Rate Parity for Travel Agents Using Net Rates
Short answer: rate parity means a hotel's room is offered at the same public price across channels. For agencies using net rates, it means the net rate is never published as a bare price below the hotel's own public rate. Net rates are for packaging and resale, kept confidential.
Part of our guide for travel agencies booking hotels in Vietnam.
What is allowed, what is not
| Practice | Usually |
|---|---|
| Selling the room inside a package (room plus transfers or tours) at one price | Allowed |
| Quoting a private client or a company directly | Allowed |
| Publishing the room alone online below the hotel's public rate | Not allowed |
| Showing or forwarding the net rate to travellers or third parties | Not allowed |
The exact conditions are set in each partner agreement and can differ by hotel.
Why hotels care
When a net rate appears online below the hotel's own price, travellers stop booking direct and other channels complain. Hotels respond by closing allocation or withdrawing rates from the supplier, which hurts every agency that uses it. Respecting parity keeps net rates available.
Bedtara's rules
- Partner and net rates are confidential and must not be published or disclosed to third parties.
- Partners may resell booked rooms to their own customers under their own brand.
- Where a written partner agreement sets minimum advertised-rate or parity conditions, those conditions apply to the partner's public pricing.
Source: Bedtara Terms & Conditions, section 6.
Questions
What is rate parity in hotels?
An agreement that a hotel room is offered at the same public price across sales channels.
Can travel agents sell below the hotel's public rate?
Not as a published room-only price. Net rates are meant for packages and direct client quotes, under the conditions in the partner agreement.
What happens if net rates are published?
Hotels may close allocation or withdraw rates, and the supplier may suspend the account under its terms.
Net vs commission rates White-label vouchers What is a bedbank
Net rates, used the right way
Register your business to book Vietnam hotels at partner rates.