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ExperienceBank Operator Connection

How to connect your products in Ventrata to operator using ExperienceBank ticketing system to resell their products

Dominic Martinkevic avatar
Written by Dominic Martinkevic
Updated over 2 months ago


ExperienceBank, part of the TrekkSoft Group, is a channel manager software that provides API connectivity for various reservation and ticketing systems within the group, including TrekkSoft, Digitickets, Giant Monkey (go~mus), Waldhart Software, etc., as well as several third-party systems.

This operator connection (also referred to as backend) allows you to connect with other operators using ExperienceBank to resell their products through Ventrata more efficiently and automatically. The capabilities of this connection include:

  • Syncing availability and pricing from your operator's ExperienceBank system.

  • Posting bookings, updates, and cancellations from Ventrata to ExperienceBank.

  • Receiving vouchers/tickets from your operator's ExperienceBank system and issuing them to your customers.


Configuring Operator Backend

Before You Begin:

  1. While Ventrata integrates with ExperienceBank, you must be listed as a "Marketplace" with ExperienceBank to use this integration. To inquire about being listed, contact their team via the form at https://experiencebank.travel/for-distribution-partners/ and be sure to mention you use Ventrata as your primary ticketing system.

  2. Once you are listed with ExperienceBank, their team will provide you with ExperienceBank Public Key (starts with pub_) as well as ExperienceBank Secret Key (starts with sec_).

  3. Contact your operator and ask them to enable the connection and share products (activities with you). They can do so in their ExperienceBank account → Marketplaces, selecting a square with your marketplace listing and using Enable and Share Activities buttons accordingly.

  4. In the Ventrata Dashboard, navigate to Products → Operators, and select the ExperienceBank-powered operator for which you would like to set up the connection.

  5. In the Backend Partner section, choose ExperienceBank from the list of available connections and enter the ExperienceBank Public Key (starts with pub_) and ExperienceBank Secret Key (starts with sec_) received. In the ExperienceBank Supplier field, select your operator from the list those who enabled connection with you.

  6. Click Update Operator to save the configuration.


Mapping Products

Once the operator has been configured with its backend, you can proceed to Product Mapping—the process of connecting your Ventrata products and options with the corresponding products and options from the operator's ExperienceBank system:

  1. In the Ventrata Dashboard, navigate to Products → Products and select the product you would like to map to the operator's ExperienceBank system.

  2. Edit the product and ensure the Operator is set to the correct operator to which this product belongs, where you have already configured the backend.

  3. Check Backend Connected for this product to use the API connection (backend). To pull availability from ExperienceBank, ensure Backend Availability is checked; to pull pricing, check Backend Pricing. If you do not check Backend Availability and/or Backend Pricing, the product will use the availability and/or pricing configured in Ventrata but will still post bookings to ExperienceBank. Click Update Product to save.

    Check Backend Connected for this product to use the API connection (backend). To pull availability from Expian, ensure Backend Availability is checked; to pull pricing, check Backend Pricing. If you do not check Backend Availability and/or Backend Pricing, the product will use the availability and/or pricing configured in Ventrata but will still post bookings to Expian. Click Update Product to save.

  4. The product page will now display a Mappings tab. Navigate to this tab and map your Ventrata product, option(s), and units by selecting the corresponding products, options, and units from the dropdown lists as received from ExperienceBank. Ensure that no fields are left empty (unmapped), and click Save Changes.

    The product page will now display a Mappings tab. Navigate to this tab and map your Ventrata product, option(s), and units by selecting the corresponding products, options, and units from the dropdown lists as received from Expian. Ensure that no fields are left empty (unmapped), and click Save Changes.


Supported Capabilities (Detailed)

Availability

When Backend Availability is enabled Ventrata will pull availability from ExperienceBank.

This works as follows:

  • Availability Check (using EB Activities List and EB Availabilities List). When a user interacts with the availability calendar in Ventrata (e.g., selects units and clicks through the dates in the dashboard, web checkout, terminal, etc.), Ventrata will make a live request to ExperienceBank to retrieve availability for the given dates. This is usually done in 7-day ranges or for a specific day.

  • The calendar may display cached (non-live) data from the previous time it was requested before the user interacts with the calendar.

Pricing

When Backend Pricing is enabled Ventrata will pull only retail pricing from ExperienceBank.

This works as follows:

  • Availability Check / Pricing Capability (using EB Activities List and EB Availabilities List). When a user interacts with the availability calendar in Ventrata (e.g., selects units and clicks through the dates in the dashboard, web checkout, terminal, etc.), Ventrata will make a live request to ExperienceBank to retrieve availability along with the pricing for the given dates. This is usually done in 7-day ranges or for a specific day. Pricing will shown to the user and cached / stored in Ventrata as API generated fares.

  • Net (wholesale) / cost pricing will be calculated based on retail rate received over API and cost / cost % settings you defined in Ventrata.

Booking

Bookings, booking changes and cancellation made in Ventrata for the Backend Connected product will be automatically sent to ExperienceBank.

This work as follows:

  • Booking Reservation (using EB Create Booking). When a product is added to the cart in Ventrata, a request will be made to reserve the availability.

  • Booking Confirmation (using EB Commit Booking). After the payment step, a request to confirm the booking will be made, along with any customer contact information sent at this point. The voucher/ticket provided by ExperienceBank will be ingested as a voucher/ticket in Ventrata (except for PDF_FILE, which Ventrata currently does not support).

  • Booking Update (using EB Create Booking, EB Commit Booking and EB Cancel Booking). When a booking is changed, an API request to reserve and confirm and new booking will be made, followed by a cancellation of the past booking. ExperienceBank does not support directly updating an existing booking.

  • Booking Cancellation (using EB Cancel Booking). When a booking is cancelled, an API request to cancel the booking will be made to ExperienceBank.

Redemption

Booking status from ExperienceBank (for example if booking is Redeemed) is not currently communicated back to Ventrata after booking is confirmed.

Pickups

Pickups are not currently supported.

Promotions

Promotions are not currently supported.

Extras

Extras are not currently supported.


Troubleshooting

Issue

Possible Solutions

Error when updating operator to save backend configuration.

Likely ExperienceBank Public Key, ExperienceBank Secret Key or ExperienceBank Supplier are not valid. Double-check these details with your operator. If issue persists, contact us for support.

No Backend Connected checkbox in product settings.

Likely operator selected for the product doesn't have backend configured, check backend configuration and try again. If issue persists, contact us for support.

The supplier/product/option/unit I want to map is not on the dropdown.

Dropdown list is pulled from ExperienceBank based on suppliers/products/options/units made available to you. Double-check these details with your operator and ExperienceBank. If issue persists, contact us for support.


Partner Information

TrekkSoft AG
Hauptstrasse 15,
3800 Matten bei Interlaken, Switzerland

CHE-115.503.227

Partner ID e4004a52-68c4-438e-910d-7a90491216ae

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