ExperienceBank is a Swiss channel manager operated by TrekkSoft AG that connects experience providers and their booking platforms to more than 30 online travel agencies (OTAs) worldwide through a single API, with inventory updates to prevent double bookings. Its customers are tour and activity providers and the reservation platforms serving them, covering around 20,000 activities, and it gives OTAs one connection into that supply with monitored and supported integrations.
Connecting ExperienceBank to Ventrata lets you resell products from operators that use ExperienceBank as their booking system. Ventrata reads their live availability and prices from ExperienceBank, and every booking you take is created directly in the operator's ExperienceBank account.
To learn more about ExperienceBank, visit experiencebank.travel.
Primary website | |
Tags | Booking / Ticketing System · Third-Party Booking System Channel Manager |
Connection features | Availability Sync · Pricing Sync · Bookings Sync |
Developed by | Ventrata (using ExperienceBank API) |
This operator connection (also called a backend) lets you resell products from operators that use ExperienceBank as their primary booking system, with every booking created directly in ExperienceBank. Features of this connection include:
Availability Sync – live availability comes from the operator's ExperienceBank account.
Pricing Sync – prices come from ExperienceBank, or you set prices in Ventrata.
Bookings Sync – bookings post from Ventrata to ExperienceBank, and ExperienceBank issues the tickets or vouchers.
ExperienceBank'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 ExperienceBank 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 ExperienceBank Public Key and ExperienceBank Secret Key for the operator. See the steps below.
You are listed as a Marketplace with ExperienceBank.
The operator has enabled the connection and shared activities with you.
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: Get listed as a Marketplace with ExperienceBank
You must be listed as a Marketplace with ExperienceBank to use this integration. To ask about being listed, contact their team through the form for distribution partners and mention that you use Ventrata as your primary ticketing system.
Step 2: Receive your keys
Once you are listed, ExperienceBank gives you the ExperienceBank Public Key (starts with pub_) and the ExperienceBank Secret Key (starts with sec_).
Step 3: Ask your operator to enable the connection
Contact your operator and ask them to enable the connection and share products (activities) with you. They do this in their ExperienceBank account under Marketplaces: select the square with your marketplace listing, then use the Enable and Share Activities buttons.
Step 4: Configure the Operator in Ventrata
After you are listed as a Marketplace with ExperienceBank, their team gives you the Public Key (starts with pub_) and the Secret Key (starts with sec_).
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 ExperienceBank and enter the ExperienceBank Public Key and ExperienceBank Secret Key.
In the ExperienceBank Supplier field, select your operator from the list of operators that enabled the connection with you.
Press Update Operator.
Step 5: 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 ExperienceBank, and Backend Pricing to use prices from ExperienceBank.
Press Update Product.
📒 NOTE
ExperienceBank 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.
Check Backend Connected to use the API connection. To pull availability from ExperienceBank, keep Backend Availability checked; to pull pricing, check Backend Pricing.
If Backend Availability or Backend Pricing is not checked, the product uses the availability and pricing configured in Ventrata but still posts bookings to ExperienceBank.
Mapping Products to ExperienceBank
‼️ IMPORTANT
Mapping tells Ventrata which ExperienceBank 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 ExperienceBank product, option and units from the dropdowns, which Ventrata loads from ExperienceBank. 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 ExperienceBank account.
Managing the ExperienceBank Connection
Update the mapping when the operator changes products, options or units in ExperienceBank.
Replace the key on the operator if ExperienceBank 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 ExperienceBank.
Connection Features Detailed
This section is for anyone who wants to know exactly how the ExperienceBank connection works. Here the direction is the opposite of a reseller connection: Ventrata calls ExperienceBank, using ExperienceBank API. For each feature, it explains which calls Ventrata makes, when, and what that means for you.
In short: Ventrata asks ExperienceBank for availability and prices whenever someone looks at a backend-connected product, and creates every booking in the operator's ExperienceBank account. ExperienceBank doesn't send changes back to Ventrata.
Timings are typical for ExperienceBank and rounded, and they can change.
