Current situation
Currently, the requests and bookings that guests can make on Vrbo follow different processes, which makes them hard to identify and manage if you’re not familiar with how each type works.
The two types are:
Request to book
Instant booking
What will you learn in this article?
You’ll learn how to identify the different types of Vrbo bookings and requests so you can choose the ones that best fit your business needs, and you’ll know how to manage each case correctly.
Advantages of Request to book
Temporarily blocks the dates to prevent simultaneous requests (in Avantio’s VRMS, it appears with the status ‘Pre-booking’).
The guest is told that you’ll confirm or cancel their request within 24 hours, but the system won’t interfere if you don’t act within that time. The booking will remain registered as ‘Pre-booking’, keeping the calendar blocked.
Lets you review each request before accepting, so you have control over who stays and who doesn’t.
Advantages of Instant booking
Improves the visibility of your accommodations.
Increases the number of direct bookings.
Saves time on management by shortening the booking process.
When should you use each option?
Use the Request to book option if your accommodation requires a more careful selection of guests or if you prefer to review each request before accepting it.
Use the Instant booking option if your accommodation is suitable for a wide audience and you want to maximize bookings, reduce manual management, and offer quick confirmation.
The best option will depend on your accommodation’s features, your business model, and the type of traveler you’re targeting.
It’s a good idea to review beforehand:
The features and rules of your accommodations.
The traveler profile you’re targeting.
The level of control and automation you need.
Calendar availability and configuration.
It’s also recommended to assess your team’s ability to respond to requests within 24 hours.
Next steps
CASE A. I want to work with Request to book
You don’t need to configure anything; by default, your guests’ requests are registered in VRBO as ‘Request to book’ and in Avantio’s VRMS as ‘Pre-booking’, blocking the calendar.
When you receive a pre-booking from Vrbo in the VRMS, you’ll need to review it and choose one of these two options:
Confirm
Cancel
To provide a good guest experience, we recommend responding within 24 hours of receiving the request. Vrbo informs the traveler that they’ll receive a confirmation or cancellation within that time frame.
If you don’t take any action within those 24 hours, the request won’t be automatically confirmed or canceled. It will remain as Pre-booking until you manage it manually from Avantio’s VRMS.
Important: confirmation or cancellation must always be done from Avantio’s VRMS. The information will sync automatically with Vrbo. These actions should not be managed from the Vrbo extranet.
CASE B. I want to work with Instant booking
Enable the Instant Booking option in the Vrbo extranet.
Also enable the Instant Booking option for the relevant accommodations from Avantio’s ChannelPRO.
Once this mode is enabled, Vrbo bookings will be automatically confirmed to the guest by email.
Bookings will be registered in Avantio’s VRMS with the status Confirmed.
You’ll receive an email with the details of each booking.
Important: if you need to cancel a confirmed booking, always do so from Avantio’s VRMS. The information will sync automatically with Vrbo. These actions should not be managed from the Vrbo extranet.
Expected result
You’ll have defined how bookings will be managed in your daily operations and chosen the option that best fits your accommodation, your team, and your traveler profile.
Depending on your choice, VRBO bookings/requests will appear in the VRMS as follows:
VRBO Request to book = VRMS Pre-booking
VRBO Instant booking = VRMS Confirmed
Limitations and considerations
Keep in mind that it doesn’t matter if you work with Request to book or Instant booking—if you cancel without marking “cancelled by guest,” VRBO will penalize you by blocking your accommodation for the next 7 days and lowering its ranking.
This is a specific feature of the portal and does not depend on Avantio.
The advantage is that if you work with Avantio’s Channel Manager, the monetary penalty from VRBO does not apply.
Best practices
Regularly check your Request to book inbox in VRBO and your Pre-bookings in Avantio’s VRMS.
Analyze which type of booking/request brings you the most benefit.
Make sure your house rules are clear. This way, if a guest who doesn’t follow the rules makes a booking, you can cancel their booking or request using the 'cancelled by guest' button.
Only relax restrictions when it makes business sense.
Practical case
Challenge: An agency wants to cancel a Request or an Instant booking without being penalized.
Analysis: The agency finds that the guest booked without meeting the minimum age required by the house rules.
Strategic decision: You can cancel a booking if the traveler breaks the accommodation’s rules or the applicable policies and conditions. To avoid the cancellation affecting your metrics, ask the guest to request the cancellation from the ‘My trips’ section of their VRBO account. (If they meet all the rules, you should only cancel the booking if the guest requests it; otherwise, VRBO will penalize you).
Expected result: You’ve avoided a booking that could harm your business, without your company being penalized.
Frequently asked questions
Can I switch from Instant booking to Request to book from my account?
Can I switch from Instant booking to Request to book from my account?
Yes, deactivate Instant booking in your Avantio ChannelPro. Also, follow these steps in your VRBO extranet to make sure it’s deactivated on Vrbo’s side as well:
Log in to your account.
Select the desired accommodation.
Click on Accommodation and then select Rules and policies.
Select Booking type.
Select Instant booking or 24-hour confirmation.
Click Save.
How much time do I have to approve a request? If the time has passed, what happens?
How much time do I have to approve a request? If the time has passed, what happens?
To provide a good guest experience, we recommend responding within 24 hours of receiving the request, as Vrbo tells the traveler they’ll get a confirmation or cancellation within that time.
However, if you don’t take any action within those 24 hours, the request won’t be automatically confirmed or canceled. It will remain as Pre-booking until you manage it manually from Avantio’s VRMS.
I work with Request to book and want to increase my direct bookings on VRBO, but I manage high-end homes and I’m worried about getting bookings from unwanted guests without being able to cancel without penalty. What do you recommend?
I work with Request to book and want to increase my direct bookings on VRBO, but I manage high-end homes and I’m worried about getting bookings from unwanted guests without being able to cancel without penalty. What do you recommend?
I recommend changing your strategy and using the Instant booking option. Important! Write and set up your house rules carefully so that if a guest who doesn’t follow the rules makes a direct booking, you have the right to cancel using the 'cancelled by guest' option and avoid being penalized by the portal.
Can I enable both Request to book and Instant booking for the same accommodation?
Can I enable both Request to book and Instant booking for the same accommodation?
No, you have to choose. You can’t enable both options for the same accommodation.
Can I enable Instant booking only for a few selected accommodations, or do I have to enable it for all if I want to use it?
Can I enable Instant booking only for a few selected accommodations, or do I have to enable it for all if I want to use it?
You can enable it only for a few selected accommodations if you want.