Partner policy
The commercial terms we work to with every agency - in plain language, before you commit a client.
Terms you can quote from before you ask us
Every figure on this page is fixed and public. You can price a client, write your own cancellation terms and answer a procurement question without waiting on a reply from us - which is the entire reason these are here rather than in an annex sent after a deposit.
It is also the first thing worth checking about any Japan ground partner. A company that will only produce its money terms once you have committed has told you something. Our vetting guide sets out the rest of that checklist.
Getting a price
Response within 24 hours, every brief. First quotation complimentary, valid 4 days from issue. All rates net and non-commissionable.
Single services, FIT and small groups can be taken on 24 to 48 hours notice. Larger group movements need 45 days. Premium venues and peak-window ryokan are contracted 6-12 months ahead regardless of how fast we can quote.
Four days of validity is deliberate. Japanese hotel and coach rates move, and a quotation held open indefinitely would either be dishonest or padded to cover the risk.
What falls due, and when
USD 100 contract fee secures the booking - fully credited against your final invoice.
30% deposit within 3 working days of confirmation.
Balance due 45 days before departure.
Settlement in JPY, USD or NZD - bank transfer or Wise.
Plan your own client terms backwards from the 45-day balance date so that your client's payment sits comfortably ahead of ours rather than on top of it. The full sequence is walked through in how our payment terms work.
FOC allocation
1 complimentary place per 20 paying adults.
2 complimentary places per 40 paying adults.
Applies to land arrangements.
The allocation appears on the costing itself, so you can build it into your selling price from the outset instead of negotiating it once the tour is already priced.
Full group terms are on Groups & Series.
Cancellation
45+ days before travel: 20% of tour cost.
22-44 days: 50% of tour cost.
21 days or fewer: 100% of tour cost.
Stricter supplier terms - peak ryokan, charters, event tickets - are always disclosed at quote stage, never discovered afterwards.
Note the shape of it: the 45-day balance date and the 45-day cancellation threshold are the same date. Past that point you are holding both the money and the risk, so it is the date to build your client's own deadline around.
How we behave behind your brand
B2B only. We never contact your client directly, and all documentation is issued under your agency's branding.
Vb2010 Group Limited, NZBN 9429045892981, Auckland, New Zealand, operating from our Wakayama office. JATA Overseas Allied Member No. 43476.
Partner terms: FAQs
What does the USD 100 contract fee cover?
It secures the booking and is credited in full against your final invoice, so it reduces what you owe later rather than adding to it. It is not a deposit and not a service charge.
When is money actually due?
Three dates. The USD 100 contract fee on confirmation, a 30% deposit within 3 working days of confirmation, and the balance 45 days before departure. Nothing else falls due in between.
What are the cancellation charges?
Cancelling 45 or more days before travel costs 20% of the tour cost. Between 22 and 44 days it is 50%. At 21 days or fewer it is 100%. Where an individual supplier imposes stricter terms - peak-season ryokan, charters, event tickets - we disclose that at quotation stage rather than after you have confirmed.
How does group FOC work?
One complimentary place per 20 paying adults, two per 40, applied to land arrangements. The allocation appears on the quotation so you can build it into your selling price from the first costing rather than negotiating it afterwards.
Which currencies can we settle in?
JPY, USD or NZD, by bank transfer or Wise. Tell us at quotation stage which you prefer so the rate is fixed in the document you present to your client.
Are these terms negotiable?
They are published rather than negotiated case by case, which is the point of them. You can quote your client with confidence about what happens if the booking moves, without waiting on an email from us to find out.