B2B net hotel rates for travel agents
A net rate is the price an agency pays for a room before it adds its own margin. It is the basis of how independent agents earn money on hotels without relying on a commission that may or may not be paid. This page explains how net rates work, where they differ from commissionable and public rates, and how Trekko gives your agency net-rate access to more than 3 million properties in 190+ countries.
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Net, commissionable and public rates: the difference
A public rate is what anyone sees on a hotel's own site or a consumer booking site. A commissionable rate is a public rate on which the hotel promises to pay the agent a percentage after the stay, often weeks later, and provided the booking is tracked correctly.
A net rate works the other way round. You buy the room at a trade price that is not published, you decide what to charge your client, and the difference is yours the moment the client pays. Nothing depends on a hotel processing a commission claim after check-out.
Why agents prefer net rates for hotels
Your margin is known when you quote, not after the trip. You can bundle the room with a transfer or an activity into a single package price without revealing the hotel cost. And you are not tied to the hotel's own commission policy.
Where net rates come from
Net rates are supplied by wholesalers and bed banks that buy inventory in bulk. A platform that connects several of those suppliers lets you compare them for the same hotel rather than relying on one contract.
- 1Public rate
- 2Commissionable rate
- 3Net rate + your margin
Setting your selling price
With a net rate you control the final price. A typical approach is to decide a target margin per product type (a city break, a resort stay, a corporate booking) and apply it consistently, adjusting for the value you add: planning time, local knowledge, after-sales support.
Because the rate you see on Trekko is your trade cost, you can quote your client in your own name, on your own documents, at the price you decide. Your client never sees the trade rate.
Rate parity and how to present net rates
Many hotel contracts expect net rates to be resold as part of a package or at a price not lower than the public rate. Present them as your price, ideally combined with other services, and avoid advertising a standalone hotel price below what the hotel shows to the public.
Reading a net-rate offer correctly
Two offers for the same hotel at different prices are not always the same product. Before you quote, check four things on each offer in Trekko: the room type, the board basis (no meals, breakfast, half board and so on), the cancellation terms with their deadline, and whether the rate was searched with your guest's nationality.
Trekko lists every connected supplier's offer under one hotel, so these differences are visible in one place. The lowest price on the list is not always the right choice: a refundable rate a little higher can be worth more to a client who may change plans.
How Trekko gives you net-rate access
Register your agency for free and verify your email. You can then search more than 3 million properties by city, region or hotel name, filter the results and sort by price, stars or distance to the centre.
You pay for bookings from a prepaid balance (card or bank transfer top-up) or against a credit line agreed with your agency. At checkout the price is confirmed again with the supplier, so the trade cost you quote on is the one you pay.
When rates drop after you book
Hotel prices move. For bookings that still have free cancellation, Trekko checks every day for a lower rate on the same hotel, room and dates and rebooks automatically when it finds one, crediting your agency's share of the saving. Your client's booking and price stay the same; your margin grows.
Net rates for more than hotels
The same trade logic applies to the services around the stay. From the same account you can book private transfers with a chauffeur in 90+ countries and access to more than 1,400 airport lounges, and add your margin on top of each.
Frequently asked questions
What is a net hotel rate?
The price an agency pays for a room before adding its own margin. It is not published to the public, and the difference between the net rate and your selling price is your earning.
What is the difference between net and commissionable rates?
With a commissionable rate the hotel pays you a percentage after the stay. With a net rate you set the price yourself and keep the difference when your client pays.
How do travel agents get net rates?
Through a B2B supplier such as a bed bank or wholesaler. On Trekko, any registered travel business can search net rates after a free sign-up and email verification.
Can I sell a net rate below the hotel's public price?
Check the conditions attached to the rate. Many hotels expect net rates to be resold within a package or not advertised below the public price.
Do Trekko rates include cancellation terms?
Yes. Each offer shows whether it has free cancellation and its deadline, or whether it is non-refundable.
Does my client see the Trekko price?
No. You quote and invoice your client in your own name at the price you decide.
See trade rates for your next quote
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