IBE

An Internet Booking Engine (IBE) is the booking system or widget embedded on a hotel's website that allows guests to search availability, select room types, and complete direct reservations online.\n\nIBEs are a critical tool for hotels looking to drive direct bookings and reduce dependency on third-party OTAs. They typically integrate with the hotel's Property Management System (PMS) to sync availability and rates in real time, and often connect with payment providers to process transactions at the point of booking.\n\nFor hotels offering both prepaid and flexible rates, the IBE plays a key role in determining how and when payments are collected — prepaid bookings are charged immediately, while flexible bookings may leave an outstanding balance to be settled at arrival or during online check-in.