WHAT'S NEW @ TOKEET: SEPTEMBER 5, 2018

Do you know what today is? Yes, it's Hump Day, but it's also time for another installment of the hottest changelog on the internet. Let's see "What's New @ Tokeet" this week!
  • We made a previous announcement about the new Agoda API, and more than a month in, we're seeing encouraging connectivity numbers. In case you missed the first announcement, please allow us to remind you of the great new addition to our growing list of API connections.
We're excited to announce that you can now connect your Agoda listings to Tokeet via API. Agoda and Tokeet have partnered to bring you a seamless, fast, and reliable connection between Tokeet and your Agoda listing. Connect your Agoda account to Tokeet and receive real-time reservation notifications. Rates and availability synchronization is also available so you can be sure that your price and calendar are always up-to-date. Click here for instructions on connecting Agoda to Tokeet.

We've been working hard to provide you with more options in Tokeet to connect to the top distribution channels around the world. Agoda is another step in making Tokeet the obvious choice for any property manager in any market globally.
  • We have made a number of updates and bug fixes this past week, including:
Tokeet

Updated: [Channels] Rental amenities no longer push to AirBnB API (NEW). Now, amenities can be set on airbnb.com before connecting to Tokeet, and Tokeet will not change them with the rest of the listing details. This is to accommodate the full list of AirBnB amenities, while we update our system to support them.

Fixed: [Channels] AirBnB API (NEW) rate push error for pushing more than 731 days.

Fixed: [Channels] Authorization Required error for Booking.com availability pushes.

Thank you for continuing to make Tokeet great! We're looking forward to your feedback about these new additions and fixes to our platform. As always, please email us with your questions or suggestions at any time.


WHAT'S NEW @ TOKEET: AUGUST 29, 2018

Today we would like to unveil a new weekly feature to the Tokeet Changelog called "What's New @ Tokeet". This weekly update will chronicle all significant updates, changes and bug fixes made to the Tokeet suite of applications since the last update. As this is the first edition of this new feature, we will be focusing on the latest round of changes to the Tokeet, Signature and Automata web applications. Please check back weekly to see what new updates we have made.

  • We have made a number of updates and bug fixes this past week, including:
Tokeet

Updated: [Channels] We now push 2 years' worth of rates for Airbnb API (NEW) with each rate push.

Updated: [Channels] You can now leave any field blank in the Airbnb API (NEW) Price Settings that you do not want to update.

Fixed: [Rental Rates] Rates calendar (standard) was showing old dynamic rates.


Automata

Updated: [Triggers] Tooltips have been updated for clarity.

Updated: [Triggers] Account Active/Paused action changed into a switch to improve visibility.

Updated: [Triggers] Added Chinese translation support for both Traditional and Simplified.

Fixed: [Triggers] Guests with Chinese last names were receiving Chinese template translations.

Fixed: [Triggers] Some triggers were firing despite being inactive.

Fixed: [Triggers] Rental availability condition not reading the correct availability.

Fixed: [Triggers] Available days before/after condition was not reading the day count correctly.

Fixed: [Recent Activity] Booking tags color indicator missing from the graph.

Fixed: [Custom Codes] Custom codes not displaying in the template.

Fixed: [Custom Codes] Custom codes not displaying the correct value for the rental the guest has booked.


Signature

Updated: [All] Info icon tooltips updated with new information.

Updated: [Dashboard] You can filter the graph by template type.

Updated: [Custom Codes] You can create custom data codes to be used in templates.

Updated: [Templates] Tooltips have been updated for clarity.


Thank you for continuing to make Tokeet great! We're looking forward to your feedback about these new additions and fixes to our platform. As always, please email us with your questions or suggestions at any time.

TOKEET VERSION 3 - WHAT TO EXPECT



Since the announcement of the upcoming release of Tokeet version 3 there has been a lot of excitement and some anxiety regarding the proposed changes to the product. Please allow me to shed some light on the coming release process.

