Property Management System (PMS) API
Integrating a PMS system with your rXg is a great way to increase its functionality by having it query a third party for information. This is incredibly useful for onboarding authorized guests, be they paid or unpaid.
A property management system is a kind of 3rd party software that can track many, many things about what is going on at a property. For our purposes, the most important are who is in what room, and posting charges to the room.
Setup and Operation
PMS APIs are like a box of chocolate... they're all a little different. The rXg does its best to smooth out these differences, but I can not cover them all in this article. I will try to focus on the commonalities.
Authentication
When a guest arrives at your property and wants to get on the WiFi, the first step is Authentication. Generally, property managers only want registered guests to be able to access the internet through their infrastructure. In order to find out if the guest is registered or not, their credentials must be checked. Usually this means entering their last name / room number into a captive portal. Once entered, they are checked against the PMS API via a "room inquiry" API call. (the specific name may depend on the vendor). If the room inquiry API call shows that this guest is present in the room in the PMS provider's system, the guest will be considered authenticated and can move on to the next step.
Authorization
Once a guest is Authenticated, they can either be granted access immediately or they may be required to purchase internet access. If they are required to purchase it, they can charge it to their room. This is accomplished in the rXg by making a "post charge" API request to the PMS. This API request must contain an amount, a folio/guest identifier, and usually some basic description like "WiFi Purchase."
More Info
There is a built in PMS Simulator in the rXg! If you would like to try it, there is a guide here.
I'm proud to say I worked on two PMS API integrations, Hotel Key and INFOR REST.
