Conditional Rates

Conditional rates are a type of rate rule that lets you offer different rates for itineraries, based on criteria such as the user's device, country, or whether the user has signed in to Google.

When you have more than one public or conditional rate for an itinerary or Room Bundle, the user will see the lowest rate. Google always picks the lowest eligible rate for the user.

Overview

Conditional rates are visible in the standard pricing slots, and are shown only to users whose searches meet the criteria for the associated conditional rate. These criteria can be based on the following:

End-user device
End-user country
End-user language preference
Downsampled subset of all users
Whether the end-user is signed in

To enable conditional rates, modify the following:

Rate rules XML file : Define the conditions in which the conditional rates are applied.
Price feed : Use the <Rate> element in a Transaction message to set the rates.
Landing Page file : Add rate rule specific values to your deep links.

Device-specific conditional rates

Device-specific rates are hotel rates that are only visible and bookable by users on a specific device such as a mobile, tablet, or desktop. The rates are provided by Google's partners, and end-users can see and book the same device-specific rates on the partner's site.

fenced_rates

Country-specific conditional rates

Country-specific rates are hotel rates that are only visible and bookable by users who are searching for hotels from a specific country. Google determines the country using the end-user's IP address. The rates are provided by Google's partners, and end-users can see and book the same country-specific rates on the partner's own country-specific site.

Language-specific conditional rates

Language-specific rates are visible only to users who are searching for hotels while utilizing a specific language setting in Google. Language-specific conditions are defined using the <LanguageCode> element.

Language isn't specified in With Context queries request messages. So, if you specify <LanguageCode> in your rate rules, then the With Context response should include all relevant language-specific rates.

Downsampled conditional rates

Downsampled conditional rates are visible only to a randomized subset of all eligible users. The sampling rate is defined using the <MaxUsersPercent> element and calculated using the following:

 MaxUsersPercent = (number of users selected to view rate)/(total eligible users)

Signed-in conditional rates

Signed-in rates are visible only to users who have signed in with a Google Account. Google's partners provide the rates, and users can view and book the rates on the partner's own site. Signed-in rates are defined using the <UserSignedIn> element.

Since Google always selects the lowest eligible rate, if a conditional rate is higher than the price set at the <Result> level, the conditional rate will never be selected. To avoid this, remove the rate at the <Result> level and condition all rates. Alternatively, ask your Technical Account Manager about using a default rate rule for prices set at the <Result> level.

Create a rate rules XML file

Rate rules for conditional rates are defined using a rate rules XML file. For more information, see the Rate Rules XML Reference .

Update your price feed

Conditional rates are set using the element in a Transaction message .

The <Rate> element can also be used as multiple child elements of <Rates> within the <RoomBundle> or <Result> elements. To use it as a conditional rate, you must set the value of the rate_rule_id attribute to match with the rate rule ID that you defined in the rate rules XML file.

If you don't have a default public double occupancy rate, set the <Baserate> child element of the <Result> message to -1 . Any conditional <Rates> that are sent to Google in this case will be considered valid.

Examples

Base + conditional

The following example shows a Transaction message that contains a base rate and a conditional rate:

 <?xml  
version="1.0"  
encoding="UTF-8"  
?>
<Transaction  
timestamp="2023-05-18T16:20:00-04:00"  
id="42">  
<Result>  
<Property>1234</Property>  
<Checkin>2023-04-10</Checkin>  
<Nights>1</Nights>  
<Baserate  
currency="USD">200.00</Baserate>  
<Tax  
currency="USD">20.00</Tax>  
<OtherFees  
currency="USD">1.00</OtherFees>  
<Rates>  
<!--  
The  
rate_rule_id  
is  
required  
when  
using  
conditional  
rates  
-->  
<Rate  
rate_rule_id="mobile">  
<!--  
Override  
base  
rate  
and  
taxes  
for  
conditional  
rates  
-->  
<Baserate  
currency="USD">180.00</Baserate>  
<Tax  
currency="USD">18.00</Tax>  
</Rate>  
</Rates>  
</Result>
</Transaction>

