Start with the supported journey
Document what the customer currently sees, which fields the vendor requires and where confirmation happens. A reliable supported link can be more useful than an untested custom interface. An embed may preserve vendor controls while needing careful mobile and cross-domain checks. Do not call either method a native API build.
Build a compatibility register
For each vendor installation, record the method, authorised access, supported actions, test date and limitations. Use statuses such as verified link, verified embed, tested API action and not yet assessed. Availability read, rate calculation and booking write are separate actions. A test of one does not verify the others.
Identify the source of truth
Dispatch should have one authoritative availability and booking state. A website quote acknowledgement must not reserve a vehicle unless the supported system confirms it. Decide how rates, changes and payment state are handled. Payment details should remain in the processorβs supported flow rather than ordinary contact fields or email.
Test failures as well as success
Use a sandbox or an agreed controlled test. Check duplicate submission, timeout, invalid journey data, unavailable capacity and vendor rejection. The passenger needs an understandable outcome and a staff handoff. A loading spinner that never ends is not an acceptable error state. Record how failed requests reach the operator.
Assign ongoing ownership
Document credentials handling, supported interfaces, maintenance responsibility and the response to a vendor change. Do not promise a universal delivery time. The scope depends on access and capabilities. If the vendor does not supply an action, narrow the website to a quote request or another supported handoff rather than inventing a confirmation.
Apply this to your actual operation.
Use the relevant service scope and your operating market guide to prepare the next step. The booking calculator models your entered assumptions; a free meeting can address the real workflow.
Editorial guidance updated 6 October 2026. Examples are illustrative unless explicitly identified as a documented project result.


