# Quick Start

Channels Plus connects your booking channel with SiteMinder's distribution platform. Through Channels Plus, your channel can search for available properties, retrieve room and rate details, and manage bookings.

**API components:**

* **Properties**: Search and retrieve property details
* **Property**: Availability, pricing, and room configuration
* **Reservations**: Create, modify, and cancel reservations
* **Deals**: Negotiate competitive rates with properties

{% hint style="success" %}
Explore all components in the [API Overview](/channels-plus-api/guides/api-overview.md).
{% endhint %}

***

## Before You Begin

### Partnership Required

Access to Channels Plus requires an active partnership agreement with SiteMinder. Once your agreement is in place, you will receive your test environment details.

<a href="https://www.siteminder.com/integrations/apply-now/" class="button primary">Become a SiteMinder Partner</a>

{% hint style="info" %}
**You don't need to wait for your test environment to start development.** You can begin building and testing immediately. See [Make Your First Call](#make-your-first-call) below or explore requests directly in the [Postman](#explore-with-postman) collection.
{% endhint %}

### What You'll Receive from SiteMinder

SiteMinder will provide the following to get you started:

<table><thead><tr><th width="171.01336669921875">Item</th><th>Details</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>REST endpoint</td><td><a href="https://tpi-channel-api.preprod.smchannelsplus.com">https://tpi-channel-api.preprod.smchannelsplus.com</a></td></tr><tr><td>Partner Portal</td><td>Access to generate your <code>API ID</code> and <code>API Key</code>, and to create Deals</td></tr></tbody></table>

## Set Up Your Environment

### Authentication

Channels Plus uses **channel-level authentication** — two headers on every request (`API ID` and `API Key`), both generated from the Partner Portal.

```bash
--header 'x-sm-api-id: YOUR_API_ID' \
--header 'x-sm-api-key: YOUR_API_KEY'
```

{% hint style="warning" %}
Keep your `API ID` and `API Key` private. Never expose them in front-end or client-side code. This API is for server-to-server use only.
{% endhint %}

### API Specification File

**REST (OpenAPI)**

* **Channels Plus** — [download YAML](https://openapi.gitbook.com/o/qrJuVY5UOf3h7cLyla8z/spec/channels-plus-api.yaml)

***

## Make Your First Call

The first call every Channels Plus integration must implement is [Get Properties](/channels-plus-api/reference/properties.md) — your channel retrieves a list of available properties from SiteMinder based on location and date criteria.

{% stepper %}
{% step %}

### Authenticate

Pass your `API ID` and `API Key` as headers on every request:

{% code overflow="wrap" expandable="true" %}

```bash
--header 'x-sm-api-id: YOUR_API_ID' \
--header 'x-sm-api-key: YOUR_API_KEY'
```

{% endcode %}
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

### Make the call

Retrieve available properties by location and date:

{% code overflow="wrap" expandable="true" %}

```bash
curl -L \
  --url 'https://tpi-channel-api.preprod.smchannelsplus.com/properties?latitude=1&longitude=1&checkin=2026-04-07&checkout=2026-04-07' \
  --header 'x-sm-api-id: YOUR_API_ID' \
  --header 'x-sm-api-key: YOUR_API_KEY' \
  --header 'Accept: */*'
```

{% endcode %}
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

### Handle the response

A successful response returns an array of properties matching your search criteria, each including room types, rate plans, pricing, and commission details:

{% code overflow="wrap" expandable="true" %}

```json
[
  {
    "uuid": "text",
    "name": "text",
    "propertyType": { "text": "text", "language": "text" },
    "address": "text",
    "country": "text",
    "latitude": 1,
    "longitude": 1,
    "starRating": 1,
    "currency": "text",
    "totalCommissionPercentage": 1,
    "rooms": [
      {
        "roomRateUuid": "text",
        "ratePlanName": "text",
        "adults": 1,
        "cancellationPolicy": {
          "policyType": "non-refundable",
          "freeCancellationUntilDays": 1
        },
        "prices": [
          {
            "totalPrice": 1,
            "dealCode": "text",
            "totalCommissionPercentage": 1
          }
        ]
      }
    ]
  }
]
```

{% endcode %}
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

### Handle errors

If your API ID or API Key is missing or invalid:

{% code overflow="wrap" expandable="true" %}

```json
{
  "errors": [
    {
      "code": "text",
      "message": "text",
      "meta": {}
    }
  ]
}
```

{% endcode %}

{% hint style="danger" %}
**401** - Check your `x-sm-api-id` and `x-sm-api-key` headers are correct and present on every request.
{% endhint %}

{% code overflow="wrap" expandable="true" %}

```json
{
  "errors": [
    {
      "code": "text",
      "message": "text",
      "meta": {}
    }
  ]
}
```

{% endcode %}

{% hint style="danger" %}
**429** - The number of requests for the last 5 minutes has reached the limit for your channel. Wait before retrying.
{% endhint %}
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}

***

### Create a Deal

Deals allow your channel to negotiate competitive rates directly with properties, giving your customers access to exclusive pricing.

**To set up your first deal:**

1. Log in to the [Partner Portal](https://developer.siteminder.com/siteminder-apis/channels/introduction/channels-plus/technical-guide/partner-portal)
2. Create a deal using a test property
3. Notify the Partner Integrations team once your deal is ready for approval
4. Once approved, use the `dealCode` returned in the properties response to apply the negotiated rate in your requests

{% hint style="info" %}
For full details on the Deals feature, see [Deals](/channels-plus-api/additional-resources/commercial/deals.md).
{% endhint %}

***

## Explore with Postman

Fork SiteMinder's Channels Plus Postman workspace to run requests with pre-configured environments.

→ [Channels Plus Postman Workspace](https://www.postman.com/siteminder-apis/channels-plus/overview)

### Your credentials

Update the Postman environment with your credentials from the Partner Portal before running any collection:

<table><thead><tr><th width="164.22564697265625">Variable</th><th>Value</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><code>API ID</code></td><td>Your API ID from the Partner Portal</td></tr><tr><td><code>API Key</code></td><td>Your API Key from the Partner Portal</td></tr></tbody></table>

{% hint style="info" %}
For full certification scenario coverage, see [Testing and Certification](https://developer.siteminder.com/siteminder-apis/channels/introduction/channels-plus/testing-and-certification).
{% endhint %}

{% hint style="success" icon="sparkles" %}

## Still have questions?

Use the <i class="fa-gitbook-assistant">:gitbook-assistant:</i> **Ask** button at the top of the page to chat with our AI assistant — it can help you navigate the guide, understand requirements, and troubleshoot issues.

If you need more support, visit [Integration Support](/integration-support/integration-support.md).
{% endhint %}


---

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