Softwr

Travel · head to head

BCD TripSource vs ThinkReservations

BCD TripSource logo

BCD TripSource

Travel

Traveller-facing itinerary and trip management app bundled with a BCD Travel programme

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
ThinkReservations logo

ThinkReservations

Travel

Property management and booking system for North American inns, B&Bs and small hotels

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: BCD TripSource it cannot be bought or used without a BCD Travel TMC contract, so it is not a genuine alternative to an independent app like TripIt for a company using a different agency.; ThinkReservations no pricing is published anywhere, so you cannot compare it against Cloudbeds or Little Hotelier without first sitting through a sales call and extracting a quote.
  • They diverge on capability: BCD TripSource covers Trip timeline, ThinkReservations covers Reservation calendar.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which BCD TripSource and ThinkReservations actually diverge.

Attributes where BCD TripSource and ThinkReservations differ
AttributeBCD TripSourceThinkReservations
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWeb

Identical on both: starting price (On request), pricing model (quote), free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Travel).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in BCD TripSource

  • Trip timeline
  • Real-time alerts
  • Entry requirement guidance
  • Itinerary sharing
  • Driving directions
  • Policy and booking links

Only in ThinkReservations

  • Reservation calendar
  • Direct booking engine
  • Channel management
  • Integrated payments
  • Yield rules
  • Reporting

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

BCD TripSource

  • A company already contracted to BCD Travel wanting a single itinerary view for travellersnot ThinkReservations
  • A travel manager needing entry requirement and flight alert information pushed automaticallynot ThinkReservations
  • An assistant or arranger who needs to share a travelling executive's itinerary quicklynot ThinkReservations
  • A duty of care programme that wants trip data visible without travellers logging into a separate portalnot ThinkReservations

ThinkReservations

  • A fourteen room inn moving off a spreadsheet and a phone diary that needs breakfast counts and minimum stay rules handled nativelynot BCD TripSource
  • A B&B selling gift certificates and packages that wants them redeemable in the same system that takes the bookingnot BCD TripSource
  • An owner of three small New England properties wanting one login and consolidated occupancy reportingnot BCD TripSource
  • A campground or cabin operator needing nightly and multi-night rules plus OTA distribution without buying a separate channel managernot BCD TripSource

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

BCD TripSource

  • It cannot be bought or used without a BCD Travel TMC contract, so it is not a genuine alternative to an independent app like TripIt for a company using a different agency.
  • Feature depth trails purpose-built consumer itinerary apps, and companies sometimes end up recommending a personal TripIt subscription alongside it for travellers who want more.
  • Because it is bundled, there is no separate pricing to negotiate down, and the cost is buried inside the overall BCD Travel service fee.
  • Manually forwarded bookings made outside BCD Travel channels are not always captured cleanly, leaving gaps in the trip timeline for off-channel purchases.
  • Switching TMC away from BCD Travel means losing the app entirely, adding a hidden switching cost beyond renegotiating the agency contract itself.

ThinkReservations

  • No pricing is published anywhere, so you cannot compare it against Cloudbeds or Little Hotelier without first sitting through a sales call and extracting a quote.
  • The product is built for North American operations, so European tax handling, guest registration requirements and local OTA mix are not supported and it is effectively unsellable outside the region.
  • There is no revenue management or dynamic pricing, so rates rely on manual seasonal and day of week rules that go stale unless someone actively maintains them.
  • Payment processing is bundled, which is convenient but means the effective card rate is negotiated inside a software deal rather than shopped separately, and operators rarely check it against a standalone merchant account.
  • There is no native point of sale, spa or restaurant module, so an inn with a dining room runs a second system and reconciles revenue by hand.

Pricing, plan by plan

BCD TripSource

On request
  • BCD Travel programme (TripSource included)$undefined/year
    • Bundled into a BCD Travel managed travel contract
    • No standalone licence available
    • Traveller download is free once a company is a BCD Travel client

ThinkReservations

On request
  • ThinkReservations$undefined/month
    • Property management system
    • Direct booking engine
    • Channel management to major OTAs

Which should you pick?

Choose BCD TripSource if

  • You need trip timeline.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want real-time alerts.
BCD TripSource review

Choose ThinkReservations if

  • You need reservation calendar.
  • You also want direct booking engine.
ThinkReservations review

Questions people ask

Is BCD TripSource or ThinkReservations better?
Neither clearly leads. BCD TripSource starts at On request and ThinkReservations at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, BCD TripSource or ThinkReservations?
BCD TripSource starts at On request and ThinkReservations at On request.
Does BCD TripSource or ThinkReservations run on more platforms?
BCD TripSource runs on Web, iOS, Android. ThinkReservations runs on Web.
What is BCD TripSource best used for?
BCD TripSource is most often used for a company already contracted to bcd travel wanting a single itinerary view for travellers, a travel manager needing entry requirement and flight alert information pushed automatically, an assistant or arranger who needs to share a travelling executive's itinerary quickly, a duty of care programme that wants trip data visible without travellers logging into a separate portal. Of those, a company already contracted to bcd travel wanting a single itinerary view for travellers and a travel manager needing entry requirement and flight alert information pushed automatically are not what ThinkReservations is typically brought in for.
What can BCD TripSource do that ThinkReservations cannot?
BCD TripSource covers Trip timeline, Real-time alerts, Entry requirement guidance, Itinerary sharing. ThinkReservations covers Reservation calendar, Direct booking engine, Channel management, Integrated payments.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

BCD TripSource: Can we buy TripSource without using BCD Travel as our agency?

No. It is bundled with a BCD Travel managed travel contract and is not sold separately.

ThinkReservations: How much does ThinkReservations cost?

It is not published. Pricing is quoted per property, generally scaled by room count, after a sales conversation.

BCD TripSource: Is the app free for travellers?

Yes, once the employer is a BCD Travel client, travellers download it at no separate charge.

ThinkReservations: Is the channel manager an extra subscription?

No. OTA connectivity is part of the platform rather than a separately priced module, which is the main saving against a PMS plus channel manager pairing.

BCD TripSource: Does it replace an online booking tool?

No, it is an itinerary and alert hub; booking happens through BCD Travel's separate online booking tool or agents.

ThinkReservations: Does it work outside the United States?

In practice no. Tax, payments and support are built around North America.

ThinkReservations: Can it handle more than one property?

Yes, small portfolios are supported, but it is designed for a handful of properties rather than dozens.

Share

Related pages

More on BCD TripSource

More on ThinkReservations

Keep looking

Other head to heads