Common Cobber Questions & Answers
CobberRes for Tours & Activity Operators - FAQs
Check out common questions and answers about the CobberRes system for tour and activity operators. Can’t find what you are after? No worries, just get in touch with our team who are happy to help!
Accounting
How are credit card payments settled?
Payments made directly over the internet are settled by the payment gateway and are reconciled separately from manual credit card machine payments.
CobberRes reconciliation reports can be customised by our in-house team to suit any process and payment gateway used for automatic credit card transactions.
How do we reconcile cash payments?
CobberRes provides cash reconciliation reports that match the cash in the till(s) for the same period. The process involves checking the POB (pay on board) payments screen for cash collected during tours, verifying the cash till against the reservations payments screen, and confirming vouchers against the agent payments screen.
These steps ensure that all payment methods balance the total sales. Once reconciled, the bookings are ready for archiving and invoicing.
What currencies can you use in the system?
CobberRes has multi-currency capability and is able to invoice/take payment in any currency.
How does CobberRes integrate with MYOB?
CobberRes offers customisable comma-separated file exports to suit clients' MYOB accounting models. Clients can choose summary invoices per debtor per period or one invoice per booking. Cobber can customise text files for MYOB imports as receipts, revenue journals, and customer updates.
Tour operators control invoicing through their accounting model design and dynamic batch exporting, deciding which batches to import or ignore. Cobber designs text file formats based on client-provided MYOB sample files.
Can CobberRes integrate with accounting systems?
CobberRes integrates with MYOB, Xero, Attache and more. The accounts exporting interface can be customised to adapt to any accounting system, either directly into the database or via delimited text files or API integrations. Operators can invoice through their existing accounting system or Cobber, with flexible invoicing intervals. CobberRes offers various invoice formats and can customise invoices to meet operators' needs.
Fees
When is the CobberRes 2% transaction fee for online bookings payable?
The 2% transaction fee is calculated on the first of each month for the bookings that had travel dates in the preceding month.
The Invoice will be sent and the charges will occur during the first week of each month.
Can you please explain what the 2% transaction fee on online bookings is for?
This fee applies to API bookings from OTA's using the ResPax Operator Network (RON2) and web bookings using the Online Booking Engine (OBE).
All operators can connect to RON2, allowing agent organisations to book operators via web tools (with their own applications or booking websites).
Examples of connected agents include Viator, Get Your Guide, TicketMates, HERO, Veltra, Klook, Backpacker Deals and Flight Centre .
Gateway & Payment Processing
What Payment Gateways does CobberRes integrate with?
CobberRes adds new gateways and providers to suit the market. We currently support:
- Eway
- Windcave
- SecurePay
- Safe2Pay
- Adyen
What is the payment gateway process?
CobberRes is integrated to multiple payment gateways using either embedded forms or hosted payment pages (HPP).
All credit card details are transacted directly from the customers browser to these payment gateways, and at no time do the card details go via the CobberRes system.
On successful charge of the card, the gateway sends CobberRes an authorisation number. This is all that CobberRes stores for that transaction, and this is used for reconciliation and refunding.
General
How do I contact Cobber?
General Information
The Cobber web interface uses SSL encryption for all pages.
All staff users are authenticated through an application login. Detailed permissions are applied to individuals allowing the operator’s administrators to tightly control access to sensitive areas.
User logins and permissions are application layered; at no time is direct access given directly to the database.
When external developers need interact with the data, a restricted JSON API is provided that restricts access and controls permissions
Each Operator received their own Cobber database instance - databases are not shared between Operators. Cobber Operators can have unlimited sites to control branding, payments and customisations. The admin UI is very easy to use and intuitive to configure brands and themes.
Operators can create unlimited tours for their system. Day tours, multi-day tours and accommodation are all supported with finely tuned features to support all tour configurations.
Permissions can filter which tours are visible to staff to book so that Operators can create branch offices or their own groups.
Permissions can filter which bookings are visible to staff to view and edit, providing different views for each brand.
Tours can be available internally to staff, or web enabled for direct consumers and agents on our booking engine, and/or for Online Travel Agents (OTA's) via our Cobber Operator Network (RON2) - THE original network that has been providing global product distribution for Operators for over two decades.
Simple 'flat' tours can be built in CobberRes and available online within minutes.
Cobber also handles the more complicated tour configurations that our clients have including multi-level, multi-day tours with components, shared resources, accommodation options, and add-on extras all in one!
Cobber has many advanced tour options
- calendar support for limited departures with our Next 7 departures, that can check ahead 2 years and group the next 7 available departures on a single calendar
- monthly calendars will always display the month of the next available departure
- mandatory transfers
- include or exclude infants from availability checks
- sunflowers to flag tour that are disability friendly
- full support using augmented reality in audio (ARIA) using screen readers for customers with blindness, low vision and other vision impairments
Google maps API integration for ease of completing address related fields
Online purchase and redemption of Gift Certificates on both the admin and consumer sites
Our 'Guest Connect' module provides bulk communication via email and SMS. Operators can create templated emails and SMS to re-use at any time or be scheduled to send based on specific criteria.
Supports schedules for
- pre-travel notifications
- checkin links
- waiver links
- post-travel surveys
- cancellation notifications
- payment links
Marketing
Does the CobberRes software have an integrated CRM solution?
CobberRes supports booking notes, daily notices, and task allocation to effectively manage agents and customers.
Which marketing information can be captured and how is it reported?
CobberRes records marketing information for individual passengers at the time of booking. It collects data on passenger origins, booking sources, and promotion origins per booking. There are up to 15 personal fields that can be captured per passenger at the time of booking and another 15 fields that can be updated via Passenger Logins, or by staff in their admin portal
Agents can be configured and grouped for performance and promotional purposes.
