Connected channels
Rate Check uses channels connected in YCS Channel Manager and their rates. Only connected channels with available rates for the selected dates can appear in the comparison.
Rate Check Guide
July 2026Update
An informative guide to Rate Check in the Yanolja Cloud Solution Booking Engine — what it shows guests, how channel rates are represented, and how the comparison works.
What is Rate Check?
Rate Check is a price comparison feature in the Yanolja Cloud Solution Booking Engine. It helps guests see how your direct rate stacks up against indicative rates from your connected distribution channels — without leaving the booking page. Guests open it as a Best Price Guarantee panel for their selected dates and room. They can switch room types and compare each option in one place.
How to enable Rate Check
Rate Check is not available on the Booking Engine alone. It depends on channel connectivity through Yanolja Cloud Solution.
- 1
Purchase YCS Channel Manager
Rate Check requires an active YCS Channel Manager subscription.
- 2
Connect your distribution channels
Use YCS Channel Manager to connect your online travel agencies / distribution channels.
- 3
Rate Check becomes available
Once channels are connected and rates are available for the guest’s search, Rate Check can appear in the Yanolja Cloud Solution Booking Engine.
How It Works
- What Rate Check uses
- Rates from channels connected through YCS Channel Manager — for the guest’s selected dates and occupancy.
- How channel website prices differ
- Rate Check does not pull live prices from third-party booking websites. It uses the channel rates managed in YCS Channel Manager for a consistent, rate-based comparison.
- When it appears
- Rate Check shows when there is a useful comparison: your Direct Rate is equal to or better than at least one connected channel rate. Inside the panel, channels listed are those at the same price or higher than Direct — so the guest message stays focused on why booking direct wins.
Which rates are shown
Rate Check displays two types of rates side by side for the selected room and stay dates:
Direct Rate
Your best direct stay price
Best (lowest) direct price for that room type in the Yanolja Cloud Solution Booking Engine
Matches the guest’s selected dates
May include direct booking discount / specials
Highlighted as Best Price when it leads
Channel rates
Indicative channel totals
From your channel rate allocation in YCS Channel Manager
Same stay dates + searched occupancy
Base rate + extra adult/child used for that occupancy
Shows “% high” when above Direct
Rate Check provides a clear, rate-based comparison from your YCS Channel Manager pricing setup, so guests can see how your Direct Rate compares with your connected channel rates.
How Rate Check relates to online travel agency websites
Channel website prices can vary for the same room and night.
Factors that can influence what appears on a third-party booking site include:
Rate Check is designed to give guests a transparent, rate-based view of how your Direct Rate compares with your connected channel rates in YCS Channel Manager — helping reinforce the value of booking direct.
What Rate Check depends on
Your channel pricing
The channel figures shown are based on the rates set for those channels in YCS Channel Manager, for the guest’s selected dates and occupancy.
To review which channels appear, open YCS Channel Manager and confirm the channel is active with rates loaded for the selected dates and room type.
Disclaimer guests see
In the Rate Check panel:
“Actual rates on the platform may vary due to fees, taxes, additional guest pricing, or channel-specific discounts”
This keeps expectations clear: Rate Check is an indicative comparison, not a live mirror of every third-party website price.
Supporting direct bookings
Benefits for your property
Builds guest confidence
Guests can compare rates without leaving the booking page.
Supports direct bookings
Keeps price comparison inside your Booking Engine.
Clear Direct Rate highlight
Direct Rate is marked as Best Price when it leads.
Room-by-room view
Guests can switch room types inside the panel.
Transparent messaging
A clear disclaimer explains how channel rates are represented.
Roadmap: what’s next
Today: clear comparison at booking time. Coming next:
- 1
Automated rate parity alerts
Notify hotels when a channel undercuts beyond a threshold.
- 2
Dynamic price matching
Optional hotel-controlled match/beat within limits.
- 3
Expanded channel coverage
More regional and metasearch channel support.
- 4
Value-add messaging
When prices are close, highlight breakfast, flexibility, loyalty.
- 5
Analytics & reporting
How often direct wins, by how much, commission saved.
- 6
Personalized comparison
Factor loyalty / returning guest into the direct side.
Frequently asked questions
- 1
Rate Check uses your channel rates from YCS Channel Manager as an indicative comparison. Third-party booking pages may show different figures based on taxes, fees, promotions, loyalty, and personalization.
- 2
The best available direct booking stay price for the selected room type and dates in the Yanolja Cloud Solution Booking Engine, including applicable direct discounts or specials.
- 3
Indicative stay totals from your channels connected in YCS Channel Manager for the same dates and occupancy (base plus relevant extra adult/child pricing). Taxes, fees, and channel-only promotions are not included.
- 4
Confirm you have an active YCS Channel Manager subscription, the channel is connected, and rates are loaded for the selected dates and room type.
- 5
Rate Check appears when YCS Channel Manager has connected channels with comparable rates — and your Direct Rate is equal to or better than at least one connected channel rate for that room. If no comparable channel rates are available for the search, Rate Check may not display.
Rate Check is available in the Yanolja Cloud Solution Booking Engine for properties with an active YCS Channel Manager and connected distribution channels.