PonoRez
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2000
- HeadquartersMakawao, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
PonoRez firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- PonoRez
- Legal name
- Kula Software Systems, Inc., dba PonoRez
- Website
- https://ponorez.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2000
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
PonoRez industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Tour Operator Reservation & Booking Software
- NAICS
- Travel Arrangement and Reservation Services (5615)
- SIC
- Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Point-of-Sale (POS) & On-Property Commerce (THALACAI)
Keywords
Where PonoRez is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Makawao
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
PonoRez business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Monthly Subscription Fees: Monthly flat-fee subscription tiers (Tier 1: $250, Tier 2: $450, Tier 3: $750, Tier 4: $1,200) based on direct costs including modules, services, SMS, data usage, system load, and professional services.
- Per-Transaction Fees: Tiered per-transaction fees based on monthly volume: $2.00 (0-100), $1.50 (101-500), $1.00 (501-1000), $0.85 (1001-2000), $0.75 (2001-5000), $0.50 (5001-10000), $0.25 (10001-20000), $0.20 (over 20000). Separate from merchant processing fees.
- PonoPay (6% Ticketing Fee): Alternative revenue model where PonoPay charges 6% ticketing fee on transactions, covering merchant credit card processing and reservation system costs. Customer receives 100% refund including ticketing fee for cancellations/voids. Zero monthly fee and no credit card processing costs with this option.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Tier 1 - $250/month |
| Subscription | Monthly | Tier 2 - $450/month |
| Subscription | Monthly | Tier 3 - $750/month |
| Subscription | Monthly | Tier 4 - $1,200/month |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Monthly | Transaction Fees (Volume-Based) |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | PonoPay - 6% Transaction Fee |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels6 records
PonoRez product offering
Product offeringCore offering
PonoRez is a cloud-based online reservation and booking SaaS platform built for in-destination experience operators such as tour companies, activity providers, attractions, charter operators, and transportation providers. The system manages real-time availability, online booking, ticketing, scheduling, multi-level inventory with seasonal times and upgrades, electronic waivers, automated email/SMS communications, and reporting. It exposes SOAP and REST APIs and integrates with OTAs (Expedia, Viator, Veltra, Get Your Guide, TripAdvisor), payment processors, and WordPress websites, and offers an optional PonoPay payment add-on that bundles credit-card processing into a 6% ticket fee.
Product overview
PonoRez is a unified online reservation and booking software platform built for in-destination experience businesses including tours, activities, attractions, charters, transportation, and guest-based operations. The core PonoRez Reservation System provides the primary platform with real-time availability, booking, ticketing, scheduling, and inventory management. The product portfolio includes the PonoPay payment add-on, Agency Portal for agency connectivity, SOAP API for integrations, and WordPress plugins for website embedding. Additional modules include Digital E-Waivers, Reporting with Business Intelligence dashboards, Seating Chart Manager, Chat, Air Tour, and Driver modules. The platform supports flexible pricing with flat monthly tiers and per-transaction fees.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- PonoPay: A payment option where a 6% ticket fee is charged for transactions where credit card payment is processed, covering merchant credit card processing and reservation system costs. Unlike other systems, PonoPay refunds 100% of the ticketing fee for cancellations and voids.
Products and services
- PonoRez Reservation System Online reservation and booking SaaS platform for tour, activity, attraction, charter, and transportation operators; provides real-time availability, online booking, ticketing, scheduling, multi-level inventory with seasonal times/upgrades/surcharges, electronic waivers, automated email/SMS communications, custom reporting, and a Business Intelligence dashboard. Targets in-destination experience operators running guest-based operations.
- PonoPay Proprietary payment processing add-on for the PonoRez Reservation System that charges a 6% ticketing fee per credit-card transaction, covering both merchant processing and platform use. Removes the monthly subscription fee and offers 100% refunds on cancellations and voids. Built for in-destination tour and activity operators seeking a pay-as-you-go alternative to flat monthly subscriptions.
- Agency Portal Free web portal that connects travel agencies and resellers to PonoRez suppliers, enabling agency users to create, modify, and cancel reservations and access real-time supplier availability and information. Used by travel agencies reselling tours and activities booked through in-destination operators.
- SOAP API (Supplier / OTA / Public Distribution Service APIs) Free open SOAP 1.1 web service APIs that expose reservation system functions for creating, modifying, and canceling reservations. Used by OTAs (Expedia, Viator, Veltra, Get Your Guide, TripAdvisor), travel agencies, and developer partners to integrate with PonoRez suppliers in real time.
- WordPress Standard Plugin Free WordPress plugin that lets visitors book activities directly through a supplier's WordPress website using booking forms connected to the PonoRez reservation system. Designed for tour and activity operators running their own WordPress-based marketing sites.
- WordPress Shopping Cart Plugin WordPress plugin with built-in shopping cart that allows customers to select and check out multiple activities in a single transaction through the PonoRez reservation system. Suited to tour and activity operators selling bundled or multi-activity experiences.
Quantifiable outcome
- 6% checkout fee can cover merchant processing costs and most or all of PonoRez monthly subscription
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use PonoRez
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
PonoRez technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration16 records
AI capability2 records
Feature10 records
PonoRez partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Get Your GuidecoreGet Your Guide connected to PonoRez in 2025 with real-time booking capability. Listed in integrations section with dedicated logo.
