Is Expedia's Automatic Rate Match on by default?

Guides from channel-manager partners describe it as opt-in. One partner guide says properties in a specific Expedia programme have it switched on automatically and cannot opt out while they stay in that programme. Check your own account rather than assume.

Does Automatic Rate Match copy my promotions or open closed dates?

According to one channel-manager guide, no: it matches the same room type, rate plan and dates, does not open dates you have closed and does not match promotions. It can still make small adjustments where Expedia has no identical room or rate.

Who pays for the lower price?

You do. The booking comes in at the matched price, so your revenue for that stay is lower, and commission is charged on top as usual.

Expedia automatic rate match can sell below your minimum price

Answer

It can be. When Expedia's Automatic Rate Match is on, Expedia can lower your price to match a cheaper offer it finds for the same stay elsewhere, and a stay can then sell below the minimum you set. Check the setting in Partner Central and compare recent Expedia bookings with your floor.

How it works

Expedia's Automatic Rate Match compares your Expedia price with prices for the same stay on other booking sites. When it finds a lower one, it lowers your Expedia price to match it. Channel-manager partners describe the limits like this:

It matches the same room type, rate plan and check-in and check-out dates.
It does not open dates you have closed and does not add room types you do not sell on Expedia.
It does not match promotions.
Where Expedia has no identical room or rate, it can make small adjustments to stay competitive.

The problem for operators is the floor. Your pricing tool or channel manager may hold a minimum price, but the match happens on Expedia's side, after your price arrives. We have seen it price a two-night stay below the nightly minimum the property wanted.

How to check yours

Open Expedia Partner Central and find the page where Expedia shows its rate observations. Partner guides place the Automatic Rate Match setting there. Note whether it is on.
Check whether your property joined an Expedia programme that switches the match on for you. One partner guide names a programme where it cannot be turned off while you stay in it.
Export your Expedia reservations for the last 60 days. For each one, divide the room revenue by the nights to get the price per night.
Put that next to the minimum you set for the same dates. Any booking below your minimum is the first sign.
If you find one, look for the cheaper offer the match followed. It is usually another site or a wholesale rate showing the same stay for less. Fixing that price at the source matters more than the setting.
Decide whether to keep the match on. If your minimum is a hard line, for example the amount an owner must receive, switch it off.

The number

What	Figure	Source
Average rate adjustment reported for properties using Automatic Rate Match	-5.6%	RateTiger, 28 May 2024

This is a figure published by a channel-manager partner promoting the feature, not a RevTech result and not independently checked. Treat it as their average, not your exposure. Your own exposure is the gap you find in step 4.

When not to do this

If your prices on other sites are already at or above your Expedia price, the match has nothing to follow and the setting matters little.
If you cannot fix a cheaper offer quickly, for example a wholesale contract that leaks, keeping the match on can win a booking you would otherwise lose. Do this only when the matched price still clears your costs.
If your floor is soft and you would rather sell than hold, a small automatic match may be acceptable. Check it monthly with step 4.

Sources

Smarthotel help guide, Expedia auto rate matching (read 6 Nov 2026); Triptease, 30 Aug 2024; RateTiger, 28 May 2024.

Frequently asked questions

Is Expedia's Automatic Rate Match on by default?: Guides from channel-manager partners describe it as opt-in. One partner guide says properties in a specific Expedia programme have it switched on automatically and cannot opt out while they stay in that programme. Check your own account rather than assume.
Does Automatic Rate Match copy my promotions or open closed dates?: According to one channel-manager guide, no: it matches the same room type, rate plan and dates, does not open dates you have closed and does not match promotions. It can still make small adjustments where Expedia has no identical room or rate.
Who pays for the lower price?: You do. The booking comes in at the matched price, so your revenue for that stay is lower, and commission is charged on top as usual.