CityPASS runs an affiliate and travel trade program around its multi-attraction pass, which bundles admission to well-known attractions in 17 major United States and Canadian cities at a fixed discounted price, sold since 1997. The program extends that inventory to publishers, travel agents, tour operators, hotels and destination marketing organizations through tracked affiliate links and trade accounts, putting pass sales in front of visitors already planning a city trip, from solo travelers to families and groups.
Connecting CityPASS to Ventrata lets you resell products from operators that use CityPASS as their booking system. Ventrata reads their live availability from CityPASS, and every booking you take is created directly in the operator's CityPASS account.
To learn more about CityPASS, visit citypass.com.
📒 NOTE
Looking to scan and redeem CityPASS tickets at your own entrance instead? See CityPASS: Reseller Connection.
📗 TIP
Make a test booking after mapping and ask CityPASS Affiliates & Travel Trade to confirm it arrived in their system.
Primary website | |
Tags | Custom / Proprietary Operator System |
Connection features | Availability Sync · Bookings Sync |
Developed by | Ventrata (using CityPASS API) |
This operator connection (also called a backend) lets you resell products from operators that use CityPASS as their primary booking system, with every booking created directly in CityPASS. Features of this connection include:
Availability Sync – live availability comes from the operator's CityPASS account.
Bookings Sync – bookings post from Ventrata to CityPASS, and CityPASS issues the tickets or vouchers.
CityPASS's external API used for this connection is a custom API that does not follow the OCTO API standard, which may limit certain functionality and capabilities.
Creating the CityPASS Connection
🔐 Required Role Permissions: See Operators, Modify Operators, See Products, Modify Products
Before you begin:
You must have a commercial agreement with the operator for their rates and terms.
You must have the CityPASS User and CityPASS Password for the operator. See the steps below.
You must recreate the operator's products in Ventrata. See how to create products. The connection syncs availability, pricing and bookings, but doesn't create products in Ventrata.
Step 1: Configure the Operator in Ventrata
Contact CityPASS Affiliates & Travel Trade and request them to resell their products through Ventrata.
In the Ventrata Dashboard, go to Products → Operators and open the operator. If they don't exist yet, create them as an operator first.
In the Backend Partner section, select CityPASS and enter the CityPASS User and CityPASS Password.
Enter the credentials provided by CityPASS Affiliates & Travel Trade in the Backend Partner section.
Press Update Operator.
Step 2: Connect Each Product
Open the operator's product in Products → Products and edit it. Check that Operator is set to this operator.
Tick Backend Connected. Tick Backend Availability to use availability from CityPASS.
Press Update Product.
Check Backend Connected. Also check Backend Availability to pull availability and Backend Pricing to pull pricing. Without them, the product uses the availability and pricing set in Ventrata but still sends bookings to CityPASS.
Mapping Products to CityPASS
‼️ IMPORTANT
Mapping tells Ventrata which CityPASS product, option and units to check availability for and book. If a backend-connected product isn't mapped correctly, its bookings fail. A red highlight across the product row shows an incorrectly mapped product.
In the Ventrata Dashboard, go to Products → Products and open the product.
Open the Mappings tab. It appears once the product is set to Backend Connected.
For each Ventrata option and unit, select the matching CityPASS product, option and units from the dropdowns, which Ventrata loads from CityPASS. Don't leave any field empty.
Press Save Changes.
📗 TIP
Make a test booking after mapping, and ask the operator to confirm it arrived in their CityPASS account.
Managing the CityPASS Connection
Update the mapping when the operator changes products, options or units in CityPASS.
Replace the key on the operator if CityPASS or the operator issues a new one.
Switch Backend Availability or Backend Pricing off on a product to use Ventrata's own availability or prices instead. Bookings still post to CityPASS.
Connection Features Detailed
This section is for anyone who wants to know exactly how the CityPASS connection works. Here the direction is the opposite of a reseller connection: Ventrata calls CityPASS, using CityPASS API. For each feature, it explains which calls Ventrata makes, when, and what that means for you.
In short: Ventrata asks CityPASS for availability whenever someone looks at a backend-connected product, and creates every booking in the operator's CityPASS account. CityPASS doesn't send changes back to Ventrata.
Timings are typical for CityPASS and rounded, and they can change.
