Information on using the Channel Category Comparison report in RMS, and the data it reports on.

Overview

The Channel Category Comparison report shows how your online travel agent (OTA) / channel categories and rates are mapped to RMS Categories and Rate Types.

Use it to:

• Confirm each OTA room/rate is linked to the correct RMS Category and Rate Type.

• Quickly find unmapped or incorrectly mapped room/rate combinations.

• Check where “No Update” has been enabled so you understand which channels are not receiving rate and inventory updates from RMS.

This report is especially useful when:

• Setting up new channels or remapping existing ones.

• Troubleshooting availability/rate discrepancies between RMS and an OTA.

• Auditing mappings after changes to Categories, Areas or Rate Types in RMS.

Why use this report?

Use the Channel Category Comparison report to:

• Verify Channel Mapping

  • Confirm every OTA room/rate combination is mapped to a valid RMS Category and Rate Type.

  • Identify “Unknown Mapping” or channel records that don’t exist in your RMS Distributor Link table.

• Prevent Overbookings and Revenue Loss

  • Ensure active, sellable Categories in RMS are correctly linked and updating to online channels.

  • Spot mappings where “No Update” is enabled, so you understand which rates/inventory are not being pushed to the OTA.

• Troubleshoot Channel Issues Faster

  • If a channel isn’t receiving rates or availability, or a room is selling when it shouldn’t, this report helps quickly confirm whether mapping is the cause.

  • See where a channel is pulling data directly from the Channel Manager vs. RMS.

• Support Internal Audits & Changes

  • After renaming or inactivating Categories/Areas, or changing “Available to RMS Online”, this report lets you confirm what each channel still “sees” from RMS.

  • For Enterprise databases, use the Multi Property Selector and Group By options to review mapping across properties.

Important factors to know

Channel Source & Unknown Records

• Unknown Mapping records often indicate the channel has a room/rate set that RMS isn’t fully aware of or mapped.

“No Update” Behaviour

• The No Update option indicates that RMS will not send rate or inventory updates for that mapped room/rate to the channel.

• Bookings may still flow, depending on the channel, but the pricing/availability will no longer be maintained by RMS for those mappings.

Inactive/Not Available to RMS Online Categories

• If a Category is set to Inactive or Available to RMSOnline = No, any existing mappings should effectively become disconnected:

  • Connections should show as Unconnected in the Channel Management screen.

  • Related records should be removed from the online mapping tables.

• If you still see a Category that has recently been inactivated, it may be due to timing or legacy mappings that need to be cleaned up.

Mapped by Category vs Mapped by Area

• When mapped by Area, the report displays Category Name – Area Name (for example, “Deluxe Room – East 

• This makes it easier to identify which physical or logical area is mapped to each OTA room type.

Guide

In the side menu of RMS, go to Reports > Online > Channel Category Comparison.

1. Select the Travel Agent.
   Select a Group By option.
2. Select Build.
   

Report Columns

Exact column names can vary depending on your configuration, but the logic behind them is consistent.

Depending on selections made on the report build screen, some columns may not display.

Common questions (FAQ)

Why do I see “Unknown” or unmapped records?

Possible reasons:

• The channel is returning room/rate combinations that do not have a matching entries in RMS.

• The mapping was partially removed in RMS but still exists on the channel side.

• A new room/rate was created in the channel but never mapped in RMS.

What to do:

• Check Channel Management in RMS to see if the room/rate appears and can be mapped.

• Confirm with the channel whether the room/rate is required; if not, remove/disable it in the channel.

What does the “No Update” column mean?

The No Update column shows whether RMS is blocked from sending rate and inventory updates for that channel mapping.

• Y (Yes) – RMS does not push rates/availability to the channel for this room/rate. The channel may still sell it using its own values.

• N (No) – RMS will send updates as normal.

Use this column to confirm whether a mapping is intentionally read‑only or if a channel is not updating when you expect it to.

Why is a category that I set to Inactive still appearing?

If a Category has only just been set to Inactive or “Available to RMSOnline” = No, you might temporarily still see references until the connection/state is fully updated.

• Inactive or not‑available Categories should show as Unconnected in the Channel Management list.

• Related connections should be removed from the relevant online mapping tables.

• The Channel Category Comparison report should then no longer display those mappings.

If you continue to see the Category after a reasonable time or after confirming the mapping is removed, log a ticket with Support for further investigation.

Why are my rates/availability not updating on the OTA even though mapping looks correct?

Check the following in the report:

No Update = Y?

• If yes, RMS is intentionally not sending updates to that channel mapping. Change this in your mapping if you want RMS to control that room/rate.

In RMS = No?

• If the mapping isn’t recognised in RMS, the connection may be orphaned or only exist on the channel side. Re‑map the room/rate properly in Channel Management.

Category/Rate Type Inactive?

• If the RMS Category or Rate Type is inactive or not available to RMS Online, the channel may not receive updates even if it still displays the product.

If all of the above look correct and updates still aren’t flowing, there may be a channel‑side or API issue. Provide a copy of the report to Support for troubleshooting.

How do I use this report when mapping by Area?

When your channel mapping is done by Area:

• The report will display the OTA room as Category – Area (e.g. “RoomB – B1”) to clearly differentiate multiple Areas mapped under the same Category.

• When investigating discrepancies, confirm:

  • You’re looking at the correct Area for that Category.

  • The correct OTA hotel/property code is being referenced.

This helps avoid confusion where the same Category name appears multiple times for different Areas.