Online Reservation System Comparisons

[happykeeper]

Well- the last thing I want to do is change reservation systems, but if we decide to work with one or two OTA's, we have to look at the options.
I did one of those call up walk through on a reservation system called Book It Now so I could compare it to what we use currently RES Key.
Their setup is you get the booking system, you get some similar features, and you can pay for a real time direct link with Booking Exp. and TA
So it's 45 a month plus 12.50 a month for each OTA. IF you do two of them, it's $70
We currently pay $25 with TripConnect.
If we stay with RK we have to get my allocator to use the OTA's. Is it real time?
Do we also need authorize .net or can it be manual with our CC terminal?
What does it all add to to have RK and the extra stuff?
FYI The system they use did not appeal to me as much as RK. IT was less flexible and customizable.

 

[Generic]

MyAllocator is almost real-time, sometimes it's a minute behind. I do things manually, so I don't know about authorize.net
You do have to do imports for pricing and minimum stays, at least I did.

 

[EmptyNest]

If you use the allocator I am not sure if you have to change cc method or not. It would be best just to ask John. Looks like you would be about $30 a month more.
http://reservationkey.com/help-v2/videos/youtubeviewer.asp?v=MQBe8Whp_HY

 

[happykeeper]

If you use the allocator I am not sure if you have to change cc method or not. It would be best just to ask John. Looks like you would be about $30 a month more.
http://reservationkey.com/help-v2/videos/youtubeviewer.asp?v=MQBe8Whp_HY.

I was trying to figure out how much folks pay for ResKey, combined with MY Allocator and possibly authorize.net. Oh well, didn't much care for the product outside of the ease of use with booking and expedia

 

[Arks]

ResKey costs me $25/month for the "up to 10 units" plan.
Cloudbeds (myAllocator) costs me $25/month to pass my ResKey calendar on to Booking
Authorize costs me $49 to $55/month. I guess the amount changes based on the difference in sales volume month-to-month.

 

[johnd]

We also use Reskey and My Allocator but use InnPayment to process ours cards, its 2.5% and no monthly charges unlike Authorize.Net. I'm not sure if Authorize.Net really has any advantages worth another $50 a month.

 

[Arks]

We also use Reskey and My Allocator but use InnPayment to process ours cards, its 2.5% and no monthly charges unlike Authorize.Net. I'm not sure if Authorize.Net really has any advantages worth another $50 a month..

I'm not sure if Authorize.Net really has any advantages worth another $50 a month.

Me neither. I need to look into it. I think when I started taking real-time payments through ResKey, PayPal and Authorize where the only choices ResKey accepted. That Authorize payment annoys me every month!
With InnPayment, is it easy to make additional charges (add ons after the reservation is made) and process refunds from within ResKey?

 

[happykeeper]

ResKey costs me $25/month for the "up to 10 units" plan.
Cloudbeds (myAllocator) costs me $25/month to pass my ResKey calendar on to Booking
Authorize costs me $49 to $55/month. I guess the amount changes based on the difference in sales volume month-to-month..

So according to the tutorial I went through, the cost for four to six rooms would be $45 plus 12.50 a month paid annually for each real time connection with booking TA and Expedia
So that's $57.50 for one $70 for two and 82.50 for all three monthly. What I am not sure about is you would also need to add authorize.net or similar. We don't since we have a credit card terminal through Costco, so I forgot to ask about that.

 

[happykeeper]

We also use Reskey and My Allocator but use InnPayment to process ours cards, its 2.5% and no monthly charges unlike Authorize.Net. I'm not sure if Authorize.Net really has any advantages worth another $50 a month..

InnPayment sounds interesting. Would this replace our Costco CC processing?

 

[Generic]

We also use Reskey and My Allocator but use InnPayment to process ours cards, its 2.5% and no monthly charges unlike Authorize.Net. I'm not sure if Authorize.Net really has any advantages worth another $50 a month..

I'm not sure if Authorize.Net really has any advantages worth another $50 a month.

Me neither. I need to look into it. I think when I started taking real-time payments through ResKey, PayPal and Authorize where the only choices ResKey accepted. That Authorize payment annoys me every month!
With InnPayment, is it easy to make additional charges (add ons after the reservation is made) and process refunds from within ResKey?
.

Want to get into my boat? Most of these are US based, they think the rest of the world is the blue ocean.
I don't use it, but I thought that Authorize.net was $25 a month, 10c per transaction and 10c per batch.

 

[Arks]

We also use Reskey and My Allocator but use InnPayment to process ours cards, its 2.5% and no monthly charges unlike Authorize.Net. I'm not sure if Authorize.Net really has any advantages worth another $50 a month..

I'm not sure if Authorize.Net really has any advantages worth another $50 a month.

