Understanding the difference between Guest App Upsells and Booking Engine upsells

Guesty provides two features for offering optional add-on services and upgrades to guests: Guest App upsells and Booking Engine upsells (additional fees as upsells).

Comparing features

Review the table below to understand the key differences between Guest App upsells and Booking Engine upsells:

Feature	Guest App upsells	Booking Engine upsells
Stage offered	Post-booking (before or during the stay via Guest App)	Pre-booking (at checkout on your website or API)
Backend architecture	Built on top of additional fees infrastructure	Built directly via additional fees settings
Accounting mapping	Standard fee type with "fee type on channel" identifiers	Standard fee type with "fee type on channel" identifiers
Automation	AI agents (AutoReply and reservation-based offers)	Static options during website checkout
Guest customization	Advanced options (selecting specific dates, times, or quantities)	Standard static selection at checkout
Payment timing & approval	Charged only after property manager approval	Charged immediately together with the reservation
Account billing	Incurs a Guesty add-on service fee upon checkout, billed monthly	No add-on service fee charged by Guesty

Review key differences

Explore the detailed breakdown of how timing and capabilities differ between the two features.

Timing and target audience

The stage at which guests see upsell options depends on the channel used:

Booking Engine upsells: Presented to potential guests while booking a stay on your Guesty Booking Engine or through the Booking Engine API. Guests select optional extras, such as parking or equipment rentals, directly during checkout.
Guest App upsells: Presented to confirmed guests post-booking. Guests view, request, and pay for services, such as early check-in, late check-out, or welcome baskets, inside the Guest App before or during their stay.

Guest customization

Guest App upsells offer enhanced post-booking customization options to fit specific guest schedules:

Booking Engine upsells: Offer static choices added directly to the initial checkout total.
Guest App upsells: Allow guests to select exact parameters for their add-ons. For example, guests renting a golf cart can choose the specific dates of the rental, or guests requesting early check-in can select their exact arrival time.

Payment timing & approval

How and when the guest pays for an upsell depends on the platform:

Booking Engine upsells: The fee processes automatically alongside the reservation payment during website checkout.
Guest App upsells: The request requires manual review. When a guest submits an upsell request in the Guest App, the property manager must approve the request first. Guesty charges the guest's payment method only after approval.

Automation and AI capability differences

The level of automation varies significantly between the two features:

Booking Engine upsells: Display static upsell options during website checkout without automated targeting or message-based triggers.
Guest App upsells: Include advanced AI-driven automations that maximize conversion:
- AutoReply based on guest messages: The AutoReply AI agent automatically detects guest inquiries about requests like early check-in or late check-out, sending a personalized message with a direct link to purchase the upsell in the Guest App.
- Offers based on reservation details: AI agents operate independently to analyze reservation criteria and automatically target eligible guests with timely upsell offers, even if the guest hasn't messaged you directly.

Refer to the articles below for step-by-step instructions on configuring each feature:

Related to:

GFP: Revenue Management