Frequently Asked Questions
General
What is Conferma?
Conferma is an expert in travel and expense booking and settlement technology. The booking, payment and reconciliation
technology which Conferma delivers enables process improvement, innovation and secure payment management, all of which
drive cost savings and efficiency.
Conferma is a privately owned company which was launched in 2004.
Who might use Hotel Booker?
Hotel Booker Express is for corporate users and Hotel Booker Professional for travel management companies.
Hotel Booker Professional is identical Hotel Booker Express but has some additional functionality to integrate
with agencies' admin systems.
What kind of technical support does Conferma provide?
Conferma's technical support team is available from 8.30am to 6pm Monday to Friday, excluding English bank holidays.
CSP (Conferma Settlement Platform)
What is CSP?
CSP makes use of a virtual card to integrate an accommodation booking with its reconciliation and settlement.
It was developed to help companies, travel buyers, agents and hotels streamline the management of hotel
bookings and payments.
Can CSP be used as both an agency and a corporate tool?
CSP is available to both travel management companies and corporate customers. The solution is integrated in to the booking
and settlement process ensuring the benefits are consistent to the service provider and the corporate customer.
The credit relationship with the card provider can be owned by the booking agency or can work equally well when the credit
relationship is between the card provider and corporate customer.
What guarantee do hotels have that a CSP card will be honoured?
CSP works in partnership with the world's largest card companies including Visa and American Express.
The allocation of a CSP card number to the accommodation provider means that each booking made in this system is treated
in the same way as a standard card not present transaction. On receipt of the card number the property is able to bill the
card in line with the rate booking restrictions whether payment in advance or a traditional payment on departure model.
What happens about travellers paying for extras like Wi-Fi or minibar?
The CSP booking process allows the booker or agency to specify exactly what should and shouldn't be billed to the card.
This information is provided to the accommodation provider along with the card number.
How do you know which hotels will accept a booking made via CSP?
Any hotel that accepts Visa or American Express will be able to accept and bill the CSP card.
Must you have a corporate agreement with a card provider to have the CSP product?
The CSP process requires either the agent or the corporate customer to enter into a commercial agreement with one of
Conferma's card partners.
Can I integrate CSP into my company's self-booking tool?
CSP is included within the Conferma API and can be integrated into any on-line booking tool with the cooperation of the
on-line tool development team.
If I use CSP do I still have to fax through an authorisation for every single booking?
CSP is an automated closed loop process that includes booking, confirmation and settlement; therefore there is no
requirement for any additional communication to be sent to the accommodation provider.
Does the use of CSP affect cash flow in any way?
CSP is designed to ensure that all parties involved in the settlement process are able to transact business in a more
efficient manner. The accommodation provider will be paid in line with the standard terms they operate with card providers.
The card account holder, whether agency or corporate, will be able to take advantage of the extended credit terms offered
by corporate card schemes. The introduction of a card product, typically increases the period of credit for the end user,
which ultimately will have a positive effect on cash flow.
Is there any benefit in using CSP if my company has already issued its travellers corporate cards?
CSP can run very effectively in conjunction with an individual corporate card programme. For example, companies may not
be keen to issue corporate cards to individuals who do not travel regularly or are contractors.
The CSP process will allow the corporation to settle accommodation costs incurred by these individuals on business without
exposure to the administration cost and risks associated with individual cards.
Functionality
Is the hotel content identical to that on the GDS?
Hotel Booker has integrated all the hotel content from Galileo, Sabre and Amadeus into its central data base.
This data is checked and updated on a regular basis to ensure that any changes made within GDS are reflected within the
Hotel Booker products.
How many hotels are in the Conferma system?
The Hotel Booker database currently holds details on more than 150,000 unique properties.
Can Conferma write back information into the GDS?
Hotel Booker is able to write as much or as little data back into the GDS as is required by any agency.
Hotel Booker is able to use static profile data as well providing the ability to add non-standard data at the point of
booking.
What methods does Hotel Booker offer to search for hotels and can the site be configured to show only certain hotels?
Hotel Booker is able to qualify property searches in the following ways:
-
Geographic proximity to:
- Post code
- Airport
- UK rail station
- Client office
- Preferred property status
- Room rate
Can Hotel Booker send confirmations automatically?
Hotel Booker is able to send confirmations automatically to both clients and accommodation providers.
This capability can be configured by client and agency where required.
What payment/guarantee methods can be used through Hotel Booker?
Hotel Booker supports the following payment methods:
- CSP
- Individual card
- Company card
- IATA number
- Merchant specific card (eg Premier Inn and Travelodge business account cards)
Can client rates be loaded into Hotel Booker?
Client rates can be loaded directly into Hotel Booker Express and Hotel Booker Professional.
Hotel Booker is also able to access client or agency specific rates loaded into the GDS, which is achieved by loading
rate codes behind the client companies during the set-up process.
Does Hotel Booker support single sign-on across other self-booking tools and if so can it be branded consistently?
Hotel Booker supports a single sign-on process for any partner wishing to integrate at this level.
All agency and client-facing interfaces are provided with the ability to add agency and client branding.
Reporting
What reporting does Conferma provide?
Conferma's Hotel Reporter is able to provide data at a level of detail to match all of our customers' requirements,
ranging from breakdown by individual cost centre through to usage within a specific country. Hotel Reporter is configurable
through an on-line reporting tool as well as being available to upload at the request of the customer.
How can I access Conferma management information and how regularly is it updated?
Hotel Reporter data is available on a real time basis and is accessible via the Conferma reporting web site or via a
direct link which can be configured to meet the customer's requirements.
Commercials
Who pays for CSP?
CSP is paid for as part of the overall service offered by Conferma. This is typically provided to our agency partners who
pay for the service on a transactional basis. The agency is then able to integrate the payment process as an offering to
all their corporate customers.
Is there any cost for amending a booking through Hotel Booker?
There is no additional cost to amend a booking made through Hotel Booker.
Do you need a minimum number of hotel bookings per annum to cover costs?
Hotel Booker and CSP have no minimum requirement for set up. However, the pricing structure is volume-related and therefore
the expectation is that the typical Conferma customer will be involved in a significant level of accommodation booking.
If you would like to discuss a specific pricing structure, please enquire directly to:
Paul Raymond
Email: enquiries@conferma.com
Tel: 0161 447 6100