Reporting
What is the CobberRes reporting solution and its key features?
CobberRes reports for all printable outputs, like manifests, vouchers, confirmations, itineraries, performance, sales, and accounting reports, all as PDFs. Organised into Operations, Performance, Sales, and Accounting with user-specific permissions, reports can be previewed, printed, exported, and emailed.
A scheduling feature allows for automatic, recurring email distribution.
Additionally, CobberRes reporting tools can be used for advanced insights, enabling interactive dashboards and customisable reports with automated distribution for real-time access to critical business insights.
Which marketing information can be captured and how is it reported?
CobberRes records marketing information for individual passengers at the time of booking. It collects data on passenger origins, booking sources, and promotion origins per booking. There are up to 15 personal fields that can be captured per passenger at the time of booking and another 15 fields that can be updated via Passenger Logins, or by staff in their admin portal
Agents can be configured and grouped for performance and promotional purposes.
CobberRes for Accommodation - FAQs
What is the CobberRes PMS for Accommodation?
CobberRes for accommodation is a leading cloud based reservation management system available.
Manage your rates, calendars, bookings, invoicing, marketing and more, all from within our platform. Our Channel management provides integration with leading OTA's makes advertising your inventory across the web easy. The CobberRes Booking Engine significantly reduces the risk of double bookings regardless of whether they are acquired through your own website or an online distribution partner. This is why so many accommodation providers refer to our PMS, Booking Engine and Channel Manager as "The Hub" of their business.
What type of accommodation businesses can use CobberRes?
It is perfect for a wide range of accommodation providers, from a single holiday home to a B&B or Lodge; from a backpackers' hostel or motel, to a luxury resort with their own activities and tours.
If you manage a number of vacation homes because you are a property manager then our CobberRes for VR is the perfect system for you.
What makes CobberRes different?
We are not “the only shop in town”, but we believe our experience and understanding of the tourism industry, our clever and good looking system and our superior technology means we are a popular all in one solution for any accommodation provider. CobberRes is easy to use, you can start with a basic system and the system can grow as your business grows and our company helps their customers keep up with tourism marketing trends and tips because we care about your business as much as we care about our own.
Will I be able to take bookings from my website?
Yes! That is the magic of CobberRes, you will be able to receive bookings through your website. You can choose to make it instant (take bookings while you sleep) or "on request."
How do I take payments? How do I take secure online payments for CobberRes?
CobberRes is not a payment gateway, but we do seamlessly integrate with three options for our accommodation customers to choose from:
1. Windcave - which is offered by Direct Payment Solutions (DPS) and is one of the world’s largest leading providers in secure online payment technology. Once set up, your customers can pay at the time of the booking in part or in full. You may also choose to process payments internally.
2. PayPal - a worldwide online payments system that supports online money transfers and is widely popular on most e-commerce sites.
3. Stripe - is a market leader in credit card payment processing using modern technology, allowing you to accept payments globally and in any currency.
Is CobberRes a channel manager? Do I need a channel manager?
CobberRes offers our own channel manager called ResChannel to connect your rates and availability with Online Travel Agents like Booking.com, AirBnb, Agoda, Expedia & more - see our Channel Management page to view the integrations.
You can save on integration costs by taking advantage of our bundled packages that include our PMS, ResChannel and our Booking Engine. We can also connect to channel managers like ResOnline and Siteminder.
Can the CobberRes booking engine work on my website easily?
Yes! It can fit into any website and it is easy. For our older calendar style options, we supply you with a line of code, you take this to your web developer and they can embed the calendar into your website.
For our more modern booking engine, which we recommend, we can provide you with a URL link for your book now buttons, or we can integrate it with all Cobber tourism websites for a seamless design.
Can I take "requests" for bookings rather Instant bookings?
Yes you can, but if you choose to do ‘on request’ bookings then you cannot work with a Channel Manager for your Online Travel Agents (OTAs) like Booking.com, Expedia, and AirBnB because they require instant bookings.
We recommend instant bookings to increase direct bookings from your website and to allow a broader distribution with OTA partners.
How much does CobberRes for accommodation cost?
You decide! Depending on the type of package you want and the amount of rooms, we have a pricing system that provides you with options based on how you want to use the system. Our pricing is very competitive with other PMS providers in the market.
Get in touch with our team to find out more!
What is a cloud-based system?
A cloud-based system gives you the ability to log in online and manage your bookings and business, anywhere, anytime. It does not require an app; there is no initial installation of programs, downloads or required hardware. You can manage your bookings whilst you are on holiday anywhere in the world, with internet access! It is that simple.
Keen to see Cobber in action? Book a demo with our team.
Latest News & Yarns from Cobber Corner
"I don’t feel like a client, I feel like I am a part of the team. I love our relationship. We are firm believers in the entire Cobber team."
"Our relationship with Cobber has spanned more than 15 years because of superior global connectivity, constant development and exceptional customer service."
“There are still some features of the system that we are not using to full capacity, but as we roll these features out, we will see even greater savings for the business.”
"The single biggest reason I’d recommend Cobber is I know they’re here for the long-term. They keep pace with new technology and travel booking practices, making us far more competitive."
"I don’t feel like a client, I feel like I am a part of the team. I love our relationship. We are firm believers in the entire Cobber team."
"Our relationship with Cobber has spanned more than 15 years because of superior global connectivity, constant development and exceptional customer service."
“There are still some features of the system that we are not using to full capacity, but as we roll these features out, we will see even greater savings for the business.”
"The single biggest reason I’d recommend Cobber is I know they’re here for the long-term. They keep pace with new technology and travel booking practices, making us far more competitive."