09:21 Jul 16, 2012
Some internet travel sites offer both retail listings and merchant listings. Retail listings pull from general distribution, where the hotel lists inventory at the same price that it is sold to the consumer, and the hotel pays the distributor an agreed upon commission.With a Merchant Program, the hotel has agreed to offer discounted rates (usually 20% to 35% off their non- restricted/published best available rate) to the sites, and in return the site will give the hotel a higher placement and some kind of incentive, like a 'good buy' sticker placed on the listing. Merchant program reservations do not require the payment of travel agent commissions. |