1. The new version of Tokeet (version 3) will not be released until Q4. This means that nothing is happening immediately and you can continue to enjoy version 2 until then.

2. There will be an open beta release of version 3 for about a month. Users will be able to login to either version 2 or version 3 as they like. This will allow everyone to get used to the new version, provide feedback, and decide if they like it.

3. Once the open beta period is complete, users with monthly plans will be upgraded to version 3 automatically. Users with yearly plans will have the option of sticking with version 2 for the remainder of their subscription period, or upgrading to version 3. There are a few things to note regarding this choice.

 - We will continue to support those users on version 2 as we do now.

 - We will discontinue active development of version 2. So there wouldn’t be anymore bug fixes, upgrades, etc.

 - Yearly plan users who stay with version 2 will not be able to login to version 3.

 - Version 2 users may upgrade to version 3 at anytime prior to the end of their subscription period.

 - Version 2 users will be able to subscribe to any of the upcoming add-on products.

 - We will set a permanent discontinuation date for version 2 sometime in 2019.

 

4. We will not be decreasing rate management in version 3. In fact, we plan to release a much simpler rate management solution. The core feature offerings of version 3 will remain the same as version 2 unless otherwise announced.

We’re confident that once users see and experience version 3 they will instantly prefer it to version 2. We’re happy to answer anymore questions about the upcoming version 3 here on this thread.

Thanks for being a Tokeet user.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE NEW AIRBNB API

The new Airbnb API is a faster, more reliable connection to Airbnb than our previous API connection. However, this new connection does have some important differences and noteworthy features. All of these differences are requirements of Airbnb or limitations of their new API, to which Tokeet must adhere. Below is a list of things to note when connecting to the new API.

  • Listings connected to Airbnb using their new API will be made instant bookable. This is done by Airbnb and cannot be undone in Tokeet or on Airbnb.
  • Listings connected to the new API must meet Airbnb's content listing criteria. The specific criteria are detailed below. Any listing not meeting these criteria will be automatically delisted by Airbnb until they are updated to meet the criteria.
  • Cohosted listings are officially unsupported by the new Airbnb API. Tokeet does allow cohosted listings to connect via the new API and many of the connection features will work. However, we encourage users with cohosted listings to add their Tokeet rental's iCal URL to the Airbnb listing in the Airbnb dashboard to ensure availability is constantly updated. 
  • Listings connected prior to August 9th may have suffered a lapse in synchronization. This is due to an update released by Airbnb which now requires a synchronization setting for each listing. Tokeet is now automatically updating listings with this setting. Listings that are either cohosted or do not meet the content requirements will be automatically rejected by Airbnb.
  • Once a listing is connected to Tokeet, pricing and availability settings will no longer be accessible in Airbnb. These settings must be updated in Tokeet.
  • User may choose to sync only rates and availability via Tokeet or sync their entire listing content (Full Synchronization). By default Tokeet connects to your Airbnb listings with rates and availability sync. This allows Tokeet to perform all required actions like pushing rates, pushing availability, sending and receiving messages, and importing bookings. You may switch to Full Synchronization from within the connection details in Tokeet. Please note that if you choose Full Synchronizationyou will no longer be able to update your listing's rates, availability, or content in your Airbnb dashboard and will be required to do so via Tokeet.
  • Guest requirements are removed from listings connected to any channel manager via the new Airbnb API. There is no way to add these requirements back. This is done automatically by Airbnb.
  • Dates directly blocked on Airbnb will not be imported into Tokeet with the new Airbnb API. Users are encouraged to directly block dates in their Tokeet calendar to ensure all connected channels are updated accordingly.
Airbnb Listing Content Requirements
Airbnb will automatically disable listings that do not meet the following minimum content requirements.
  • Title - At least 8 characters in the listing title
  • Description - At least 50 characters in the listing description field
  • Photos - At least 7 photos, including 3 with high-resolution (800x500 pixels) 
  • Amenities - At least 5 amenities

TOKEET - THE ROAD AHEAD



Many of you have questions about the new Tokeet products and how they relate to the core application. Since the announcement of Automata and Signature we’ve received numerous emails and messages from users asking for more details about the direction of Tokeet and how the new products affect them. These are all fair questions and I hope to answer them here.

