Vrbo Just Got a Lot Bigger By Tapping Into Expedia’s Global Network

Uvika Wahi

VrboIndustry News
Bright comparison image of Vrbo and Expedia logos over fishbowls with goldfish, illustrating vacation rental booking platforms.

Expedia Group has announced a slate of updates for its vacation rental brand Vrbo, but one stands out as the most consequential for property managers: distribution expansion across Expedia’s consumer brands, airline partners, fintech apps, and a global network of 160,000 travel agents.

Beyond just a UI tweak, this is a fundamental shift in how Vrbo supply will be surfaced to travelers, and it could put your listings in front of whole new pools of demand.

Expedia’s Brands and Partners Open New Demand Pockets for Vrbo

At Rental Scale-Up, we’ve previously written about how Vrbo didn’t need to expand to more countries to grow. Instead, its real opportunity was sitting right next to it: Expedia Group’s vast ecosystem of B2C brands and B2B partnerships.

That’s exactly what’s happening now. With this announcement, Vrbo is tapping into 70,000 businesses and 160,000 travel agents, with early partners including Delta, Alaska Airlines, and Revolut. On Expedia.com, travelers will benefit from:

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  • A new search toggleis making it easier to switch between hotels and vacation rentals.
  • Enhanced visibility for vacation rentals, placing them directly alongside hotels in search results.
  • A fresh ad campaign spotlighting Vrbo supply to drive more awareness and demand.

What Expedia Means by B2B Rollout

Expedia Group isn’t just a consumer-facing platform (Expedia.com, Hotels.com, Vrbo, etc.); it also has a B2B division that powers travel bookings through other companies’ websites, loyalty programs, and agent networks. Think of it as Expedia “white-labeling” its travel inventory and plugging it into other ecosystems.

The Numbers in Context

  • 70,000 businesses → These are corporate partners (banks, airlines, loyalty programs, fintech apps, etc.) that use Expedia’s travel technology to offer booking services to their customers.
    • Example: Revolut (a fintech app) can now let users book Vrbo vacation rentals inside its app.
    • Example: Delta and Alaska Airlines can offer Vrbo stays bundled with flights or as loyalty redemptions.
  • 160,000 travel agents → Expedia’s partner agencies and consortia who use Expedia’s Agent Affiliate Program or tools like TAAP (Travel Agent Affiliate Program). These agents can now book Vrbo properties for their clients directly in their systems.

What This Means

For Vrbo hosts and property managers:

  • New demand streams → Your listing could be booked by someone browsing vacation packages on an airline site, cashing in loyalty points, or working with a travel agent.
  • Diversification of exposure → Instead of relying only on Vrbo.com traffic, properties show up wherever Expedia pipes its inventory.
  • More “qualified” demand → Airline and fintech partners bring in higher-spending, often international travelers who may not have considered Vrbo before.

For Expedia/Vrbo:

  • This is a leveraging move: Airbnb doesn’t have airline or agent distribution, Booking.com does but less loyalty integration. Expedia is playing its unique B2B strength to expand Vrbo’s reach beyond its own walls.

In short: your Vrbo listings could soon appear not just on Vrbo.com, but on airline booking sites, in fintech apps like Revolut, and through traditional travel agents,  massively widening the funnel of potential guests.

Distribution and Quality Are Two Sides of the Same Coin

It’s worth noting that Expedia didn’t only announce distribution updates. Alongside this news came a push to raise the bar for quality:

  • The Premier Host program will transition to listing-level recognition in early 2026, with stricter standards (99% acceptance rate, 0% cancellations, 4.6+ reviews).
  • New Performance Milestones will layer in coaching and rewards, like a “Top 1%” badge and increased visibility.

That means distribution can only translate into bookings if your properties meet these higher thresholds. A wider funnel doesn’t help if your listings don’t make it to the front of the line.

Other Vrbo Updates You Should Know About

Expedia also announced several other features and initiatives worth watching:

  • Vrbo Payments (pilot): Expedia stepping in as merchant of record, which could change payment flows and unlock OneKeyCash redemption on Vrbo stays.
  • Vrbo Promotions (live): More access to deal types (early booking, last-minute, mobile, member-only) via PMS integrations.
Vrbo Promotions Suite dashboard showing settings for creating and managing promotions. Options include Early Booking Promotions, Last Minute Promotions, Members Only Deals, and Mobile Promotions, with a button to ‘Create a promotion.