RoomBundle single

The following example shows a Transaction message that contains a single rate under a <RoomBundle> :

 <?xml  
version="1.0"  
encoding="UTF-8"  
?>
<Transaction  
timestamp="2023-05-18T16:20:00-04:00"  
id="42">  
<Result>  
<Property>1234</Property>  
<Checkin>2023-04-10</Checkin>  
<Nights>2</Nights>  
<Baserate  
currency="USD">300.00</Baserate>  
<Tax  
currency="USD">30.00</Tax>  
<OtherFees  
currency="USD">2.00</OtherFees>  
<RoomBundle>  
<RoomID>single</RoomID>  
<Baserate  
currency="USD">300.00</Baserate>  
<Tax  
currency="USD">30.00</Tax>  
<OtherFees  
currency="USD">2.00</OtherFees>  
</RoomBundle>  
<RoomBundle>  
<RoomID>3</RoomID>  
<!--  
Links  
to  
data  
in  
metadata  
-->  
<RatePlanID>basic</RatePlanID>  
<Baserate  
currency="USD">275.00</Baserate>  
<Tax  
currency="USD">27.50</Tax>  
<ChargeCurrency>web</ChargeCurrency>  
<BreakfastIncluded>1</BreakfastIncluded>  
<Rates>  
<Rate  
rate_rule_id="mobile">  
<Baserate  
currency="USD">269.00</Baserate>  
<Tax  
currency="USD">2.69</Tax>  
<OtherFees  
currency="USD">1.00</OtherFees>  
</Rates>  
</Rates>  
</RoomBundle>  
</Result>
</Transaction>

RoomBundle multiple

The following example shows a Transaction message that contains multiple rates under a <RoomBundle> :

 <?xml  
version="1.0"  
encoding="UTF-8"  
?>
<Transaction  
timestamp="2023-05-18T16:20:00-04:00"  
id="42">  
<Result>  
<Property>1234</Property>  
<Checkin>2023-04-10</Checkin>  
<Nights>2</Nights>  
<!--  
When  
Google  
receives  
new  
room  
bundle  
information  
for  
an  
itinerary,  
all  
previous  
room  
bundle  
pricing  
is  
dropped  
from  
Google's  
cache.  
Thus,  
if  
you  
want  
to  
delete  
a  
specific  
room  
bundle  
from  
Google's  
cache,  
you  
may  
do  
so  
by  
simply  
not  
providing  
that  
specific  
room  
bundle  
in  
subsequent  
transaction  
messages.  
-->  
<RoomBundle>  
...  
<!--  
RoomID  
is  
required,  
PackageID  
is  
recommended.  
-->  
<RoomID>5</RoomID>  
<PackageID>ABC</PackageID>  
<!--  
Baserate  
is  
required.  
-->  
<Baserate  
currency="USD">275.00</Baserate>  
<Tax  
currency="USD">27.50</Tax>  
<OtherFees  
currency="USD">2.00</OtherFees>  
<!--  
RatePlanID  
is  
optional  
and  
represents  
the  
unique  
identifier  
for  
a  
room  
and  
package  
data  
combination.  
We  
strongly  
recommend  
using  
RatePlanID  
as  
a  
variable  
to  
build  
your  
dynamic  
landing  
page  
(formerly  
Point  
of  
Sale)  
URL.  
For  
details,  
see  
Using  
Variables  
and  
Conditions.  
-->  
<RatePlanID>5-ABC</RatePlanID>  
<!--  
Occupancy  
is  
mandatory  
for  
RoomBundle  
elements.  
-->  
<!--  
Elements  
below  
will  
get  
inherited  
to  
nested  
rate  
elements.  
-->  
<Occupancy>2</Occupancy>  
<OccupancyDetails>  
<NumAdults>2</NumAdults>  
</OccupancyDetails>  
<InternetIncluded>1</InternetIncluded>  
<!--  
Rate  
rule  
"mobile"  
overrides  
chargeCurrency,  
"us_or_gb"  
doesn't.  
-->  
<ChargeCurrency>web</ChargeCurrency>  
<Rates>  
<Rate  
rate_rule_id="mobile">  
<Baserate  
currency="USD">258.33</Baserate>  
<Tax  
currency="USD">25.83</Tax>  
<OtherFees  
currency="USD">1.00</OtherFees>  
<!--  
The  
value  
below  
overrides  
ChargeCurrency  
from  
roombundle.  
-->  
<ChargeCurrency>hotel</ChargeCurrency>  
</Rate>  
<Rate  
rate_rule_id="us_or_gb">  
<Baserate  
currency="USD">268.33</Baserate>  
<Tax  
currency="USD">26.83</Tax>  
<OtherFees  
currency="USD">1.00</OtherFees>  
</Rate>  
</Rates>  
</RoomBundle>  
</Result>
</Transaction>

