CAT Gateway link

🇳🇱 Nederlandse vertaling

In this support article you will read how to link a gateway using CAT in Booking Experts.

1. Set CAT Gateway link
2. Create or edit card types
3. Create, edit or delete access card rules
4. Automatically generate on day of arrival
5. Create access cards
6. License plate recognition at CAT
7. Automatic check-in at license plate registration
8. Link new card to a reservation
9. Link existing card to a reservation
10. Link new card to an owner
11. Link existing card to an owner
12. Open access gate
13. Reset access system
14. Synchronizing printers


Set CAT Gateway link

Within the link with CAT, there are several ways how you can work:

  • With printed, paper cards;
  • With fixed, plastic cards;
  • With license plate recognition.

The initial setting of the link is the same for all 3 ways.

In order to establish the link with the CAT system, you first have to use the 'access control' module. If your organization does not have this module switched on yet, please contact support.

  1. Go to the Access tab;
  2. In the right submenu, choose Gateway systems;
  3. Click the new button and choose CAT gateway system;
  4. You will then be asked to enter a URL, which you can request at CAT. The URL you need here is an external IP address followed by an externally accessible port. Example: http://141.136.125.130:15071
  5. Click Add gateway system to save the data.

Next, it is important to create the different cards in Booking Experts as they are in the CAT system, such as swimming pool tickets, fixed/paper access cards or cards based on registration numbers. For this, we load the different templates from CAT at point 2b below, so you only have to select them.


Create or edit card types

  1. In the right submenu, choose Gateway card types;
  2. Click the new button and enter the information:
    1. Name;
    2. Card type in port system, these are displayed in a dropdown;
    3. Extra text to put on the card;
      1. Here you can choose to print extra text on the cards that need to be printed. Consider, for example, the name of the organization or the emergency number in case of disasters.
    4. Check Does not belong to group (use for eg extra car card) if applicable.
    5. Check Write pin code and accommodation number on card (only for reservations) if you work with a pin code system;
    6. If desired, adjust the start and end time of the card;
  3. Click on Add gateway access card to save the data.

To edit a card type, click Edit for the desired card.

After creating the access cards, it is important to create different rules for the cards. This allows you to ensure that the right cards are generated for all accommodations behind entrance gate 1.


Create, edit or delete access card rules

  1. In the right submenu, choose Automatically generate access;
  2. Click the New button and enter the information:
    a. Choose the card type for which you want to set the rule;
    b. Choose the identification method for this rule;
    c. Check, if desired, Put all card numbers on one card to create all card numbers under 1 card per reservation;
    d. Choose wether the rule should be applied via costs, if this is the case you must state this at the relevant cost item;
    e. Choose wether the rule should be applied to all reservations and choose how often it should be created:
    i. Per unit;
    ii.Per person, choose the host groups for which this card must be created;
    iii. Per stay;
    iv. Choose whether the rule applies to all types, a specific type or whether it applies to a specific group type:
    f. Click on Add card to save the data.

To edit an access card rule, click Edit at the desired rule.

To delete an access card rule, click Delete at the appropriate rule.

Connect access rule to costs

Automatically generate on day of arrival

In the link with CAT, we offer the possibility to automatically create access control cards for the reservation on the day of arrival. To do this, the arrival date must be today's date, and the reservation must be confirmed.

If you want to use this, you need to configure this in the access control system:

  1. Go to the Access tab;
  2. Select Access control systems in the submenu on the right;
  3. Click on the control system to edit;
  4. Select Automatically generate access control cards;
  5. Click on Save access control system to save the data.

Create access cards

When an access card has been created via automatic generation, it will be shown as active for the reservation. This will not be linked to a card yet when working with plastic cards. To link, the information of the access card in Booking Experts will have to be printed on the card via the desk terminal.

  1. Go to the reservation in question;
  2. Click 1 card (or the number of active cards);
  3. In the overview of access cards, click on the card ID and then Print for the card(s) in question:
    1. The desk terminal indicates with a beep that you can place the card;
    2. The desk terminal will stop beeping when the card has been written.

License plate recognition at CAT

Within the link with CAT there are several ways how you can work. Two of these are described above, the other is the option to work with license plate recognition.

To work with license plate recognition, you need the License plates module. If your organization does not already have this module turnedon, please contact support.

Next, it is important to create the different card types in Booking Experts as they are in the CAT system based on license plates. You can read about how you can create or edit card types here.

Finally, you have to set the correct rules for the types of cards created above. You can read about how you can create or edit card rules here.


Automatic check-in at license plate registration

Within the link with CAT, we allow for the option to immediately check-in the reservation at license plate registration. For this, the arrival date must correspond to the current date and the reservation must be paid in full. As a result, you do not run the risk that a non-fully paid reservation will be checked in and is present in your park.

