Automatically detect potential duplicate bookings to keep your records clean and accurate. Review suggested duplicates and merge them when appropriate to consolidate booking information and avoid confusion.
đ§ This feature is an early Beta preview.
If anything is not working as expected, please reach out to the Support Team so we can make adjustments as needed.
Which duplicates list you see
Tern keeps two kinds of duplicates lists.
Your list: Every travel advisor has a personal list of possible duplicates among the bookings they own. Open it from Commission > Bookings. The steps below use this list.
Your agency's list: Agency admins also have a list for the whole agency. To open it, go to Back office > Bookings, click Actions (or the three-dot menu), and select View duplicate bookings. Only agency admins can see this list.
Each list is separate. Dismissing a pair on your list doesn't dismiss it on your agency's list.
If your agency reconciles commission for a sub-agency, a pair between the two agencies shows on both agencies' lists. Each agency reviews and dismisses that pair on its own list. Dismissing it on one list doesn't hide it on the other.
Steps
Go to Commission > Bookings. If you're an agency admin looking for your agency's list, see Which duplicates list you see above.
Click the More actions menu (three vertical dots) in the top right.
Select View duplicate bookings.
If this is your first time viewing duplicates, Tern will automatically start calculating potential duplicates. You'll see a loading state while the calculation runs (this typically takes a few minutes).
After the first check, the list doesn't update on its own when bookings are added or changed. To check again, click Refresh at the top of the list. The Last updated time on the page shows when the list was last checked.
If the last check failed, or has been running for more than 10 minutes, opening the list again starts a new check.
Once the calculation completes, review the list of suggested duplicate bookings. The table shows:
Supplier - The travel supplier for the booking
Confirmation Number - The booking confirmation number
Client - The primary traveler's name
Start Date - The travel start date
Price - The total cost of the booking
Agent - The agent who created the booking
Status - The current booking status
Click on any row to review and merge the duplicate bookings. This opens a merge interface where you can:
Compare the two bookings side-by-side
Open more details about the booking with a trip
Click Swap source to change which booking is kept as the destination. If exactly one of the two bookings is imported, Swap source is turned off. The imported booking is always the source, and it's the one removed.
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Note: If either booking came from an import, it shows an Imported badge at the top of its card in the merge view. This helps you tell an imported booking apart from one created directly in Tern before you merge. If only one booking in the pair is imported, the imported booking is always the source. Your own booking is kept, along with its trip name and travelers, and the imported booking's commission payments move onto it.
If the bookings are duplicates, click Merge to merge the source booking into the destination
Any client payments or commission payments on the source booking will be moved to the destination
If the destination booking has not yet been marked as booked, it will be marked as booked after merging
If the destination booking was in planning and has no expected commission, it takes the source booking's expected commission.
If your host agency requires its own suppliers, the destination booking switches to your host agency's supplier. A banner in the merge view shows this change before you merge.
If the bookings aren't duplicates, click Dismiss in the merge view. Tern asks you to confirm. Click Dismiss again to remove the pair from your list. Note: Dismissing can't be undone. Tern won't suggest that pair again, even after you click Refresh.
When a merge is blocked
If a pair can't be merged yet, the merge view shows a banner titled "This pair needs a change before it can be merged." The banner tells you what to change. Make the change, then open the pair again and click Merge.
Pairs you can fix, then merge:
"These bookings belong to different advisors." Move both bookings to the same advisor, then merge.
"The commission recorded on each booking doesn't match." Correct the commission amounts so they match, then merge.
"Both bookings are already on payout statements." Void one of the payouts, then merge.
"The commission payment on the destination booking doesn't match the host agency's payment." Update or delete the commission payment on the destination booking, then merge. Merging as-is would count the payment twice.
"The commission payment on the destination booking is on a locked supplier statement." Unlock the statement, then merge.
"These bookings sit at different levels in the commission hierarchy." Move the bookings into your host agency's hierarchy, then merge.