Product Mapping | ✅ |
You map each Ventrata product, option and unit to the operator's CityPASS product in the Ventrata Dashboard. This works as follows:
What this means for you: if something is missing from the dropdown, the operator hasn't made it available to you in CityPASS. Ask them to. |
Content Sync | ❌ |
Ventrata doesn't import product content from CityPASS. Ventrata doesn't import product content from CityPASS. You create and describe the products in Ventrata yourself. |
Availability Sync | ✅ |
With Backend Availability on, Ventrata checks the operator's live availability in CityPASS. This works as follows:
What this means for you: customers book against the operator's live CityPASS availability, so you can't oversell a slot the operator has already sold elsewhere. |
Pricing Sync | ❌ |
Ventrata doesn't read prices from CityPASS. Ventrata doesn't read prices from CityPASS. Products use the prices you set in Ventrata, and bookings still post to CityPASS. |
Promotions Sync | ❌ |
Promotions aren't sent to CityPASS. Promotions aren't sent to CityPASS. Your Ventrata promotions still apply to the price your customer pays in Ventrata. |
Bookings Sync | ✅ |
Bookings made in Ventrata for a backend-connected product are created in the operator's CityPASS account. This works as follows:
Sends bookings, updates and cancellations from Ventrata to CityPASS.
‼️ IMPORTANT – Bookings sync one way, from Ventrata to CityPASS. If the operator changes or cancels a booking in CityPASS, Ventrata isn't notified. Ask the operator to tell you about any changes they make. |
Pickups/Dropoff Sync | ❌ |
Pickup and drop-off details aren't passed to CityPASS. Pickup and drop-off details aren't passed to CityPASS. Share them with the operator another way if a product needs them. |
Custom Questions Sync | ❌ |
Answers to your booking questions aren't passed to CityPASS. Answers to your booking questions aren't passed to CityPASS. Share them with the operator another way if they need them. |
Extras Sync | ❌ |
Extras and add-ons aren't booked in CityPASS. Extras and add-ons aren't booked in CityPASS. Only the main product, option and units are. |
Redemption Sync | ❌ |
Redemptions and other status changes in CityPASS aren't sent back to Ventrata after a booking is confirmed. Redemptions and other status changes in CityPASS aren't sent back to Ventrata after a booking is confirmed. |
Pass Walkup Scanning Sync | ❌ |
Pass walk-up scanning isn't available with CityPASS. Pass walk-up scanning isn't available with CityPASS. |
Gift Card Sync | ❌ |
Ventrata gift cards aren't passed to CityPASS. Ventrata gift cards aren't passed to CityPASS. Gift card payments stay in Ventrata. |
✅ supported · ❌ not supported
Good to know: limits and details of the CityPASS connection
Good to know: limits and details of the CityPASS connection
Live availability: availability comes from CityPASS as people browse.
One-way bookings: changes the operator makes in CityPASS don't reach Ventrata.
Custom API: CityPASS's API isn't OCTO, so some features may be limited compared with OCTO backends.
CityPASS is a multi-attraction pass provider covering seventeen major United States and Canadian cities; its affiliate and travel trade programme extends its inventory to publishers, agents, tour operators, hotels and destination marketing organisations.
FAQs
I get an error when I save the operator's backend configuration.
I get an error when I save the operator's backend configuration.
The CityPASS User and CityPASS Password or endpoint is most likely incorrect. Check them with your operator. If the issue persists, contact our Technical Support.
There's no Backend Connected box in the product settings.
There's no Backend Connected box in the product settings.
The operator set on the product most likely doesn't have a backend configured. Check the operator's Backend Partner settings and try again. If the issue persists, contact our Technical Support.
The product, option or unit I want to map isn't in the dropdown.
The product, option or unit I want to map isn't in the dropdown.
The dropdowns list what the operator has made available to you in CityPASS. Ask the operator. If the issue persists, contact our Technical Support.
Bookings fail for a backend-connected product.
Bookings fail for a backend-connected product.
Check the product's mapping first: every option and unit must be mapped. Then check that the slot is still available in CityPASS. If the issue persists, contact our Technical Support.
I get an error when saving the operator's backend configuration.
I get an error when saving the operator's backend configuration.
The credentials are most likely incorrect. Double-check them with CityPASS Affiliates & Travel Trade. If the issue persists, contact Technical Support.
There is no Backend Connected checkbox in the product settings.
There is no Backend Connected checkbox in the product settings.
The operator selected on the product most likely has no backend configured. Check the operator's backend configuration and try again.
Useful Resources
📚 More about Ventrata connections
Partner Information
City Pass, Inc.
Ventrata Partner ID: 433aac31-5f98-4ad2-908e-6bc068366e02