How Booking.com's commission works
Booking.com charges hosts "a set percentage of the total booking amount" for each reservation. That includes the room rate "as well as any additional fees you charge — such as cleaning fees, service fees, and costs for no-shows or cancellations," and it's applied once the guest checks out.[1]
How much is it?
There's no single published rate. Booking.com says the exact percentage "depends on your country, property type and the accommodation agreement you signed." You'll find yours in your accommodation agreement, or in the extranet's Finance tab under Reservation statements.[1] Skift puts it at around 15% for hosts, with no guest fee.[5] Treat 15% as a ballpark and use the rate in your contract.
What it's charged on
| Charged | Not charged |
|---|---|
| Confirmed stays (the guest checked out and paid)[1] | Non-refundable or partially refundable bookings where you waive the cancellation fee[1] |
| Non-refundable and partially refundable bookings, whether or not the guest stayed[1] | No-shows you mark in the extranet within 48 hours of checkout, if you waive the fees[1] |
| No-show and cancellation fees you charge the guest[1] | Bookings where you marked the guest's credit card invalid[1] |
| Overbookings. Waived if you've been live less than 30 days or had fewer than five overbookings in 12 months[1] | Local taxes such as city tax[1] |
| VAT or GST, in most countries, depending on local law[1] |
Mark changes, no-shows and cancellations in the extranet within 48 hours of checkout. Otherwise you're charged full commission on the original booking.[1]
Preferred Partner and Visibility Booster cost extra
If your statement shows a higher percentage than your contract, you may be in a marketing programme. Booking.com says "an additional percentage is added on top of your base commission" for the Preferred Partner Program and the Visibility Booster.[1]
- Preferred Partner Program: more visibility in search and a badge "in exchange for a small increase in commission." Booking.com says Preferred partners get, on average, 65% more search views and 20% more bookings. To be eligible you need a performance score of at least 70% and a guest review score of at least 7 out of 10. In wide- or narrow-parity countries you also need competitive prices; that doesn't apply in no-parity countries, which include the whole EEA. Eligibility is checked every 90 days, and you can opt out at any time.[2]
- Visibility Booster: a short-term boost for dates and booker countries you choose. You pick the commission rate on a slider when you activate it.[3] It's meant for high-demand dates, empty dates or last-minute cancellations.[3]
Every extra percentage point costs $7 on a $700 stay. Before you opt in, check whether the extra bookings are worth it.
When you pay it
- Booking.com sends one invoice a month, covering reservations where the guest checked out in the previous month. A guest who checks out on February 1 appears on the March invoice.[1]
- Invoices are due within 14 days. Unpaid invoices can get your property temporarily closed.[1]
- The commission rate is locked when the guest books, so a later rate change doesn't affect existing bookings.[1]
- You can dispute commission on reservations from the last three months in Reservation statements. Processing can take up to 14 business days.[1]
Payments by Booking.com adds its own fee
If Booking.com collects guest payments for you, there's no setup fee. With bank-transfer payouts, a payment service fee is charged as a percentage of each completed reservation, and the rate depends on your property's location. With virtual credit card payouts, your bank or payment provider charges a per-reservation transaction fee instead.[4]
What you keep on a $700 stay
$200 a night for 3 nights plus a $100 cleaning fee, with the commission charged on the full $700:
| Channel | Fee | You keep |
|---|---|---|
| Booking.com | 15% (example rate; use your contract) | $595.00 |
| Booking.com with 3 extra programme points (example) | 18% | $574.00 |
| Airbnb single fee | 15.5%[6] | $591.50 |
| Vrbo from Oct 29, 2026 | 12%[7] | $616.00 |
Bank-transfer payment fees from Payments by Booking.com would come on top of the Booking.com rows.[4] The channel comparison calculator runs your own stay through every channel. Airbnb vs Vrbo fees covers the guest side.