Wander Sites vs. Wander Listed: What’s the Difference?

Marketplace vs. Software

Product	Focus	Analogy	Key Takeaway
Wander Listed	Marketplace Product: Wander drives the bookings.	Like Amazon (Acquisition & Distribution)	Premium distribution to a high-net-worth guest network.
Wander Sites	Software Product: You drive your own bookings.	Like Shopify (Own Storefront & Profit Margin)	The host's branded, direct-booking website.

Feature	Wander Listed (Marketplace)	Wander Sites (Software)
Primary Purpose	Distribution: List a home on the Wander marketplace (app + website) to tap into Wander's premium guest network.	Direct Bookings: Provides a property manager with their own white-label website to build their brand and capture direct bookings.
Guest Experience	Guests book via wander.com or the Wander app.	Guests book via the property manager's custom URL (e.g., stay.pmname.com).
Eligibility	Exclusive (Top 5%): Only homes meeting strict quality standards are accepted.	Broad: Software available to a wider range of short-term rental operators.
Operations	Host manages the home; Wander handles the booking process and guest concierge.	Host manages everything: the home, marketing, and all guest communication.
Booking Classification	Channel Booking: (Similar to Airbnb/VRBO). Wander takes a commission/fee.	Direct Booking (Host captures full margin).

The Merchant of Record (MoR) is the legal entity responsible for processing the payment and handling financial liability.

Product	Who is MoR?	Practical Implication
Wander Listed	Wander	Wander handles all fraud, chargebacks, and tax remittance. The host receives a guaranteed net payout.
Wander Sites	The Host (Property Manager)	The Host is financially liable for fraud and chargebacks. The Host must handle tax collection and remittance.

Terminology Update: "Branded" is Deprecated
1. The terms "Wander Branded" and "Wander Curated" are deprecated (old and no longer used).
2. Reason for Change: "Listed" is more accurate, and it creates a clear binary with "Wander Operated" (We manage the home) vs. Wander Listed (You manage the home, we distribute it).
Product Integration: Using Both Together (Key Use Case)
1. The products work together to maximize a host's portfolio reach:
  1. Integration: If a host signs up for Wander Listed, they typically receive a Wander Site automatically.
  2. Separation: A host can use Wander Sites for all of their inventory (their direct booking engine), while only the top luxury properties (e.g., 3 out of 20) are accepted onto the Wander Listed marketplace.
Guest Ownership
1. Wander Sites: The host owns the guest data, enabling retargeting for future stays.
2. Wander Listed: Wander "owns" the initial transaction and the guest relationship.

Yes. Wander Sites is a flexible software tool designed for all of a host's inventory. It allows them to run their own branded website even if their properties do not meet the strict "top 5%" quality criteria required for the Wander Listed marketplace.

No. A Wander Listed booking is a channel booking. The guest books via Wander's platform, Wander is the MoR, and a marketplace commission is charged. A Wander Sites booking is the true direct booking.

Wander Sites helps maximize profit margins by converting repeat guests (higher margin), while Wander Listed helps maximize acquisition by distributing the home to a new, high-net-worth customer base.

Because Wander is the Merchant of Record (MoR) for Wander Listed transactions. Our name appears on the statement, and we handle the legal and financial liability for that payment.