If you want to use this, you need to set this up at the gateway system:

  1. Go to the tab Access;
  2. In the right submenu, select Access gate systems;
  3. Click on the control system to edit;
  4. Check Automatic check-in at license plate scan;
  5. Click on Save gateway system to save the data.

Link new card to a reservation

It can sometimes happen that you want to add an extra access card to a reservation, because the guest, for example, will entertains guests for a few nights. The guests of the guest may also enter the park by car in consultation with the organization. You want to process this information in Booking Experts when making a specific reservation, in case the card is lost or no longer works properly.

  1. Go to the relevant reservation;
  2. At the access cards, click on:
    1. No cards when no cards have yet been generated for the reservation;
    2. 1 card (or the number of active cards) when cards have already been generated;
  3. Choose for CAT #xxx;
new card reservation
  1. Choose Create access cards;
  2. Choose the type of card;
  3. Choose the identification method;
  4. Choose one of the following two possibilities:
    1. Generate new card numbers is to be used if you're working with printed cards and the system is allowed to generate a card number; provide the amount of cards you want to generate here;
    2. I want to provide the card numbers is to be used if you're using existing cards, which you introduce with a scanner. Click on the input field and scan the (various) card(s) that you wish to generate;
  5. Tick Put all card numbers on one card to merge all card numbers;
  6. Introduce the term of validity for the card;
  7. Click on Add access cards to save.

Link existing card to a reservation

With a transfer, certain access cards may already have been assigned to a reservation that was imported into Booking Experts. You want to process this information in Booking Experts when making a specific reservation, in case the card is lost or no longer works properly.

  1. Go to the relevant reservation;
  2. At they access cards, click on:
    1. No cards when no cards have yet been generated for the owner;
    2. 1 card (or the number of active cards) when cards have already been generated.
  3. Choose CATT #xxx;
  4. Choose Import Access cards;
  5. Enter the card number;
  6. Check Update external card data if you want to update the data on the card in CAT;
  7. Click Add access card to save the data.

Link new card to an owner

When working with owners with access to the park, you want them to be able to get in and out without any worries, or be able to use the swimming pool. You want to process this information in Booking Experts with the specific owner, in case the access card is lost or no longer works properly.

  1. Go to the relevant owner;
  2. At the access cards, click on:
    1. No cards when no cards have yet been generated for the reservation;
    2. 1 card (or the number of active cards) when cards have already been generated;
  3. Choose for CATT xxx;
  4. Choose Generate access card;
  5. Choose the type of card;
  6. Choose the identification method;
  7. Choose one of the two options:
    1. Make up new card numbers for me is something you use in case you work with printed cards and the system can generate a card number, enter the number of cards you want to create here;
    2. I want to enter card numbers is something you use in case you use fixed cards which you read through a scanner. Click in the input field with your mouse and scan the (different) card(s) you want to create;
  8. Enter the validity period of the card;
  9. Click Add cards to save the data.

Link existing card to an owner

With a transfer, certain access cards may already have been assigned to an owner that was imported into Booking Experts. You want to process this information in Booking Experts for a specific owner, in case the card is lost or no longer works properly.

  1. Go to the relevant owner;
  2. At they access cards, click on:
    1. No cards when no cards have yet been generated for the owner;
    2. 1 card (or the number of active cards) when cards have already been generated.
  3. Choose CATT #xxx;
  4. Choose Import Access cards;
  5. Enter the card number;
  6. Check Update external card data if you want to update the data on the card in CAT;
  7. Click Add access card to save the data.

Open access gate

During calamities or malfunctions, the organization can choose to open the gate and let everyone in and out.

In order to let the authorities in without creating access cards, you can open the gate:

  1. Go to the tab Access;
  2. In the right submenu, choose Access systems;
  3. Click on the control system and Open gate;
  4. The gate will open.

Reset access system

During calamities or malfunctions, the organization can choose to open the gate and let everyone in and out.This can result in guests leaving without this being registered, which can cause problems when they want to re-enter. The reason is that their access card still has the status of "inside" at the gate.

In order to delete all registrations, you'll want to reset the gate:

  1. Go to the tab Access;
  2. In the right submenu, choose Access systems;
  3. Click on the control system and then on Reset access control;
  4. The gate will be reset.

You can safely reset the access system in Booking Experts. The data is retained so that guests can drive on and off.


Synchronizing printers

When using printed tickets, in the form of, for example, a card or wristband, you will need to link these via a desk terminal (printer) to the information in Booking Experts.

CAT printers can be synchronized with Booking Experts. This way, all settings will be correct. To synchronize printers with Booking Experts, please follow the following steps:

  1. Go to the Access tab;
  2. In the submenu on the right, go to Access systems;
  3. Click on the active control system of the CAT link;
  4. Click on Synchronize printers to load the printers in Booking Experts.
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