Almost a year ago we starting laying down the roadmap for Tokeet. Much of what we planned involved expanding on already popular features like automation, contracts, rate management, and others. Our goals were ambitious and we planned to transform Tokeet into a complete solution for the short-term rental industry. While this all seemed great, it would mean expanding the existing product even further and also coming up with an interface that worked well for all the various features. We feared that the result would be a bloated, complex product that’s hard for new users to start using, complicated to develop, and difficult to maintain.

Ultimately, we decided to split the core application into multiple, unique, and feature rich apps that perform specific tasks really well. We felt that would create a much simpler user experience in the core application and also give us the flexibility to build each app with a custom user experience. Not to mention developing and maintaining smaller apps would be operationally easier. We may even potentially integrate the add-on applications with competitor systems in the future.

So, with the decision made, we started building five (5) new add-on applications (we’ve been busy). Four of these applications are already built, two have already been released. We are also undertaking a rebuild of the core application, which we’re calling Tokeet version 3 (TV3), from scratch. If you look closely at the Automata and Signature videos you’ll see TV3 in action. TV3 will not natively include some of the features it does today. This would have required us to build and maintain the same features in two different applications, which isn’t sustainable in the long-term. Instead, users will be required to use one of the add-on products. However, TV3 will contain many features not currently in Tokeet and be much easier to use.

Despite the splitting of Tokeet into multiple applications, users will be able to seamlessly transition from one application to another. There will be a single sign-on for all apps. This means one username and password for the entire suite. In addition, user will be able to open any app, automatically be logged in, and start working directly from Tokeet. This will make using the suite of applications effortless and intuitive.

Despite all of this expansion we plan to stay true to our core of providing feature rich products at very competitive prices. Yes, the new apps will come with their own individual price tags. We believe that each app can stand alone as a product and that they should fund themselves. Yes, the core application will be changing. However, we believe the added features and vastly expanded add-on applications serve to make the entire Tokeet experience more powerful and complete for our users.

Exact product release dates will be revealed in the future. In short, we plan to launch all new products and TV3 by the end of 2018. Thanks to all of you for being a part of this journey. Many of you have been around since 2016 when we first launched and we are eternally grateful for your loyalty. I’m happy to answer any questions I can about the Tokeet roadmap on this thread.

Thanks for being Tokeet users.

UPDATE YOUR AIRBNB API SYNCHRONIZATION

As of Thursday, August 9th, Airbnb now requires all API-connected listings to choose a specific synchronization setting. You must choose either to manage your rates and availability only in Tokeet, or manage everything including your listing details in Tokeet. If you haven’t already done so, you must update your synchronization settings in Tokeet. 


Please note that your listings must also meet the Airbnb listing quality guidelines when connecting via a channel manager. The Airbnb API rejects listings connections that do not meet the following minimum content requirements.

- Listing title must be at least 8 characters long.
- Listing description must be at least 50 characters.
- At least 7 photos, including 3 with high-resolution (800x500 pixels).
- Listing must have at least 5 amenities.

Finally, all Airbnb API listings are now set to Instant Book by default. This setting cannot be changed and is mandated by Airbnb. Tokeet has no control over this setting.

We will be following up with more details and updates regarding the new Airbnb API.

Thanks for being a Tokeet user.

ANNOUNCING OUR NEW AGODA API

Agoda API Synchronization Is Now Available


We're excited to announce that you can now connect your Agoda listings to Tokeet via API. Agoda and Tokeet have partnered to bring you a seamless, fast, and reliable connection between Tokeet and Agoda. Connect your Agoda account to Tokeet and receive real-time reservation notifications. Rates and availability synchronization is also available so you can be sure that your price and calendar are always updated instantly. Click here for instructions on connection Agoda to Tokeet.

