Overview
What is the one-way sync?
A one-way integration from Tern to TPISuitcase. When a booking is marked “Booked” in Tern under the TPI Accreditation/IATA number, key booking and traveler data automatically pushes to TPISuitcase. This removes dual entry. Any changes or cancellations made in Tern are also pushed to TPISuitcase.
Phase 2 is now available - what does that mean?
The one-way sync is on for everyone submitting bookings through TPI's credentials - no more "opt in" required.
Please note that if you are a member of a hosted TPI agency that uses Tern for commission reconciliation and currently has your team submit bookings through your direct agency's credentials, there may be a transition period.
This will be completed in the next week or so.
As a part of that process, we'll get you set up as a hosted agency under TPI. You and your team's billing account status will be unaffected.
By setting you up this way, you and your team members will be able to submit bookings via the one-way sync, while maintaining the ability to use Tern's reconciliation tools.
If you are an agency owner and have any question about your team's status, please email [email protected].
If you are a direct member of TPI, you'll now see the ability to log received commission on bookings submitted through TPI credentials, for your own tracking purposes.
For full information on the one-way sync, commission reconciliation, and more, please read the full FAQ below!
Data & Sync Behavior
What data syncs from Tern to TPISuitcase?
Tern will send over the fields below to TPISuitcase.
Fields with a ** will be required in order to submit the booking. If you haven’t filled out any required fields, you’ll see an error when trying to submit the booking.
Any updates made to these fields after your booking has been submitted will also be synced and updated in TPISuitcase.
If you have multiple confirmation numbers on a single booking in Tern, only the first will sync to Suitcase. As a workaround, you can manually enter bookings for the additional confirmation numbers, or split them out as separate bookings in Tern to sync them over.
Tip: use a rejected second itinerary in Tern to sync them for the same trip, but not have your client see them.
Reservation fields
Tern field | TPISuitcase field |
Trip title | Reservation Title |
**Travelers (first name, middle name, last name) | Passenger(s); first traveler will be ‘Prepared for’ |
**Trip start date | Start Date |
**Trip end date | End Date |
Total price of trip | Total cost |
Expected Commission of full trip | Expected Commission |
Total cost marked ‘paid’ in Tern | Payments Applied |
Total cost not marked ‘paid’ in Tern | Outstanding Balance |
– | Reservation ID, Submitted via, Invoice # all created automatically |
Booking fields
Tern field | TPISuitcase field |
Activity type / subtype - eg insurance, lodging, flight | Booking type - eg insurance, hotel/resort, air |
Booking title | Title of booking |
**Confirmation number (first added) | Confirmation number |
**Group Booking Number (in Group Trip Overview, applies to all sub trip bookings) | Group number |
**Booking supplier (matches TPI supplier in Tern) | Partner |
Booking start date | Start Date |
Booking end date | End Date |
Total cost | Total price |
Expected commission | Expected commission |
Bookings that are cancelled or deleted in Tern will be pushed to TPISuitcase as ‘cancelled.’
What does NOT sync?
Commissions received in TPISuitcase do not sync back to Tern.
Any changes made directly in TPISuitcase do not sync back to Tern.
You can enter received commission into Tern manually for accurate reporting.
How often does data sync?
Updates typically appear in TPISuitcase within 15-30 minutes and sometimes even faster.
Will traveler/client info sync?
Yes. Traveler and client details entered in Tern are included in the booking push to TPISuitcase. If they are a new contact in Tern, they will sync to TPISuitcase.
How far back will Tern “import” to TPISuitcase?
There is no mass auto-import of historical Tern bookings. Only net-new items marked “Booked” after the sync is enabled will auto-submit. This is to prevent duplication of bookings, if they’ve already been submitted in TPISuitcase.
If you already have an item marked “booked” in Tern before the sync is enabled, you’ll need to manually add that booking in TPISuitcase to submit it. If you make any changes to a historical booking in Tern, it will sync to TPISuitcase.
A secondary option, as long as there isn't a logged received commission in TPISuitcase, is if you’ve already marked it “booked” in Tern, but have not entered it in TPISuitcase yet, you can edit the booking details, change the status to cancelled, save the changes and a few minutes later, mark it as booked again, and it will sync the booking.
Triggering & Accreditation
How do I trigger the sync?
Enter the booking in Tern.
Mark the item as “Booked.”
Ensure the booking is under the TPI Accreditation.
That action triggers the push to TPISuitcase.
What if I use an Independent Accreditation?
Bookings under Independent Accreditation do not sync. This is useful if you want to keep track of bookings via your own Tern reporting that are not booked with the TPI Accreditation.
How do Accreditations work for opted-in users?
Opted-in users default to the TPI Accreditation (so bookings sync automatically). You can switch a booking to Independent to avoid syncing - for example, if it’s already been submitted in TPISuitcase.
If you don’t want to default to TPI Accreditation, you can remove TPI as your default agency in Tern. Learn more.
Editing, Changes, Cancellations
Can I edit a booking after it syncs?
Yes, you can edit it in Tern, and the updates will be pushed to TPISuitcase.
If I edit in TPISuitcase, will it sync back to Tern?
No. This is a one-way sync only. Always make booking updates in Tern. Bookings in TPISuitcase will be set to View Only.
How do cancellations affect the sync and commissions?
When you cancel a booking in Tern, the cancelled status syncs to TPISuitcase. TPISuitcase will reflect cancellations and any commission recall amounts posted by TPI Accounting.