Me neither. I need to look into it. I think when I started taking real-time payments through ResKey, PayPal and Authorize where the only choices ResKey accepted. That Authorize payment annoys me every month!
With InnPayment, is it easy to make additional charges (add ons after the reservation is made) and process refunds from within ResKey?
.

Want to get into my boat? Most of these are US based, they think the rest of the world is the blue ocean.
I don't use it, but I thought that Authorize.net was $25 a month, 10c per transaction and 10c per batch.
.

Want to get into my boat? Most of these are US based, they think the rest of the world is the blue ocean.
I don't use it, but I thought that Authorize.net was $25 a month, 10c per transaction and 10c per batch.

I pay Authorize an additional $20/month to use their CIM (customer information manager) that lets them store the CC info, so you can go back months later and charge the same card again, for instance for another reservation, without having to contact the guest for their CC info again. But I see on the Authorize website that CIM is now, it looks like, a free service! So why are they still charging me $20/month? Grrr.

I looked on the ResKey support board and John at ResKey is high on InnPayment, but he says it's complicated to switch to them from Authorize, because all your existing reservations are tied to the storage at Authorize, and you lose the ability to charge internal reservations to Authorize if you switch to a different one. Sigh.

 

[Generic]

We also use Reskey and My Allocator but use InnPayment to process ours cards, its 2.5% and no monthly charges unlike Authorize.Net. I'm not sure if Authorize.Net really has any advantages worth another $50 a month..

I'm not sure if Authorize.Net really has any advantages worth another $50 a month.

Me neither. I need to look into it. I think when I started taking real-time payments through ResKey, PayPal and Authorize where the only choices ResKey accepted. That Authorize payment annoys me every month!
With InnPayment, is it easy to make additional charges (add ons after the reservation is made) and process refunds from within ResKey?
.

Want to get into my boat? Most of these are US based, they think the rest of the world is the blue ocean.
I don't use it, but I thought that Authorize.net was $25 a month, 10c per transaction and 10c per batch.
.

Want to get into my boat? Most of these are US based, they think the rest of the world is the blue ocean.
I don't use it, but I thought that Authorize.net was $25 a month, 10c per transaction and 10c per batch.

I pay Authorize an additional $20/month to use their CIM (customer information manager) that lets them store the CC info, so you can go back months later and charge the same card again, for instance for another reservation, without having to contact the guest for their CC info again. But I see on the Authorize website that CIM is now, it looks like, a free service! So why are they still charging me $20/month? Grrr.

I looked on the ResKey support board and John at ResKey is high on InnPayment, but he says it's complicated to switch to them from Authorize, because all your existing reservations are tied to the storage at Authorize, and you lose the ability to charge internal reservations to Authorize if you switch to a different one. Sigh.
.

Well, other than Paypal and Authorize.net there isn't a system that I can use. I've asked about the Paypal Gateway (Payments Pro) and Converge but nope. And that also means that I can't accept the local debit cards online, because no one can handle them.

 

[johnd]

We also use Reskey and My Allocator but use InnPayment to process ours cards, its 2.5% and no monthly charges unlike Authorize.Net. I'm not sure if Authorize.Net really has any advantages worth another $50 a month..

I'm not sure if Authorize.Net really has any advantages worth another $50 a month.

Me neither. I need to look into it. I think when I started taking real-time payments through ResKey, PayPal and Authorize where the only choices ResKey accepted. That Authorize payment annoys me every month!
With InnPayment, is it easy to make additional charges (add ons after the reservation is made) and process refunds from within ResKey?
.

Yes, with InnPayment you can process charges and refunds from within the ResKey interface.
So far we've been quite pleased with them and the fact that there is no monthly fee is great.

 

[EmptyNest]

We also use Reskey and My Allocator but use InnPayment to process ours cards, its 2.5% and no monthly charges unlike Authorize.Net. I'm not sure if Authorize.Net really has any advantages worth another $50 a month..

I'm not sure if Authorize.Net really has any advantages worth another $50 a month.

Me neither. I need to look into it. I think when I started taking real-time payments through ResKey, PayPal and Authorize where the only choices ResKey accepted. That Authorize payment annoys me every month!
With InnPayment, is it easy to make additional charges (add ons after the reservation is made) and process refunds from within ResKey?
.

Yes, with InnPayment you can process charges and refunds from within the ResKey interface.
So far we've been quite pleased with them and the fact that there is no monthly fee is great.
.

so what does innpayment charge per transaction

 

[EmptyNest]

We also use Reskey and My Allocator but use InnPayment to process ours cards, its 2.5% and no monthly charges unlike Authorize.Net. I'm not sure if Authorize.Net really has any advantages worth another $50 a month..

I'm not sure if Authorize.Net really has any advantages worth another $50 a month.

