# RtB 2.0 overview

This section explains the Request to Book (RtB) 2.0 changes that affect your Connectivity
integration with Booking.com. It is intended for engineers at connectivity providers who already
integrate with the [Request to Book Connectivity API](/connectivity/docs/request-to-book/overview).

What's new for existing RtB partners
Today, you block provider-side availability when a request becomes `BOOKED`. With RtB 2.0, you also
block it when an `RTB` request is created. Release it if the request is rejected, expires,
or fails to process.

## How request types work

RtB now supports two types of booking requests, identified by the `requestType` field:

| Mode | Description |
|  --- | --- |
| `INQUIRY` | The RtB 1.x flow, where a pending request does *not* represent an availability block. |
| `RTB` | The new 2.0 flow, where a pending request *does* represent an availability hold. |


Key ideas:

* In **`INQUIRY`** mode, you continue to block availability only when the request becomes `BOOKED`
(reservation created).
* In **`RTB`** mode, you must block and release provider-side availability based on the request
status. See [Availability management](/connectivity/docs/request-to-book/rtb-2.0/availability-management).


## Payment and confirmation

In addition to blocking availability, RtB 2.0 changes how payment and confirmation work for `RTB`
requests:

* When a guest sends an `RTB` request, Booking.com **pre-authorizes** the guest's payment method for
the full amount of the stay. Funds are held but not yet captured.
* If the partner approves an `RTB` request, Booking.com **immediately confirms** the booking and
settles payment. The guest does *not* need to come back to finish booking after approval.
Partner approval directly turns the pending request into a confirmed reservation.
* For `INQUIRY` (RtB 1.0) requests, there is no pre-authorization at request time. After the partner
approves, the guest still has to return to complete payment and finalize the reservation, which
they may still abandon.


The following diagram shows how the approval flow differs between the `INQUIRY` and `RTB` request
modes:

![Approval flow for INQUIRY vs RTB requests](/assets/inquiry-request-flow.31c4db2a2b3b9fc1c7efe3acf4d4248a2cb5758dae859eefc446d8b296b7d0f1.d44379f7.png)

## Getting access

Access is controlled by the `rtb_api_v2_enabled` provider feature in Provider Portal. Enabling it is
the final step of the migration. See [step 7 of the migration guide](/connectivity/docs/request-to-book/rtb-2.0/migration-guide) for when
and how to turn it on. Until it is enabled, all requests continue to use `requestType = INQUIRY`.

RtB 2.0 is version 2.x, so you must also send `X-Booking-Api-Version: 2.0.0` to receive the RtB 2.0
fields. See [Versioning](/connectivity/docs/request-to-book/technical-overview#versioning).