Product Mapping | ✅ |
You map each Ventrata product, option and unit to the operator's ExperienceBank 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 ExperienceBank. Ask them to. |
Content Sync | ❌ |
Ventrata doesn't import product content from ExperienceBank. Ventrata doesn't import product content from ExperienceBank. You create and describe the products in Ventrata yourself. |
Availability Sync | ✅ |
With Backend Availability on, Ventrata checks the operator's live availability in ExperienceBank. This works as follows:
What this means for you: customers book against the operator's live ExperienceBank availability, so you can't oversell a slot the operator has already sold elsewhere. |
Pricing Sync | ✅ |
With Backend Pricing on, Ventrata takes prices from ExperienceBank. This works as follows:
ExperienceBank 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. |
Promotions Sync | ❌ |
Promotions aren't sent to ExperienceBank. Promotions aren't sent to ExperienceBank. 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 ExperienceBank account. This works as follows:
Bookings, changes and cancellations made in Ventrata are sent to ExperienceBank. Reservation happens when a product is added to the cart (EB Create Booking). Confirmation happens after payment (EB Commit Booking), with customer contact information sent at that point; the voucher/ticket from ExperienceBank is ingested as a voucher/ticket in Ventrata, except PDF_FILE, which Ventrata does not support. Changing a booking creates and confirms a new booking, then cancels the old one, because ExperienceBank does not support updating a booking directly. Cancellation sends EB Cancel Booking.
‼️ IMPORTANT – Bookings sync one way, from Ventrata to ExperienceBank. If the operator changes or cancels a booking in ExperienceBank, 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 ExperienceBank. Pickup and drop-off details aren't passed to ExperienceBank. Share them with the operator another way if a product needs them. |
Custom Questions Sync | ❌ |
Answers to your booking questions aren't passed to ExperienceBank. Answers to your booking questions aren't passed to ExperienceBank. Share them with the operator another way if they need them. |
Extras Sync | ❌ |
Extras and add-ons aren't booked in ExperienceBank. Extras and add-ons aren't booked in ExperienceBank. Only the main product, option and units are. |
Redemption Sync | ❌ |
Redemptions and other status changes in ExperienceBank aren't sent back to Ventrata after a booking is confirmed. Redemptions and other status changes in ExperienceBank aren't sent back to Ventrata after a booking is confirmed. Not supported. Booking status from ExperienceBank (for example Redeemed) is not sent back to Ventrata after the booking is confirmed. |
Pass Walkup Scanning Sync | ❌ |
Pass walk-up scanning isn't available with ExperienceBank. Pass walk-up scanning isn't available with ExperienceBank. |
Gift Card Sync | ❌ |
Ventrata gift cards aren't passed to ExperienceBank. Ventrata gift cards aren't passed to ExperienceBank. Gift card payments stay in Ventrata. |
✅ supported · ❌ not supported
Good to know: limits and details of the ExperienceBank connection
Good to know: limits and details of the ExperienceBank connection
Live availability: availability comes from ExperienceBank as people browse.
One-way bookings: changes the operator makes in ExperienceBank don't reach Ventrata.
Custom API: ExperienceBank's API isn't OCTO, so some features may be limited compared with OCTO backends.
Receives vouchers/tickets from the operator's ExperienceBank system and issues them to your customers.
ExperienceBank is part of the TrekkSoft Group; it is channel manager software with API connectivity for systems such as TrekkSoft, Digitickets, Giant Monkey (go~mus) and Waldhart Software, plus several third-party systems.
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 ExperienceBank Public Key and ExperienceBank Secret Key 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 ExperienceBank. 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 ExperienceBank. If the issue persists, contact our Technical Support.
Error when updating operator to save backend configuration.
Error when updating operator to save backend configuration.
Likely the ExperienceBank Public Key, ExperienceBank Secret Key or ExperienceBank Supplier is not valid. Double-check these with your operator. If the issue persists, contact support.
The supplier/product/option/unit I want to map is not in the dropdown.
The supplier/product/option/unit I want to map is not in the dropdown.
The dropdown is pulled from ExperienceBank based on the suppliers, products, options and units made available to you. Double-check with your operator and ExperienceBank. If the issue persists, contact support.
Useful Resources
📚 More about Ventrata connections
Partner Information
TrekkSoft AG
Hauptstrasse 15
3800 Matten bei Interlaken, Switzerland
Ventrata Partner ID: e4004a52-68c4-438e-910d-7a90491216ae