"To merge, update the destination booking." The destination booking is missing details it needs to be marked as booked. The message lists what's missing. Add those details, then merge.
Pairs that can't be merged:
Tern doesn't merge two bookings when:
The bookings use different currencies.
The source booking has authorizations on its payment schedule.
The destination booking doesn't have a payment schedule.
The bookings belong to different agencies.
One booking has agency commission payments and the bookings use accreditations from different agencies. To merge, remove the agency commission payments from the source booking or update the accreditations so they match.
One booking has commission invoices and the bookings belong to different agencies. If the banner offers Swap source or an accreditation change, follow it. Otherwise this pair can't be merged.
If you can't make the change yourself, or the merge still fails after you make it, contact Tern support.
How duplicate detection works
Bookings may appear as duplicates for several reasons:
Same confirmation number and supplier
The most reliable indicator: two bookings share the same confirmation number and are with the same supplier. This typically means they represent the same reservation that was entered multiple times.
Same confirmation number (different or missing supplier)
Bookings with matching confirmation numbers but different or missing supplier information. This can happen when supplier data wasn't captured consistently, but the confirmation number still indicates they're likely the same booking.
Same client, travel date, and similar amount
Bookings for the same traveler (primary traveler's name matches) with the same travel start date and amounts within $1.00 or 5% of each other. This helps catch duplicates where confirmation numbers might be missing, entered incorrectly, or differ between systems.
Important notes:
The system only suggests duplicates when at least one booking has moved beyond "planning" status (to avoid flagging multiple planning bookings for the same trip).
Data is normalized before comparison (spaces removed, case standardized) so minor formatting differences don't prevent matches.
If a confirmation number appears on more than 10 bookings in a list, Tern doesn't use that confirmation number to find duplicates. This stops generic numbers, like "CONCIERGE," from creating hundreds of pairs. Those bookings can still be matched by client, travel date, and amount.
Two bookings only appear as a pair when their accreditations belong to the same agency. An independent booking won't pair with a booking under your host agency's accreditation.
Bookings in the same package, group, or cruise can share one confirmation number and show up as a pair. If they're parts of one reservation rather than the same booking entered twice, dismiss the pair. Merging would remove a real booking. Cruise line insurance that uses the cruise's booking number can also pair with the cruise. If they're separate bookings, dismiss the pair.
All suggested duplicates should be reviewed before merging, as some may be false positives.
Duplicates of bookings your host agency imported
If your host agency imported your bookings during onboarding and you'd already built some of the same trips yourself, follow these steps:
Move your independent bookings to your host. Go to Commission â Bookings and click Move bookings to [your host agency]. Choose Move selected or Move all, then click Move bookings. Nothing changes about your trips, travelers, client payments, or confirmation numbers.
Open View duplicate bookings. Your duplicates list refreshes on its own after the move. Pairs of your booking and the imported copy will now appear.
Merge each pair. The imported booking is always the source, so your trip name and travelers stay and your host's commission records move onto your booking.
If some bookings say they can't move yet, contact Tern support. If a pair shows "This pair needs a change before it can be merged," follow the fix in the banner. See When a merge is blocked above. If you can't make that change yourself, contact Tern support.
FAQs
How long does the duplicate calculation take? For agencies with many bookings, the initial calculation can take several minutes. The page will automatically refresh when complete. You'll see a loading indicator while the calculation is in progress.
Why don't I see any duplicates? If no duplicates are found, the table will be empty. This is normal if your bookings are well-organized and don't have duplicates. Duplicates are checked across all your bookings, not only recent ones. If you expected a pair that isn't showing, check that both bookings are under the same agency's accreditation, then click Refresh.
What if the calculation fails? If you see an error message, the check didn't finish. Open the duplicates list again to start a new check. If it fails again, contact Tern support.
What if I see a booking pair that isn't actually a duplicate? The system uses automated matching, so some suggestions may be false positives. Click Dismiss to remove the pair from your list. Dismissing can't be undone, and Tern won't suggest that pair again.