FareHarbor, part of Booking Holdings, is a booking and business management platform used by more than 20,000 tour, activity, rental and attraction businesses, with heaviest adoption among small and mid-sized operators in North America and Europe. Its product spans online and in-person sales, inventory management, payments, private events, reporting, staff scheduling, a mobile app and partner programs for affiliates and APIs.
Connecting FareHarbor to Ventrata lets you resell products from operators that use FareHarbor as their booking system. Ventrata reads their live availability and prices from FareHarbor, and every booking you take is created directly in the operator's FareHarbor account.
To learn more about FareHarbor, visit fareharbor.com.
📒 NOTE
Looking for FareHarbor to resell your products instead? See FareHarbor: Reseller Connection.
‼️ IMPORTANT
FareHarbor charges you, the distributor or reseller, fees for using this connection. For details, contact FareHarbor directly. Ventrata doesn't charge any extra fees for this connection.
Primary website | |
Tags | Booking / Ticketing System |
Connection features | Availability Sync · Pricing Sync · Bookings Sync |
Developed by | Ventrata (using FareHarbor External API) |
This operator connection (also called a backend) lets you resell products from operators that use FareHarbor as their primary booking system, with every booking created directly in FareHarbor. Features of this connection include:
Availability Sync – live availability comes from the operator's FareHarbor account.
Pricing Sync – retail and net prices come from FareHarbor, or you set prices in Ventrata.
Bookings Sync – bookings post from Ventrata to FareHarbor, and FareHarbor issues the tickets or vouchers.
FareHarbor'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 FareHarbor 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 a distributor agreement with FareHarbor, and your FareHarbor User Key. See Step 1.
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: Register as a FareHarbor Distributor
If you haven't connected with a FareHarbor operator before, email [email protected] and copy [email protected] and [email protected] to request a distributor agreement. Include:. Mention that you're a Ventrata user.
Your company's trading name, VAT number and address
The full name, email address and job title of the person who signs
The FareHarbor operators you want to connect with
The pages of your website where you plan to sell their products (if applicable)
That you're a Ventrata user
Once the agreement is in place, [email protected] or [email protected] sends you your FareHarbor User Key. If you've connected with FareHarbor operators before, you already have one.
Step 2: Configure the Operator in 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 FareHarbor and enter the key. Leave the endpoint field as the default unless the operator tells you otherwise.
Press Update Operator.
Step 3: 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 FareHarbor, and Backend Pricing to use prices from FareHarbor.
Press Update Product.
📒 NOTE
FareHarbor sends both retail and net prices. With Backend Pricing ticked, Ventrata records the retail price as your selling price and the net price as your cost price, whatever cost percentage is set on the operator.
Mapping Products to FareHarbor
‼️ IMPORTANT
Mapping tells Ventrata which FareHarbor 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 FareHarbor item and customer types from the dropdowns, which Ventrata loads from FareHarbor. 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 FareHarbor account.
Managing the FareHarbor Connection
Update the mapping when the operator changes products, options or units in FareHarbor.
Replace the key on the operator if FareHarbor 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 FareHarbor.
Connection Features Detailed
This section is for anyone who wants to know exactly how the FareHarbor connection works. Here the direction is the opposite of a reseller connection: Ventrata calls FareHarbor, using FareHarbor's External API. For each feature, it explains which calls Ventrata makes, when, and what that means for you.
In short: Ventrata asks FareHarbor for availability and prices whenever someone looks at a backend-connected product, and creates every booking in the operator's FareHarbor account. FareHarbor doesn't send changes back to Ventrata.
Timings are typical for FareHarbor and rounded, and they can change.
Product Mapping | ✅ |
You map each Ventrata product, option and unit to the operator's FareHarbor item in the Ventrata Dashboard. This works as follows:
What this means for you: if an item or customer type is missing from the dropdown, the operator hasn't made it available to you in FareHarbor. Ask them to. |
Availability Sync | ✅ |
With Backend Availability on, Ventrata checks the operator's live availability in FareHarbor. This works as follows:
Typically with FareHarbor:
What this means for you: customers always book against the operator's live FareHarbor availability. |
Pricing Sync | ✅ |
With Backend Pricing on, Ventrata takes the operator's FareHarbor rates, retail and net, from availability. This works as follows:
FareHarbor sends both retail and net prices. With Backend Pricing ticked, Ventrata records the retail price as your selling price and the net price as your cost price, whatever cost percentage is set on the operator. |
Bookings Sync | ✅ / ❌ |
Bookings made in Ventrata are created in FareHarbor. FareHarbor has no hold step, and cancellations need checking with the operator. This works as follows:
‼️ IMPORTANT – Bookings sync one way, from Ventrata to FareHarbor. If the operator changes or cancels a booking in FareHarbor, Ventrata isn't notified. Ask the operator to tell you about any changes they make. 📒 NOTE – Because FareHarbor doesn't hold places during checkout, a slot can sell out in FareHarbor while your customer is paying. Ventrata checks again before it creates the booking, and stops it if there's no longer room. |
Content Sync | ❌ |
Ventrata doesn't import product content from FareHarbor. Ventrata doesn't import product content from FareHarbor. You create and describe the products in Ventrata yourself. |
Promotions Sync | ❌ |
Promotions aren't sent to FareHarbor. Promotions aren't sent to FareHarbor. Your Ventrata promotions still apply to the price your customer pays in Ventrata. |
Pickups/Dropoff Sync | ❌ |
Pickup and drop-off details aren't passed to FareHarbor. Pickup and drop-off details aren't passed to FareHarbor. Share them with the operator another way if a product needs them. |
Custom Questions Sync | ❌ |
Answers to your booking questions aren't passed to FareHarbor. Answers to your booking questions aren't passed to FareHarbor. Share them with the operator another way if they need them. |
Extras Sync | ❌ |
Extras and add-ons aren't booked in FareHarbor. Extras and add-ons aren't booked in FareHarbor. Only the main product, option and units are. |
Redemption Sync | ❌ |
Redemptions and other status changes in FareHarbor aren't sent back to Ventrata after a booking is confirmed.. Redemptions and other status changes in FareHarbor aren't sent back to Ventrata after a booking is confirmed. |
Pass Walkup Scanning Sync | ❌ |
Pass walk-up scanning isn't available with FareHarbor.. Pass walk-up scanning isn't available with FareHarbor. |
Gift Card Sync | ❌ |
Ventrata gift cards aren't passed to FareHarbor. Ventrata gift cards aren't passed to FareHarbor. Gift card payments stay in Ventrata. |
✅ supported · ✅ / ❌ limited · ❌ not supported
Good to know: limits and details of the FareHarbor connection
Good to know: limits and details of the FareHarbor connection
Fees: FareHarbor charges distributors for this connection. Ventrata doesn't.
No hold in FareHarbor: places are held only in Ventrata during checkout, and Ventrata re-checks availability before booking.
Custom API: FareHarbor's External API isn't OCTO, so some features may be limited compared with OCTO backends.
One-way bookings: changes the operator makes in FareHarbor don't reach Ventrata.
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.
Your FareHarbor User Key is most likely incorrect. Check it, and 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 the items and customer types the operator has made available to you in FareHarbor. Check with 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 FareHarbor. If the issue persists, contact our Technical Support.
Useful Resources
📚 More about Ventrata connections
Partner Information
FareHarbor B.V.
Vijzelstraat 66-80
1017 HL Amsterdam, Netherlands
Ventrata Partner ID: 11496205-33a3-470e-9449-13f00f85c8d5