Vrbo’s Promotions Suite Dashboard: Tools for property managers to create early booking deals, last-minute promotions, mobile offers, and members-only discounts.
  • AI-powered trust tools (in testing): Review summaries, AI Q&A, and dynamic property highlights designed to help travelers book with more confidence.
Vrbo launches AI Guest Review Summaries: Quick highlights of what travelers loved, powered by verified reviews
Vrbo AI Guest Review Summaries tool, showing an aggregated 9.8/10 score with AI-generated highlights of guest feedback.

The Takeaway

Expedia is finally bringing Vrbo fully into its global travel network. For professional property managers, this opens up new demand channels without needing to expand into new markets, but it also raises the stakes.

With stricter quality standards around the corner, and payments shifting under Expedia’s control, managers will need to adapt on multiple fronts. Distribution expansion could be a growth opportunity, but only if your listings are consistently competitive in terms of performance, reliability, and guest satisfaction.

Related Articles:

Vrbo Q2 2025: Expedia Group chart showing room nights booked and average daily rates across all accommodation brands.Vrbo Q2 2025 Results Show Clear Shift Toward Promotions, Shorter Stays, and Bundled Value Vrbo’s Host-Initiated Cancellation Policy Why Property Managers Are WorriedVrbo’s Host-Initiated Cancellation Policy: Why Property Managers Are Worried Vrbo Tightens Its Premier Host Standards What Property Managers Need to KnowVrbo Tightens Its Premier Host Standards: What Property Managers Need to Know Vrbo Payments: Expedia Takes Over as Merchant of Record Expedia Group has announced a pilot for Vrbo Payments, a new system that makes Expedia the merchant of record for vacation rental transactions. It’s a big shift for a platform that, until now, often left payment processing in the hands of property managers or third-party providers. For short-term rental managers, the change has implications for how bookings are processed, how money flows, and how Vrbo connects with Expedia’s broader loyalty ecosystem. What Vrbo Payments Means When Expedia acts as merchant of record (MoR), it is the entity that: Charges the guest’s credit card or digital wallet. Collects booking fees and holds funds before disbursement. Issues refunds and handles chargebacks or disputes. Appears as “Expedia” on the guest’s payment statement. In short, Vrbo managers won’t be the ones directly processing guest payments anymore, Expedia will. Implications for Property Managers The Upside Reduced payment risk: Chargebacks and fraud are handled by Expedia, not managers. Simpler onboarding: Less compliance paperwork and integration hassle. Guest trust: Many travelers feel safer paying “Expedia” than an unfamiliar management company. The Trade-offs Less control over payouts: Expedia sets the payout schedule; managers can’t customize it. Policy limitations: Cancellation and refund rules may be standardized, with less flexibility for managers. Increased dependency: If payments run through Expedia, it becomes harder to operate outside the platform’s ecosystem. Why Expedia Is Making This Move Airbnb has always been merchant of record. Booking.com is increasingly shifting from its older agency model (guest pays host directly) toward facilitated payments. Vrbo has been an outlier, one of the last major OTAs where managers often collected payments themselves. By stepping in as MoR, Expedia is: Aligning Vrbo with industry norms. Streamlining guest experience (fewer unfamiliar charges, more consistent refunds). Centralizing financial control within the Expedia ecosystem. The Loyalty Angle: OneKeyCash Perhaps the biggest reason for Vrbo Payments is loyalty. Expedia’s unified program, One Key, rewards travelers with OneKeyCash that can be spent across Expedia, Hotels.com, and now Vrbo. Before: Guests could earn OneKeyCash when booking Vrbo, but couldn’t always spend it there, because Vrbo wasn’t the merchant of record. Now: With Expedia processing payments, OneKeyCash can be applied directly to Vrbo stays. For property managers, that means more visibility to loyalty-driven travelers who might otherwise choose a hotel. For Expedia, it’s a powerful way to keep travelers within its ecosystem. What Managers Should Watch For Payout timing: How quickly will managers get their money after Expedia collects? Airbnb’s schedule, for example, is predictable but rigid. Fee structures: Will MoR change Vrbo’s commission model, or add processing fees? Policy control: How much flexibility will managers lose in setting payment, deposit, or refund policies? Adoption timeline: The pilot is limited, but Expedia hasn’t said when or if Vrbo Payments will roll out universally. The Takeaway Vrbo Payments brings Vrbo in line with how the rest of the OTA world already operates. For managers, it reduces risk and expands access to loyalty demand, but it also shifts more control into Expedia’s hands. As Expedia continues to integrate Vrbo into its global machine, payments are no longer just a back-office function. They’re a strategic lever for guest trust, loyalty, and platform control.Vrbo Payments: Expedia Takes Over as Merchant of Record

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