy to say that myallocator is now one of the few channel managers that accepts regional currencies.
Of course, customers who have already pre-paid for their accounts will keep their old price for the remained of the payment cycle.
I just wanted to hop in here and lift the hood a bit so you can understand where we're coming from. We love our customers and we want myallocator to work hard for them for many years to come. This price change is a necessary step towards making sure that it is.
I'd love to hear from all of you. What are some features you'd love to see myallocator have? How can we improve to better suit the way you do business? I'm all ears.
P.S. - For those with questions about our property management system myfrontdesk, it's changed a lot from where it was a year ago. We have updated its interface, added a wizard, and improved our support. If it wasn't ready for you when you last tried it, I encourage you to check it out again.
www.cloudbeds.com
Thanks all!.

Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts with us. I understand the necessity of raising prices. In twelve years of business, I have raised my rates also...a whopping 10%. Had I tried to raise them 47%, I wouldn't have made it six months.

I'll stay with you because I have no choice. As soon as I find something comparable, I'll be gone.

 

[bmdennis]

Hey folks, this is Brandon Dennis, VP of marketing at Cloudbeds, the makers of myallocator. Myallocator has had the same super-low price for over six years. To put that in perspective, six years ago we were all suffering through the final stages of the great recession.
A lot has changed since then. Myallocator is now a more sophisticated piece of software. It connects to over 300 online marketplaces, and dozens of 3rd-party PMSs and booking engines. We improve myallocator with new features and integrations every month.
In order to keep myallocator a modern, nimble channel manager, we needed to increase its price (for the first time in six years) to better reflect the world we all live in today. Even after our price increase, myallocator is still one of the most affordable channel managers out there.
We will publish a new feature along with this price change--regional currency. You can now pay in your own regional currency instead of USD only, if you choose. This has been a highly requested feature that many non-US property owners have wanted. I'm happy to say that myallocator is now one of the few channel managers that accepts regional currencies.
Of course, customers who have already pre-paid for their accounts will keep their old price for the remained of the payment cycle.
I just wanted to hop in here and lift the hood a bit so you can understand where we're coming from. We love our customers and we want myallocator to work hard for them for many years to come. This price change is a necessary step towards making sure that it is.
I'd love to hear from all of you. What are some features you'd love to see myallocator have? How can we improve to better suit the way you do business? I'm all ears.
P.S. - For those with questions about our property management system myfrontdesk, it's changed a lot from where it was a year ago. We have updated its interface, added a wizard, and improved our support. If it wasn't ready for you when you last tried it, I encourage you to check it out again.
www.cloudbeds.com
Thanks all!.

Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts with us. I understand the necessity of raising prices. In twelve years of business, I have raised my rates also...a whopping 10%. Had I tried to raise them 47%, I wouldn't have made it six months.

I'll stay with you because I have no choice. As soon as I find something comparable, I'll be gone.
.

No worries, you do what you've gotta do--I respect that.
Myallocator was originally priced far below market value. When we acquired it, we poured our resources into it to improve it. But the original price--which we did not set--remained unchanged.
We've been talking about the new price for myallocator internally for over a year. We knew we needed to raise the price, but we wanted to make sure that the new price was fair. We did extensive market research. We looked at the prices of every channel manager out there and compared features. Even though the price increase is 47%, the value is above industry standard. Our customers still get better value, in terms of features and integrations, for the price, compared to many, if not all, other channel managers. We felt this was a great way to be fair to our customers while still bringing in enough revenue to keep the software supported.
As I said, I respect the decisions you make for your property. I know innkeepers have it tough. There is a lot of software and information out there. It's hard to sift through it all while still running your business. Only you can make the best decision for your property.

 

[Generic]

I contacted John at Reskey. He said even with the increase, Myallocator is still the cheapest such "middleman" he can find. But he said he will give high priority to a look at making Reskey export the calendar to Booking and Expedia directly, because so many Reskey clients use Myallocator ONLY for Booking, with Expedia a somewhat distant second.
So, there's hope!.

That's what I use MyAllocator for... BKG and XPD. I wanted to use their own reservation system, but it's so convoluted and impractical. They don't seem to understand that in some jurisdictions you must list taxes separately. Tried to talk to them, but they just don't seem to be business oriented.... which is ironic, since that's what they are in... a service business.
.

That's what I use MyAllocator for... BKG and XPD. I wanted to use their own reservation system, but it's so convoluted and impractical. They don't seem to understand that in some jurisdictions you must list taxes separately. Tried to talk to them, but they just don't seem to be business oriented.... which is ironic, since that's what they are in... a service business.

