> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://syticks.gitbook.io/merpi-by-syticks/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://syticks.gitbook.io/merpi-by-syticks/api-reference/hold-reserve-ticket-inventory.md).

# Hold/Reserve Ticket Inventory

To prevent customers from losing access to inventory after making payment, use the hold/reservation endpoint to reserve tickets.

**Important Note for All Integrations**: You must create holds before completing ticket purchases. This is a critical step that prevents situations where customers complete payment but tickets/seats/rooms are no longer available. Holds temporarily reserve inventory for 3 minutes while your customer completes checkout, guaranteeing availability during the payment process.

***

### Hold/Reserve Experience Tickets

Temporarily reserve experience tickets (concerts, shows, events, cinema movies) before a customer completes their purchase. This endpoint ensures ticket availability during checkout and prevents overselling.

**When to use**: Before purchasing any experience tickets - whether regular events or cinema movies.

{% content-ref url="/pages/qyFigDP0pW0HvMBJ7Y6u" %}
[Hold/Reserve Experience Inventory](/merpi-by-syticks/api-reference/hold-reserve-ticket-inventory/hold-reserve-experience-inventory.md)
{% endcontent-ref %}

***

### Hold/Reserve Transport Tickets

Temporarily reserve bus tickets and seats before a customer completes their purchase. Supports both timed schedules (specific seats) and random schedules (general boarding slots).

**When to use**: Before purchasing transport tickets on any schedule type.

**Key features**:

* Timed schedules: Reserve specific seat numbers
* Random schedules: Reserve general passenger slots
* Single endpoint handles both schedule types

{% content-ref url="/pages/RUSEE2rKZI6RjOj2Jqnq" %}
[Hold/Reserve Transport Tickets](/merpi-by-syticks/api-reference/hold-reserve-ticket-inventory/hold-reserve-transport-tickets.md)
{% endcontent-ref %}

***

### Hold/Reserve Hospitality Rooms

Temporarily reserve hotel rooms, resort accommodations, or apartment bookings before a customer completes their purchase. Holds ensure room availability for the specified check-in and check-out dates.

**When to use**: Before booking any hotel, resort, or apartment accommodation.

**Key features**:

* Reserve rooms for specific date ranges
* Supports multi-night stays

{% content-ref url="/pages/67wpzc4Wo5PyTLjxngDA" %}
[Hold/Reserve Hospitality Rooms](/merpi-by-syticks/api-reference/hold-reserve-ticket-inventory/hold-reserve-hospitality-rooms.md)
{% endcontent-ref %}

***

### Release Hold Early

Manually release active holds before their automatic expiration. Use this endpoint when a customer abandons checkout, cancels their selection, or you need to free up inventory programmatically.

**When to use**:

* Customer removes items from cart
* Customer abandons checkout
* Session timeout or inactivity
* Customer explicitly cancels selection

**Note**: Holds automatically expire after 3 minutes, so manual release is optional. It's primarily useful for improving inventory availability and user experience.

{% content-ref url="/pages/9zXf3gfq1YvNVJHcselY" %}
[Release a Hold/Reservation Early](/merpi-by-syticks/api-reference/hold-reserve-ticket-inventory/release-a-hold-reservation-early.md)
{% endcontent-ref %}

***

### How Holds Work

#### The Hold Lifecycle

```
1. Create Hold (POST /api/v1/merpi/validate)
   ↓
   Status: "active" - Inventory reserved for 3 minutes
   ↓
2a. Complete Purchase → Status: "converted" (Hold becomes booking)
2b. Manual Release → Status: "released" (Inventory freed)
2c. TTL Expires → Status: "expired" (Inventory freed automatically)
```

#### Key Concepts

**Reservation IDs**: When you create holds, you receive `reservation_id` values. These UUIDs are required when completing purchases - they prove you have reserved inventory.

**Customer Ownership**: Holds are tied to customer email/phone number. The same credentials used to create holds must be used when purchasing or releasing them.

**Time-to-Live (TTL)**: All holds automatically expire after 3 minutes (configurable). This prevents inventory from being locked indefinitely.

**Idempotency**: Submitting identical hold parameters while an active hold exists returns the existing hold instead of creating a duplicate.

**Batch Rollback**: When creating multiple holds in one request, if any hold fails, all previously created holds in that request are automatically released. This ensures all-or-nothing consistency.