No public double occupancy

The following example shows a Transaction message that contains conditional rate with no public double occupancy rate:

 <?xml  
version="1.0"  
encoding="UTF-8"  
?>
<Transaction  
timestamp="2023-05-18T16:20:00-04:00"  
id="42">  
<Result>  
<Property>1234</Property>  
<Checkin>2023-04-10</Checkin>  
<Nights>1</Nights>  
<!--  
<Unavailable/>  
should  
not  
be  
specified  
when  
available  
nested  
rates  
exist.  
-->  
<Baserate  
currency="USD">-1</Baserate>  
<Tax  
currency="USD">0</Tax>  
<OtherFees  
currency="USD">0</OtherFees>  
<Rates>  
<!--  
The  
rate_rule_id  
is  
required  
when  
using  
conditional  
rates.  
-->  
<Rate  
rate_rule_id="mobile">  
<Baserate  
currency="USD">180.00</Baserate>  
<Tax  
currency="USD">18.00</Tax>  
<OtherFees  
currency="USD">1.00</OtherFees>  
<Custom1>ratecode123</Custom1>  
</Rate>  
</Rates>  
</Result>
</Transaction>

Update your landing page file

To ensure that eligible end-users can book the discounted rate through a deep link, modify your Landing Page file . Additional implementation might also be needed on the booking website to properly show and fulfill the discounted rates.

We expect partners to honor the price shown at the conditional rate deep link.

In a dynamic deep link, you can include the rate rule by its name, the id attribute of the <RateRule> element, with the RATE-RULE-ID variable.

The following example adds the rate rule ID:

 https://bookingsite.com/landing.do?id=(PARTNER-HOTEL-ID)&arrival=(CHECKINDAY)-(CHECKINMONTH)-(CHECKINYEAR)&departure=(CHECKOUTDAY)-(CHECKOUTMONTH)-(CHECKOUTYEAR)&lang=(USER-LANGUAGE)&currency=(USER-CURRENCY) &prid=(RATE-RULE-ID)

The Landing Page file also supports the IF-RATE-RULE-ID directive that lets you conditionally define parts of the URL, based on whether the rate rule exists:

 https://bookingsite.com/( IF-RATE-RULE-ID)privatelanding.do( RATE-RULE-ID)( ELSE)landing.do( ENDIF)?id=(PARTNER-HOTEL-ID)&arrival=(CHECKINDAY)-(CHECKINMONTH)-(CHECKINYEAR)&departure=(CHECKOUTDAY)-(CHECKOUTMONTH)-(CHECKOUTYEAR)&lang=(USER-LANGUAGE)&currency=(USER-CURRENCY)

This example chooses between two landing pages, depending on whether the rate rule ID is set.

For more information, see Using Variables and Conditions .