Note: Cancelling or archiving a trip does NOT automatically cancel the bookings within it. Each booking needs to be edited to “cancelled.”
Preexisting / Duplicate Scenarios
What about preexisting bookings already in Tern?
They are not auto-submitted to TPISuitcase to avoid duplicates. Submit them manually only if they’re not already in TPISuitcase.
What if I already submitted it in TPISuitcase and now add it in Tern?
In Tern, set that booking’s Accreditation to Independent to prevent a duplicate submission.
What if I book in TPISuitcase first and want it in Tern?
Manually enter the booking in Tern and mark it as Independent (no sync).
Point-and-click engine bookings or ACH service fees?
These are already auto-submitted to TPISuitcase through existing TPI processes. If you record them in Tern, set them to Independent to avoid duplicates.
Partner/Suppliers & Groups
How are partners/suppliers handled?
Tern has imported all TPI-approved partners/suppliers (thousands of them).
If you select a partner/supplier not on TPI’s approved list, you will be blocked from submitting that booking until the partner/supplier has been added.
Request partner/supplier additions through the TPISuitcase using the Establish a New Partner Relationship form.
When they notify that the partner/supplier has been added in Tern, you can then submit the booking.
How do I choose the right supplier for TPI?
TPI-approved suppliers/partners will be listed under Travel Planners International. If you choose a supplier/partner under All Suppliers, the booking will not sync.
Partner/Supplier mismatch example (e.g., Small Luxury Hotels)
If a partner/supplier should be available via TPI but isn’t visible in TPISuitcase, TPI will investigate. Selecting a non-TPI partner/supplier in Tern will error until it’s added.
How are groups handled (group ID)?
You’ll need to enter a Group Booking Number in the Group Trip Overview page. Any sub-trips with bookings within that group will pass over the Group Booking Number automatically.
Errors & Confirmations
Can I see errors or missing fields before submitting?
Yes. Tern enforces required submission fields and surfaces clear errors (e.g., missing/invalid partner/supplier). Learn more.
The expected commission date is currently not required by TPI, so it isn’t enforced.
Will I get a TPISuitcase submission confirmation?
You will receive a confirmation email for every booking submitted through Tern and synced to TPISuitcase. If you do not receive the “Submitted Sale Confirmation Email” from [email protected], please email [email protected].
Commission, Accounting, and Reporting
How are commissions tracked in TPISuitcase?
When a booking syncs from Tern, the bookings are automatically recorded in TPISuitcase based on the information you entered in Tern. Always verify your details to ensure that they are correct before clicking “Marked as Booked” in Tern, which then will sync the booking to TPISuitcase.
Will payments made in Tern sync to TPISuitcase?
Yes. Client payments recorded in Tern sync to TPISuitcase, so you can track cash flow and balances without duplicating entries.
How do I run commission reports?
Use TPISuitcase to view/export commission reports. All synced Tern bookings will appear there automatically.
If you are a Main advisor who would like to run commission reconciliation for your agency, first make sure you've been set up as an agency under TPI (not a direct member). If you are unsure, you can contact [email protected].
How do I reconcile commission statements?
You can reconcile commission in Tern by entering TPI statements.
Report statement discrepancies to [email protected].
Can I see which bookings haven’t been commissioned yet?
Yes. Use the TPISuitcase “Unpaid Bookings” view, under Commissions, to identify pending or zero-commission items.
How are interim/final statements handled?
No change in Phase 1 - continue using TPISuitcase for interim and final statements.
What about unclaimed commissions?
If a sale was submitted in Tern after TPI reconciled the commission, the normal TPI process continues, and TPISuitcase will automatically try to match the Unclaimed Commission. Just make sure you mark the sale as “booked” in Tern. This has to match on both the partner/supplier and the confirmation number for the automation to work. Otherwise, you’ll need to submit a Commission Inquiry after researching that the partner has already made a payment to TPI.
Teams, Sub-Agents, and Agency Owners
Associate/sub-agents: can they use the sync?
Yes. Associates can book in Tern and use the sync.
Will sub-agents/associates benefit if their main advisor isn’t on Tern?
Yes. Submissions from Tern still go to TPISuitcase; the main advisor may reconcile elsewhere.
Personal Travel
How do I submit a booking for the Personal Travel benefit?
Plan and mark the booking as “Booked” in Tern (under TPI Accreditation) so it syncs to TPISuitcase.
Email proof to [email protected] with subject line “Personal Travel” so TPI can flag it.
Opt-In and Support
What if I’m an agency owner looking to bring my team onto Tern?
Reach out to [email protected]. Courtney is TPI’s dedicated agency owner partnerships rep.
Does Tern support QuickBooks?
Agencies can export CSVs from Tern for import into QuickBooks today.
Support resources and help
Tern is extending support coverage and improving response times. Use:
TPI-specific onboarding guide (blue banner in Tern directly also houses this link for TPI advisors) (linked here, which includes self-serve trainings, checklists, and access to live support along the way). Quick tips from the onboarding guide:
Best Practices
Update in Tern only. It’s one-way; TPISuitcase won’t sync back and anything submitted in Tern will be view only in TPISuitcase
Check the Accreditation before clicking “Mark as Booked.” Use the TPI Accreditation for syncing; Independent Accreditation to avoid it.
Avoid duplicates. Don’t manually re-enter bookings in TPISuitcase that were created in Tern.
Spot-check sync. Confirm recent bookings show in TPISuitcase within 30 minutes.
Escalate issues quickly. If a booking doesn’t sync or has errors, email [email protected] with the booking details.