"We have committed that at least through the end of the year we will not take any action to increase the wholesale rates," he said.

The sites charge travelers in advance for the rooms, and then pay the hotels a wholesale rate.

Advertisers will only pay wholesale rates to reach them.

It gave the company two months to reduce wholesale rates further, or face further sanctions.

The wholesale rate for residential customers does not provide the same margin.

Rates would be about one-fifth less than the current wholesale rate of 4.88 cents a kilowatt-hour, the company said.

But he does want to give students a chance to borrow at what amounts to wholesale rates.

The sites then pay the hotels a negotiated wholesale rate for the rooms.

They agree to buy rooms from hotels at a deeply discounted wholesale rate.

Elsewhere, the issue has come up most commonly when package tours buy hotels at wholesale rates.