Trying to talk to Booking is futile. It's their way or the highway. And their way is, in many respects, obtuse*.
______________________
* Yes, I just watched Shawshank Redemption again, and obtuse is on my mind.
.

Actually, it was MyAllocator that I have trouble talking to. They have a reservation widget that is interesting, but they insist that you have to have your prices in their system including taxes.
.

Hey Generic, I just wanted to chime in to let you know that the booking widget that comes with myallocator is an "add-on" booking widget with minimal features.
Our true booking engine is called mybookings. It is completely commission-free and is mobile responsive, meaning that it works on all devices. It is part of Cloudbeds' full software suite. It is much more feature-rich and flexible, and addresses the issues you raised.
So if you're looking for a robust booking engine to be a true work horse for your inn's website, I suggest mybookings, not the widget that comes with myallocator.
More on mybookings: https://www.cloudbeds.com/mybookings
.

I already have a reservation software and your front end and back end together are a lot more expensive than what I'm paying. The widget looked interesting, but lacked the basic ability to just show tax as separate line item, not included in the price. It's a basic necessity for all of North America. We like to see our prices without tax and then the taxes added after. For us, it's a basic necessity and useless without it. VAT/GST is a line item here, not included in our prices, ever.

 

[gillumhouse]

Hey folks, this is Brandon Dennis, VP of marketing at Cloudbeds, the makers of myallocator. Myallocator has had the same super-low price for over six years. To put that in perspective, six years ago we were all suffering through the final stages of the great recession.
A lot has changed since then. Myallocator is now a more sophisticated piece of software. It connects to over 300 online marketplaces, and dozens of 3rd-party PMSs and booking engines. We improve myallocator with new features and integrations every month.
In order to keep myallocator a modern, nimble channel manager, we needed to increase its price (for the first time in six years) to better reflect the world we all live in today. Even after our price increase, myallocator is still one of the most affordable channel managers out there.
We will publish a new feature along with this price change--regional currency. You can now pay in your own regional currency instead of USD only, if you choose. This has been a highly requested feature that many non-US property owners have wanted. I'm happy to say that myallocator is now one of the few channel managers that accepts regional currencies.
Of course, customers who have already pre-paid for their accounts will keep their old price for the remained of the payment cycle.
I just wanted to hop in here and lift the hood a bit so you can understand where we're coming from. We love our customers and we want myallocator to work hard for them for many years to come. This price change is a necessary step towards making sure that it is.
I'd love to hear from all of you. What are some features you'd love to see myallocator have? How can we improve to better suit the way you do business? I'm all ears.
P.S. - For those with questions about our property management system myfrontdesk, it's changed a lot from where it was a year ago. We have updated its interface, added a wizard, and improved our support. If it wasn't ready for you when you last tried it, I encourage you to check it out again.
www.cloudbeds.com
Thanks all!.

Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts with us. I understand the necessity of raising prices. In twelve years of business, I have raised my rates also...a whopping 10%. Had I tried to raise them 47%, I wouldn't have made it six months.

I'll stay with you because I have no choice. As soon as I find something comparable, I'll be gone.
.

No worries, you do what you've gotta do--I respect that.
Myallocator was originally priced far below market value. When we acquired it, we poured our resources into it to improve it. But the original price--which we did not set--remained unchanged.
We've been talking about the new price for myallocator internally for over a year. We knew we needed to raise the price, but we wanted to make sure that the new price was fair. We did extensive market research. We looked at the prices of every channel manager out there and compared features. Even though the price increase is 47%, the value is above industry standard. Our customers still get better value, in terms of features and integrations, for the price, compared to many, if not all, other channel managers. We felt this was a great way to be fair to our customers while still bringing in enough revenue to keep the software supported.
As I said, I respect the decisions you make for your property. I know innkeepers have it tough. There is a lot of software and information out there. It's hard to sift through it all while still running your business. Only you can make the best decision for your property.
.

It is a case of what we tell newbies - raise your prices a little every couple years. A small increase will be understood. It is a whopping increase that gets their attention. PAII had the same problem when they did a huge increase. Many left - so many that another organization started up.