- ExpediacoreActive API integration with Expedia for real-time booking connectivity. Part of open API ecosystem for Online Travel Agents to access PonoRez reservation system.
- TripAdvisorcoreActive API integration with TripAdvisor for booking connectivity. Listed in integrations section with dedicated logo.
- ViatorcoreOpen API integration with Viator (TripAdvisor company) for agency connectivity. Listed in integrations section.
- PayPalcorePayPal gateway integration for credit card processing. Status page indicates operational integration with PayPal production and sandbox environments.
- TwiliocoreTwilio integration for SMS/text message communications. Status page confirms operational status.
- WordPresscoreWordPress integration through Standard Plugin and Shopping Cart Plugin for website booking functionality. Dedicated plugin page and logo listing.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
PonoRez competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Peek Pro: Peek Pro is a reservation and business management software for tour and activity operators, offering online booking, POS, distribution, and marketing tools. It targets the same in-destination experience operator niche as PonoRez and competes head-to-head for tour and activity suppliers.
- Checkfront: Checkfront (owned by Tripadvisor) is a booking management platform for tours, attractions, and experiential businesses, supporting online reservations, payments, and channel management. It competes directly with PonoRez in the tours and activities software market.
- Rezdy: Rezdy is a reservation and booking software platform for tour operators, activity providers, and experience businesses, with OTA distribution channels and agent tools. It targets the same core customer segment as PonoRez and offers similar functionality around online booking and inventory management.
- Xola: Xola is a booking and marketing platform for tour and activity operators, offering online reservations, payment processing, and customer review tools. It targets the same in-destination experience supplier market as PonoRez with comparable functionality.
- Resmark Systems: Resmark Systems is a cloud-based reservation platform for tour, activity, and excursion operators, offering online booking, payment processing, and CRM functionality. It targets the same niche operator segment as PonoRez.
- WeTravel: WeTravel is an online booking and payment platform for multi-day tours, retreats, and experience businesses, with built-in traveler management and marketplace distribution. It serves the same tours and activities supplier market as PonoRez with comparable booking and payment functionality.
- Bokun: Bokun (owned by Tripadvisor) is an online booking platform for tours, attractions, and activities, with an integrated channel manager and OTA distribution network. It directly competes with PonoRez for in-destination experience suppliers and shares the same OTA connectivity model.
- Zaui: Zaui is tour operator software offering reservation, distribution, and operational management tools for activity and transportation businesses. It serves a highly comparable customer base to PonoRez, particularly in transportation and charter segments where PonoRez also has modules.
- Regiondo: Regiondo is a booking and ticketing platform for tours, activities, and attractions with a strong European base but global distribution. It directly competes with PonoRez in the in-destination experience software market with similar online booking and OTA connectivity features.
- FareHarbor: FareHarbor (owned by Booking Holdings) is a leading cloud-based reservation and booking platform built specifically for tours, activities, attractions, and rentals. It is the most directly comparable competitor to PonoRez, serving the same in-destination experience supplier segment with online booking, ticketing, and OTA distribution.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks7 records
Customer concentration
PonoRez social profiles
Digital presencePonoRez compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance4 records
PonoRez financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
PonoRez leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
PonoRez funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
PonoRez M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about PonoRez
What does PonoRez do?
PonoRez is a cloud-based online reservation and booking SaaS platform built for in-destination experience operators such as tour companies, activity providers, attractions, charter operators, and transportation providers. The system manages real-time availability, online booking, ticketing, scheduling, multi-level inventory with seasonal times and upgrades, electronic waivers, automated email/SMS communications, and reporting. It exposes SOAP and REST APIs and integrates with OTAs (Expedia, Viator, Veltra, Get Your Guide, TripAdvisor), payment processors, and WordPress websites, and offers an optional PonoPay payment add-on that bundles credit-card processing into a 6% ticket fee.
Is PonoRez a public or private company?
PonoRez is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was PonoRez founded?
PonoRez was founded in 2000. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is PonoRez based?
PonoRez is headquartered in Makawao, United States, in the North America region.
How does PonoRez make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Monthly Subscription Fees are the primary driver. The others are per-Transaction Fees and ponoPay (6% Ticketing Fee).
Who are PonoRez's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Peek Pro, Checkfront, Rezdy, Xola, Resmark Systems, WeTravel, Bokun, Zaui, Regiondo and FareHarbor.
Does PonoRez have an API?
Yes. PonoRez offers three open APIs: Supplier API, OTA (Online Travel Agency) API, and Public Distribution Service API. All are .wsdl (SOAP 1.1) and free. The SOAP API provides access to reservation system functions including creating, modifying, and canceling reservations, and retrieving information on reservation system objects. The Agency service allows agencies registered within the reservation system to create, modify, and cancel reservations using valid agency user login credentials. Documentation available for download as SOAP-Specification.docx. Developer documentation is at www.ponorez.com/api-doc.
What industry is PonoRez in?
PonoRez's product category is Tour Operator Reservation & Booking Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THALACAI, Point-of-Sale (POS) & On-Property Commerce. Its NAICS code is 5615 and its SIC code is 7372.