⚠️Choosing the wrong onboarding type can cause mapping errors and delay the connection. Always select the option that matches your situation and, if in doubt, consult our connectivity team.
Create new VRBO account: if you don't have a VRBO account.
Switch from another PMS: if you were already connected to VRBO through another channel manager.
Connect my existing VRBO account: if you were working directly with VRBO (without a channel manager).
⚠️Before continuing with the connection, we recommend reviewing our Important tips before connecting, where you'll find key information to avoid errors and delays during onboarding.
⚠️It's very important not to delete, modify, or create advertisements in Vrbo or in Avantio during the onboarding process, as any changes can block or delay the connection. Finish onboarding before making any changes.
Steps to activate the portal
Go to Channel PRO from the top tab on the VRMS home screen and select Channels from the left-hand menu. There you'll see the available portals to connect.
Click Connect under VRBO to start the activation process.
Follow the steps in the wizard, reading and accepting the information before continuing. During the process, you'll see the portal compatibilities, minimum requirements, and you'll be asked to confirm that you have a VRBO agreement.
Set up the general settings. These will apply by default to all your properties.
Price increase: This will add a percentage to the base rate set in the VRMS.
VAT applied: Define the portion of the rate that corresponds to VAT.
Release: This is the number of days between the booking and the first allowed check-in day. Remember that VRBO does not allow same-day check-in.
Instant booking: allows bookings to be automatically confirmed in the VRMS. If you enable this, inform your VRBO account manager and note that bank transfer payments will not be allowed. If you don't use instant booking and reject requests, VRBO will apply penalties.
Display name: Select the title you want to appear in VRBO, for example, accommodation name, photo gallery name, etc.
Sync reviews: Choose if you want to sync the reviews from your website with VRBO. This can only be set for all properties, not individually. Only reviews from the last year will be synced, and they must be validated and published in the VRMS.
Rental agreement: The rental agreement will be sent to VRBO from here. You need to upload the agreement in PDF format and include it in all the languages you want to display.
Onboarding type: ⚠️ It's essential to select the correct onboarding type. This depends on whether you've worked with VRBO before and if it was directly or through another channel manager. See the options above before continuing.
Company name: Your company name as it will appear on VRBO.
Company e-mail: Make sure this email matches the one you have registered with VRBO.
Cancellation policy: Select one of the five policies provided by VRBO or add your own custom conditions as explained here.
Custom house rules: In addition to the compatible house rules already sent from the VRMS, you can create up to three additional rules to be sent to VRBO from here. Note that each rule can contain up to 150 characters.
When everything is set up, click Next to connect the portal.
You can modify these settings at any time in the future from the Channels section and, for each individual property, from the Accommodations Activation tab.
Finish the connection and find your Avantio key
The final step will confirm that the connection is almost ready. Your Avantio Key (required by VRBO when completing the onboarding form) will be shown here, but will always be visible in the portal configuration.
From this screen, you'll be asked to complete the Channel Onboarding document.
⚠️ The Channel Onboarding document must be completed for all connection types. You won't be able to continue to the next steps until this is done.
The email is case sensitive, so any difference in capitalization, etc., will prevent the email from being recognized
If you are already logged into your VRBO account, it may cause issues, so it's recommended to log out before starting any onboarding.
Click Set up your portal configuration to continue and you'll be taken to the general settings.
Accommodations and bookings mapping process
If you're connecting with a VRBO account that already has accommodations and bookings, mapping will be required to complete the connection.
From General settings, go to the Associated accounts section. Here you can check the status of your onboarding. In the example below, VRBO is waiting for you to complete the onboarding document mentioned above.
Once you've completed that document and VRBO has received the information, you can continue with mapping your properties and bookings. Click the edit icon to link each corresponding accommodation.
If you haven't worked with VRBO before or your account doesn't contain any accommodations, you can skip the mapping phase and go straight to the accommodations activation page to connect your properties.
From the page shown below, you'll see the number of existing advertisements in VRBO that need to be mapped, as well as the associated bookings. The number of bookings includes all future bookings and those with a check-out date up to 60 days before onboarding.
Click Associate to map each property along with its corresponding bookings.
⚠️At this stage of onboarding, you'll indicate to VRBO which existing accommodations on their platform correspond to your Avantio accommodations.
It's very important to complete this step now, as once the connection is finished, it won't be possible to link existing accommodations. If an accommodation isn't associated at this point, the only option later will be to create a new accommodation in VRBO after the connection.
Once the linking is complete, click Send data.
⚠️ You must associate all bookings before you can Send data and successfully complete the connection.
After sending the data, you'll need to wait for VRBO to validate it. Once the account has been validated, VRBO will enable access to accommodations activation.
Notes:
You can only activate your properties once the mapping process is complete.
If you want to connect multiple accounts, you must first map all advertisements and bookings for the first account before connecting the second.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I find my Avantio Key after completing the connection wizard?
Where can I find my Avantio Key after completing the connection wizard?
The Avantio Key appears at the end of the process and is available in the portal configuration for future reference.
How do I choose the correct onboarding type for my case?
How do I choose the correct onboarding type for my case?
If you're coming from another channel manager, select Switch from another PMS. If you were working directly with VRBO, select Connect my existing VRBO account. If you don't have a VRBO account, select Create new VRBO account.
When can I activate my properties on Vrbo?
When can I activate my properties on Vrbo?
You can activate them once mapping is complete and you've sent the data. Then, review and enable each accommodation in "Accommodations Activation".
What does enabling Instant Booking on Vrbo mean?
What does enabling Instant Booking on Vrbo mean?
Confirmation is automatic and you won't be able to accept payments by bank transfer. Make sure your payment policies are aligned before enabling it.
What should I do if I need to connect multiple Vrbo accounts?
What should I do if I need to connect multiple Vrbo accounts?
Complete the full mapping of the first account before starting the connection and mapping of the next, to avoid data crossover.