 

[Arks]

 

[Morticia]

Hey folks, this is Brandon Dennis, VP of marketing at Cloudbeds, the makers of myallocator. Myallocator has had the same super-low price for over six years. To put that in perspective, six years ago we were all suffering through the final stages of the great recession.
A lot has changed since then. Myallocator is now a more sophisticated piece of software. It connects to over 300 online marketplaces, and dozens of 3rd-party PMSs and booking engines. We improve myallocator with new features and integrations every month.
In order to keep myallocator a modern, nimble channel manager, we needed to increase its price (for the first time in six years) to better reflect the world we all live in today. Even after our price increase, myallocator is still one of the most affordable channel managers out there.
We will publish a new feature along with this price change--regional currency. You can now pay in your own regional currency instead of USD only, if you choose. This has been a highly requested feature that many non-US property owners have wanted. I'm happy to say that myallocator is now one of the few channel managers that accepts regional currencies.
Of course, customers who have already pre-paid for their accounts will keep their old price for the remained of the payment cycle.
I just wanted to hop in here and lift the hood a bit so you can understand where we're coming from. We love our customers and we want myallocator to work hard for them for many years to come. This price change is a necessary step towards making sure that it is.
I'd love to hear from all of you. What are some features you'd love to see myallocator have? How can we improve to better suit the way you do business? I'm all ears.
P.S. - For those with questions about our property management system myfrontdesk, it's changed a lot from where it was a year ago. We have updated its interface, added a wizard, and improved our support. If it wasn't ready for you when you last tried it, I encourage you to check it out again.
www.cloudbeds.com
Thanks all!.

Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts with us. I understand the necessity of raising prices. In twelve years of business, I have raised my rates also...a whopping 10%. Had I tried to raise them 47%, I wouldn't have made it six months.

I'll stay with you because I have no choice. As soon as I find something comparable, I'll be gone.
.

No worries, you do what you've gotta do--I respect that.
Myallocator was originally priced far below market value. When we acquired it, we poured our resources into it to improve it. But the original price--which we did not set--remained unchanged.
We've been talking about the new price for myallocator internally for over a year. We knew we needed to raise the price, but we wanted to make sure that the new price was fair. We did extensive market research. We looked at the prices of every channel manager out there and compared features. Even though the price increase is 47%, the value is above industry standard. Our customers still get better value, in terms of features and integrations, for the price, compared to many, if not all, other channel managers. We felt this was a great way to be fair to our customers while still bringing in enough revenue to keep the software supported.
As I said, I respect the decisions you make for your property. I know innkeepers have it tough. There is a lot of software and information out there. It's hard to sift through it all while still running your business. Only you can make the best decision for your property.
.

It is a case of what we tell newbies - raise your prices a little every couple years. A small increase will be understood. It is a whopping increase that gets their attention. PAII had the same problem when they did a huge increase. Many left - so many that another organization started up.
.

Big jumps in pricing without corresponding jumps in service or amenities do get people's attention in a not necessarily good way.

 

[bmdennis]

Hey folks, this is Brandon Dennis, VP of marketing at Cloudbeds, the makers of myallocator. Myallocator has had the same super-low price for over six years. To put that in perspective, six years ago we were all suffering through the final stages of the great recession.
A lot has changed since then. Myallocator is now a more sophisticated piece of software. It connects to over 300 online marketplaces, and dozens of 3rd-party PMSs and booking engines. We improve myallocator with new features and integrations every month.
In order to keep myallocator a modern, nimble channel manager, we needed to increase its price (for the first time in six years) to better reflect the world we all live in today. Even after our price increase, myallocator is still one of the most affordable channel managers out there.
We will publish a new feature along with this price change--regional currency. You can now pay in your own regional currency instead of USD only, if you choose. This has been a highly requested feature that many non-US property owners have wanted. I'm happy to say that myallocator is now one of the few channel managers that accepts regional currencies.
Of course, customers who have already pre-paid for their accounts will keep their old price for the remained of the payment cycle.
I just wanted to hop in here and lift the hood a bit so you can understand where we're coming from. We love our customers and we want myallocator to work hard for them for many years to come. This price change is a necessary step towards making sure that it is.
I'd love to hear from all of you. What are some features you'd love to see myallocator have? How can we improve to better suit the way you do business? I'm all ears.
P.S. - For those with questions about our property management system myfrontdesk, it's changed a lot from where it was a year ago. We have updated its interface, added a wizard, and improved our support. If it wasn't ready for you when you last tried it, I encourage you to check it out again.
www.cloudbeds.com
Thanks all!.

Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts with us. I understand the necessity of raising prices. In twelve years of business, I have raised my rates also...a whopping 10%. Had I tried to raise them 47%, I wouldn't have made it six months.

I'll stay with you because I have no choice. As soon as I find something comparable, I'll be gone.
.