Me neither. I need to look into it. I think when I started taking real-time payments through ResKey, PayPal and Authorize where the only choices ResKey accepted. That Authorize payment annoys me every month!
With InnPayment, is it easy to make additional charges (add ons after the reservation is made) and process refunds from within ResKey?
.

Yes, with InnPayment you can process charges and refunds from within the ResKey interface.
So far we've been quite pleased with them and the fact that there is no monthly fee is great.
.

so what does innpayment charge per transaction

 

[johnd]

We also use Reskey and My Allocator but use InnPayment to process ours cards, its 2.5% and no monthly charges unlike Authorize.Net. I'm not sure if Authorize.Net really has any advantages worth another $50 a month..

I'm not sure if Authorize.Net really has any advantages worth another $50 a month.

Me neither. I need to look into it. I think when I started taking real-time payments through ResKey, PayPal and Authorize where the only choices ResKey accepted. That Authorize payment annoys me every month!
With InnPayment, is it easy to make additional charges (add ons after the reservation is made) and process refunds from within ResKey?
.

Yes, with InnPayment you can process charges and refunds from within the ResKey interface.
So far we've been quite pleased with them and the fact that there is no monthly fee is great.
.

so what does innpayment charge per transaction
.

They are charging us 2.5% on Visa, MC, Discover with no per transaction charge and then .30 per Amex charge. Amex of course then charges their fee separately.

 

[Arks]

Yes I've had a hard time finding definite pricing info on their website. Best I can find is this:
FLAT RATE FEES
InnPayment offers a simple, cost-effective flat-rate for payment processing allowing Inn and B&B managers avoid hidden fees.
We reject the arbitrary “bait and switch” tiered credit card model pricing popular with our competition in favor of a true flat rate for merchant processing. Our flat rate also allows us to offer our partners simple easy-to-read processing statements.
When a website won't give me actual numbers, I get suspicious that they want to have a salesperson to talk me into something I don't really want. May not be the case, but when people aren't open about things, and make you talk to a professional salesperson on the phone, that's what I always think. I have never in my life bought a product that said, "call for pricing" on it. No way! I'm putty in the hands of a good salesperson, so must protect myself.
Indeed, I sent them an email asking about how to set up an account. Got a call back within 10 minutes wanting to talk to me. Since it went to voicemail, I got an email from him, telling me he wants to talk with me. No way to set it up, or get actual numbers, without personal contact, apparently.

 

[Generic]

Yes I've had a hard time finding definite pricing info on their website. Best I can find is this:
FLAT RATE FEES
InnPayment offers a simple, cost-effective flat-rate for payment processing allowing Inn and B&B managers avoid hidden fees.
We reject the arbitrary “bait and switch” tiered credit card model pricing popular with our competition in favor of a true flat rate for merchant processing. Our flat rate also allows us to offer our partners simple easy-to-read processing statements.
When a website won't give me actual numbers, I get suspicious that they want to have a salesperson to talk me into something I don't really want. May not be the case, but when people aren't open about things, and make you talk to a professional salesperson on the phone, that's what I always think. I have never in my life bought a product that said, "call for pricing" on it. No way! I'm putty in the hands of a good salesperson, so must protect myself.
Indeed, I sent them an email asking about how to set up an account. Got a call back within 10 minutes wanting to talk to me. Since it went to voicemail, I got an email from him, telling me he wants to talk with me. No way to set it up, or get actual numbers, without personal contact, apparently..

I found it elsewhere. 2.5% flat. )

 

[MtnLodge]

We have been with ResNexus and MyAllocator for a few years but, after some research are making the switch to ThinkReservations. Their rates are $10.00 per month, per room plus 3% for any OTA rooms that are actual stays. There is direct connectivity with Trip, B.com, Ex.com and B&B.com. The direct connectivity was one of the things that was a selling point for me because I've had a tough time with Nexus/Allocator and channels not opening properly. Also yield management and being able to set parameters for different pricing...want just one night on a weekend? Sure, but the price it quotes you is going to be $25.00 higher than the nightly rate for a two night stay,

 

[happykeeper]

We have been with ResNexus and MyAllocator for a few years but, after some research are making the switch to ThinkReservations. Their rates are $10.00 per month, per room plus 3% for any OTA rooms that are actual stays. There is direct connectivity with Trip, B.com, Ex.com and B&B.com. The direct connectivity was one of the things that was a selling point for me because I've had a tough time with Nexus/Allocator and channels not opening properly. Also yield management and being able to set parameters for different pricing...want just one night on a weekend? Sure, but the price it quotes you is going to be $25.00 higher than the nightly rate for a two night stay,.

Thanks for chiming in. I'll look into it. Our overalls smoothed out as the season moved along, so it became less of a consideration to get involved with the OTA's but it is definitely still in the mix for next year, especially if we decide to push our rate increase.