Overview

The Trade Partners area of the Admin Portal is where organisations configure, manage, and monitor their B2B partners, external companies who are authorised to book or sell tickets through the Trade Partner Portal, the Public API, or both.

Correct setup ensures:

• Partners see only the products and pricing intended for them
• Commissions are applied accurately and consistently
• Billing and settlement remain clean and auditable
• Each partner has secure, controlled access
• Distribution channels can scale without operational risk
  

A Trade Partner consists of:

• Business details & access configuration
• Addresses for business & finance
• Product and add-on permissions
• Commission rules
• User accounts
• API credentials
• Integration settings for invoicing (Efinancial)
• Reporting classification fields

The Trade Partners module is a key part of Expian’s revenue, distribution, and operational ecosystem — helping organisations extend reach while maintaining governance and financial integrity.

Why It Matters

Proper configuration of Trade Partners ensures:

• Accurate billing & reconciliation: commissions, fees, and revenue splits remain correct
• Secure access: partners can only view and book the products they are permitted to
• Consistent pricing: prevents leakage, over-discounting, or incorrect commissions
• Channel compliance: bookings follow the right terms, amendment fees, and date restrictions
• Operational oversight: partner performance can be monitored via reporting and integrations
• Scalable distribution: you can add new partners quickly and reliably without risk

In short:

Well-configured Trade Partners = controlled distribution + clean finance + trusted reporting.

Trade Partners Section

1. Trade Partners List

(Admin Portal → Trade Partners)

This is the main landing page for all partner accounts.

From here you can:

• View all existing partners
• Search for a partner
• Edit a partner
• Add a new partner
• Navigate to global Trade Partner Settings
• Use pagination arrows to browse long partner lists
  

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Callout Example:

See Screenshot: Trade Partners List — highlight 'Add a New Trade Partner'.

2. Settings (Global Partner Configuration)

These options apply to all trade partners, regardless of individual settings.

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Features

Enable or disable features available to every partner.

Ticket prices with donations

Option to include or exclude donation amounts when showing prices.

Trade Partner Portal Visibility

• Hide Prices: prevents partners from seeing prices in the portal and confirmation emails
• Useful for B2B relationships where pricing is managed offline.

Callout:

See Screenshot: Settings, 'Hide prices in the trade portal and emails'.

3. Creating or Editing a Trade Partner

Description Tab

This defines the core business profile and access rules for the partner.

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Fields

• External ID
• Required for API integrations
• No spaces permitted
• Name
• Display name shown in the Admin Portal and Portal
• Website(optional)
• Trade Partner Access
• Trade Partner Portal
• API
• Both
• Partner Status
• Active
• Inactive
• Suspended
• Payment Methods
• Credit Card
• Invoice
• (client-specific methods may appear)
• Trade Partner Markets
• Which markets the partner is authorised to sell in

4. Addresses Tab

Used for storing Business and Finance contact details.

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Two separate address types:

• Business address
• Finance address

Both sections include:

• Contact name
• Address lines
• City
• Country
• Postcode

Accurate address data supports invoicing, audit, and contact management.

5. Product Commissions Tab

This is one of the most important areas.

It determines:

• Which products and add-ons a partner can sell
• What date ranges they can transact in
• What commission rate they receive
• Whether commissions apply to transaction date or travel date
• What cancellation/amendment terms apply

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Commission Groups

Commission Groups allow multiple, independent configurations.

Each group contains:

A. Access Settings

• Portal
• API
• Both

B. Permissible Products

Select exactly which products the partner may sell.

C. Permissible Add-ons

Optional or mandatory add-ons the partner can sell.

D. Valid Date Ranges

For controlling when:

• Orders can be created
• Travel can take place

Useful for seasonal partners or restricted sales windows.

E. Commission Rates

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Options include:

• Percentage (%)
• Fixed amount

Applied based on either:

• Transaction date, or
• Visit/Travel date
  

F. Cancellation & Amendment Terms

These are linked to predefined Terms & Fees configured in:

Admin Portal → Building Blocks → Terms & Amendment Fees

This ensures consistent financial rules.

6. Users Tab

Trade Partner accounts may have multiple users.

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Add New User

Fields include:

• First Name / Last Name
• Email
• Phone
• Enable User
• Primary Contact
• Address details

When created, users receive an automated verification email through the authentication system

(as described in Trade Partner User Setup for Local ).

7. API Credentials Tab

For partners using automated integrations.

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Two credential types:

• OAuth Client Credentials
• Client ID
• Client Secret
• Shown only once
• Static API Key

Removing credentials will disable API access permanently until re-issued.

8. Integrations Tab (Efinancial / Invoicing)

Though labelled Integrations, this tab currently presents Invoicing settings.

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Business Type

High-level category such as:

• Tour Operator
• Travel Agent
• Group Organiser
• etc.

Business Subtype

A detailed descriptor (full list shown in screenshot), including:

• Coach Operator
• DMC
• Group Handler
• Hotel
• Sightseeing
• Student Importer
• …and many others

WHERE/HOW ARE THESE SET UP?

EFIN

A billing reference used for interfacing with Efinancial or other invoicing systems.

Self Billing

Indicates whether invoices are generated by the partner or the organisation.

Direct?

Flags direct billing relationships.

9. Reporting Tab

Simple classification fields used to group or filter partner data inside your reporting suite.

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Includes:

• Reporting Code 1
• Reporting Code 2

These fields are optional but recommended for finance categorisation.

Best Practice

• Use consistent External ID naming (e.g., TP_ABC_TRAVEL)
• Always confirm permissible products when onboarding a partner
• Review commission windows and date ranges annually
• Keep at least one Primary Contact per partner
• Disable unused or old users to maintain security
• Test portal or API access after major configuration updates
• Use Reporting Codes to simplify financial reconciliation

Feature Highlights

Summary

The Trade Partners module enables organisations to extend their sales channels securely and efficiently. By configuring:

• Access
• Products
• Commissions
• Users
• API credentials
• Invoicing integrations
• Reporting mappings

you maintain strong governance, accurate finance, and scalable distribution.

A well-configured partner ensures seamless operations, correct revenue capture, and a trusted relationship across both B2B and automated booking channels.