Reimagine hotel booking without the busywork

No. Tern is not a host agency and never will be. Tern holds no booking credentials of its own. It uses an agency's credential for one purpose, to set Tern up as that agency's approved supplier. Tern doesn't recruit advisors or take a split of anyone's commission.

Absolutely not. Hotels by Tern comes from the same mission as everything else we build: eliminating the invisible work that holds advisors back. It moves Tern closer to a true all-in-one system for advisors and agencies. We keep investing across the platform. Over the past 12 months, we've grown the core team building agency and advisor features by 3x.

Only a verified credential holder. Tern verifies the IATA or CLIA credential, W-9, bank account, and authorized signer before booking goes live. Once approved, every advisor under that credential can book. Nothing turns on by default.

The agency of record. Every Friday, Tern pays commission on each stay that ended that week, straight to the bank account verified at onboarding, with no processing fees. Your agency pays its advisors the way it does today.

10% is the launch rate. Advisors will soon set their own commission within guardrails their agency sets. Until then, the time you save and payment the Friday after checkout make more hotels worth selling.

The hotel library, with curated content and map search, is open to every advisor. Live rates and booking turn on when your agency approves Tern as a supplier.

Tern buys hotel rooms at net rates and adds a markup, the same way any hotel supplier does. That markup pays for 24/7 support, card processing, and the booking experience. Your commission goes on top.

The price includes the room, taxes, your commission, card processing, and 24/7 support for you and your client. On average, Tern buys rooms 10% to 20% below the retail rate, so Tern is competitive in many cases even with all of that included. It won't always be the cheapest option, so compare the same room under the same terms. We're adding hotel partnerships all the time to keep improving price and value.

Not today. We support the consortia, attend their events, and invest in those relationships because they matter to advisors and agencies. Tern is working to become a preferred partner with the major consortia. Preferred partners clear a high bar, and a new offering can take time to get there. Until then, keep booking consortium hotels through your usual channel.

Not today. Tern doesn't have direct connections with hotels yet, so bookings don't earn hotel program credit or points. We're working toward direct connections that carry the benefits of booking direct, and a Tern loyalty program is coming soon. Until then, book your program and preferred hotels the way you do today.

Absolutely. The workflow you use today to sell hotels and packages through preferred partners keeps working in Tern. Hotels by Tern won't be the right fit for every hotel or every situation, and we'll keep making it easier than ever to book through your other partners too.

Not at launch. If it matters to your agency, tell us.

Tern is the supplier for the hotel, so the charge shows Tern followed by as much of the hotel name as fits, like TERN *HILTON FT LAUDERDALE. Your client authorizes payment the same way they would with any supplier you book.

Yes. Tern's customers are advisors, agencies, and hosts, and Tern serves your travelers on your behalf. Tern will never contact your client without letting you or your agency know.

Your client enters and authorizes their own card in Tern's checkout, and Tern checks it in real time with 3D Secure whenever possible. When an itinerary has several items, the client checks off each one they authorize, which leaves a clear record of what they approved. Keeping agencies and advisors compliant has always been core to Tern. Because Tern runs the checkout and holds that record, we can help defend against chargebacks in a way other suppliers haven't been able to.

Not yet. Both are on our list. If they matter to your agency, let us know.

Tern will never sell your data or your clients' data. Our privacy policy and terms say so explicitly as of this launch.

Yes. Tern is a registered seller of travel in the major US states that require it. TICO confirmed Tern doesn't need to register because it has no presence in Ontario, and Canadian agencies can book through Tern and keep TICO protection.

We started Tern to eliminate the invisible work that holds advisors back, and hotels are a big piece of it. We looked hard for a partner. None could pay commission reliably while giving agencies credit for the booking. So we built it ourselves.