No worries, you do what you've gotta do--I respect that.
Myallocator was originally priced far below market value. When we acquired it, we poured our resources into it to improve it. But the original price--which we did not set--remained unchanged.
We've been talking about the new price for myallocator internally for over a year. We knew we needed to raise the price, but we wanted to make sure that the new price was fair. We did extensive market research. We looked at the prices of every channel manager out there and compared features. Even though the price increase is 47%, the value is above industry standard. Our customers still get better value, in terms of features and integrations, for the price, compared to many, if not all, other channel managers. We felt this was a great way to be fair to our customers while still bringing in enough revenue to keep the software supported.
As I said, I respect the decisions you make for your property. I know innkeepers have it tough. There is a lot of software and information out there. It's hard to sift through it all while still running your business. Only you can make the best decision for your property.
.

It is a case of what we tell newbies - raise your prices a little every couple years. A small increase will be understood. It is a whopping increase that gets their attention. PAII had the same problem when they did a huge increase. Many left - so many that another organization started up.
.

Big jumps in pricing without corresponding jumps in service or amenities do get people's attention in a not necessarily good way.
.

You're both absolutely right. We should have had a small increase each year. The delay came partly because we didn't own myallocator for the first 4-ish years or so of its existence, and partly because we struggled with coming up with a fair price for our customers.
Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts. I hope I was able to better explain our mindset going into this price increase.

 

[gillumhouse]

Hey folks, this is Brandon Dennis, VP of marketing at Cloudbeds, the makers of myallocator. Myallocator has had the same super-low price for over six years. To put that in perspective, six years ago we were all suffering through the final stages of the great recession.
A lot has changed since then. Myallocator is now a more sophisticated piece of software. It connects to over 300 online marketplaces, and dozens of 3rd-party PMSs and booking engines. We improve myallocator with new features and integrations every month.
In order to keep myallocator a modern, nimble channel manager, we needed to increase its price (for the first time in six years) to better reflect the world we all live in today. Even after our price increase, myallocator is still one of the most affordable channel managers out there.
We will publish a new feature along with this price change--regional currency. You can now pay in your own regional currency instead of USD only, if you choose. This has been a highly requested feature that many non-US property owners have wanted. I'm happy to say that myallocator is now one of the few channel managers that accepts regional currencies.
Of course, customers who have already pre-paid for their accounts will keep their old price for the remained of the payment cycle.
I just wanted to hop in here and lift the hood a bit so you can understand where we're coming from. We love our customers and we want myallocator to work hard for them for many years to come. This price change is a necessary step towards making sure that it is.
I'd love to hear from all of you. What are some features you'd love to see myallocator have? How can we improve to better suit the way you do business? I'm all ears.
P.S. - For those with questions about our property management system myfrontdesk, it's changed a lot from where it was a year ago. We have updated its interface, added a wizard, and improved our support. If it wasn't ready for you when you last tried it, I encourage you to check it out again.
www.cloudbeds.com
Thanks all!.

Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts with us. I understand the necessity of raising prices. In twelve years of business, I have raised my rates also...a whopping 10%. Had I tried to raise them 47%, I wouldn't have made it six months.

I'll stay with you because I have no choice. As soon as I find something comparable, I'll be gone.
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No worries, you do what you've gotta do--I respect that.
Myallocator was originally priced far below market value. When we acquired it, we poured our resources into it to improve it. But the original price--which we did not set--remained unchanged.
We've been talking about the new price for myallocator internally for over a year. We knew we needed to raise the price, but we wanted to make sure that the new price was fair. We did extensive market research. We looked at the prices of every channel manager out there and compared features. Even though the price increase is 47%, the value is above industry standard. Our customers still get better value, in terms of features and integrations, for the price, compared to many, if not all, other channel managers. We felt this was a great way to be fair to our customers while still bringing in enough revenue to keep the software supported.
As I said, I respect the decisions you make for your property. I know innkeepers have it tough. There is a lot of software and information out there. It's hard to sift through it all while still running your business. Only you can make the best decision for your property.
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It is a case of what we tell newbies - raise your prices a little every couple years. A small increase will be understood. It is a whopping increase that gets their attention. PAII had the same problem when they did a huge increase. Many left - so many that another organization started up.
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Big jumps in pricing without corresponding jumps in service or amenities do get people's attention in a not necessarily good way.
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You're both absolutely right. We should have had a small increase each year. The delay came partly because we didn't own myallocator for the first 4-ish years or so of its existence, and partly because we struggled with coming up with a fair price for our customers.
Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts. I hope I was able to better explain our mindset going into this price increase.
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Could I suggest a compromise? All new customers pay the $25. Old customers get a 20 or 25% raise this year and another 10% next year to give time for a sticker-shock adjustment. In the future, give the rates a tweak every few years as costs go up. It never hurts to give the people who helped build your business a thank you rate. As you increase your rates across the board in the future tweaks, leaving space between those "old customers" and the new ones is not a bad thing. The "Old Customers" need to be told they are getting a loyalty rate that is not for publication.