What Is a Cut-Off Time?
A cut-off time is the minimum amount of time required before the start of an activity or service for a booking to be accepted.
For more details, refer to the API Documentation.
How Is Cut-Off Time Configured at GetYourGuide?
Cut-off times can be configured in two ways:
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Supplier Portal
Suppliers can manually set cut-off times via the Supplier Portal. These settings apply to all time slots within the same option and offer a limited set of predefined values (e.g., every 5 minutes in the first hour, or fixed intervals like 1, 2, or 3 hours, up to 10 hours).
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API Integration
Through the API, cut-off times are expressed in seconds, allowing precise, slot-level configuration.
- A value of 0 allows bookings until the exact start time of the activity.
- The cut-off time is included in the availability payload sent to GetYourGuide.
Please configure the cut-off time according to the supplier’s operational needs. The API approach provides greater flexibility and accuracy.
What Happens If Both Manual and API Cut-Off Times Are Set?
If a cut-off time is set manually in the Supplier Portal and a different value is provided via the API, the API value will override the manual setting.
How Cut-Off Time Works in the Booking Flow
The booking flow depends on both the cut-off time and the reservation expiration time, which must be provided by the reservation system.
- Customers can add a product to their cart via the reserve endpoint until the cut-off time is reached.
- When the reservation is placed, the reservation system must send a reservation expiration time in the response.
- This expiration time defines how long the booking remains valid and takes priority over the cut-off time.
Example:
- Activity starts at 12:00, with a 1-hour cut-off.
- At 10:45, the customer initiates a reservation.
- The reservation system responds with an expiration time of 30 minutes.
- The booking can be completed until 11:15, overriding the original cut-off of 11:00.
Please configure the reservation expiration time according to the supplier’s operational requirements.
How Does Cut-Off Time Work at the Option and Timeslot Level?
Since availability is managed at the option level, suppliers are not required to configure cut-off times for every option. Only use cut-off times where operationally needed.
Within a single option, cut-off times can vary per time slot. There is no requirement for consistency across time slots, allowing flexible configuration based on operational constraints.
Cut-off behaviour also depends on the availability type:
- Starting Time: Cut-off is calculated from the activity’s start time.
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Opening Hours: Cut-off is calculated from the end of the availability window.
Why Is Cut-Off Time Important?
Cut-off times help ensure:
- Operational Efficiency: Suppliers have time to prepare before the activity begins.
- Customer Experience: Prevents last-minute bookings that can’t be fulfilled.
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Inventory Management: Maintains accurate availability and reduces overbooking risk.
Additional Resources
For implementation guidance, refer to the API Documentation.