We've been working hard to provide you more options to connect with Tokeet from the top distribution channels around the world. Agoda is another step in making Tokeet the obvious choice for any property manager in any market globally.

Please let us know if you have any questions, we're always happy to help. Thank you for being a Tokeet user.

ANNOUNCING OUR NEW AIRBNB API

Over the past few months we’ve been in discussions with Airbnb on a formal partnership agreement that will bring our companies closer together and allow a deeper integration between our two products. These discussions started in February and now, after 5 months of development, we’re happy to announce that Tokeet is an official partner of Airbnb. Even more exciting, we’re also officially announcing the release of a new Airbnb integration in Tokeet. This integration, which has been in beta for the past week, is faster, more powerful, and vastly more reliable than the previous Airbnb connection.

I understand that many of you have been affected by recent and frequent outages relating to the previous API connection with Airbnb, for this I sincerely apologize. During these outages we’ve been feverishly working with the Airbnb engineering and partnerships teams on a new integration with the sole purpose of improving the experience for you, our users. Today that new integration is available to you in your Tokeet account.

We plan for every customer to eventually move over to the new API and will ultimately discontinue the previous API connection. If you’ve ever had any issues with your Airbnb API connection then I recommend you make the switch immediately. It will only take a few minutes and instructions for switching are below.

We have more exciting announcements to make in the near future, but that’s all for now. Thank you for being a Tokeet user.


Switching to the new Airbnb API

Tokeet's new Airbnb API connection is live. This is a faster, and more reliable connection between Airbnb and Tokeet. Please follow the steps below to migrate your Airbnb accounts to the new API.

First disconnect the Airbnb API (OLD) accounts following the steps in this guide.

Disconnect a Channel Account

Then reconnect with Airbnb API (NEW).

Connecting to Airbnb API - New

Please let us know if you require further assistance. We're happy to help.

MORE ABOUT TOKEET, THE GDPR AND YOU

We’ve made updates to ensure our terms are easier to understand and to keep up with evolving international data privacy standards. These updates include new legal requirements of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Here’s a quick overview of our updates:
  • Clearer Terms - We’ve clarified and reorganized our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, making it easier to understand the data that we collect, how we use it and our responsibilities under the GDPR.
  • Product Updates -  We’ve made product changes, including migrating our applications to secure serving (https://) to help both you and Tokeet meet the new requirements.   
  • We have also provided additional security controls, including the workflow for approving secure certificates for your custom domain Tokeet websites.  Action is needed on your end to help migrate your custom domain websites to secure serving. Please look for an email from Support with the next steps.  Don’t be shy if you have questions - contact us at support@tokeet.com.
If you have any questions about this update, the GDPR or anything else, please don't hesitate to reach out at support@tokeet.com.

Thank you for being a Tokeet customer!

UPDATES ABOUT TOKEET AND THE GDPR


On May 25 2018, Europe’s new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) comes into force. In the hospitality industry, GDPR is important for everyone: even if your rental business is outside the European Union, you are responsible for protecting the rights of European citizens (for example, EU guests).

Tokeet is committed to complying with the requirements of the GDPR. Today we are sharing more about our preparations for the GDPR - including updates to our policies and changes to our products, to help both you and Tokeet meet the new requirements.

Updates to Tokeet Terms of Service and Privacy Policy
  • Tokeet's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy are being updated to reflect new legal requirements of the GDPR.  
  • These updates set out our responsibilities around data processing, data deletion, data security, and more. 
Product Updates

To comply, and to support your compliance with GDPR, we are:
  • Migrating all Tokeet applications to secure (https://) protocol.
  • Migrating all custom domains that use Tokeet website builder to secure protocol.  We will be reaching out to all custom domain holders with next steps.
  • Allowing new Tokeet domain websites, widgets, and guest portals to be generated with secure protocol by design and by default.  
If you have any questions about this update, please don't hesitate to reach out to us at support@tokeet.com. We will continue to share further information on our plans before the May 25 enforcement date.
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