Booking.com offers a number of payment options for how you can get paid for bookings.
These are chosen and set by you in your Payment Options under Policies on Booking.com.
Booking.com will invoice you for commission directly at the beginning of each month, for bookings that stayed in the previous month, as agreed during your sign-up with them
1. Online payments options
Online payments are when the guest pays Booking.com for the booking, and they process the payment from the guest on your behalf.
These payments can be made to you/your property by either:
Virtual Cards (online payments)
Booking.com allows you to give guests the option to Pay Now using their preferred method. Properties have to qualify for online payments, before Booking.com will make the option available for the property opt in for online payments.
These methods vary from country-to-country and may include (but are not limited to), paying with a debit/credit card, Apple Pay, Google Pay or PayPal for example.
What the guest sees when they are asked to Pay Now:
How this payment method works:
- Once Booking.com has processed the guest's payment, they will issue you with a Virtual Card with the booking details.
- The virtual credit card can be charged as of the date included in the booking confirmation, and they will take care of modifications or refunds so there's no hassle on your side.
Benefits of accepting Virtual Cards:
- Guests get to choose how they want to pay for the booking.
- Your property is not at risk of fraud as Booking.com is taking payment directly from the guest. (Payment is guaranteed with a virtual card.)
- You can enforce your cancellation policy, without risk, if the guest cancels within the cancellation period.
- You can charge the Virtual Card if the guest is a no show.
- Virtual Cards can be processed up to 12 months after the guest's departure date.
This payment option is when Booking.com will process a guest's payment, but pay you by transferring money into your bank account.
The payment date will be stipulated when you opt into this payment policy.
Please note:
- This option is currently not available for every country that Booking.com operates in.
- You will need to apply to see if your property is eligible for this payment type.
2. Guest payment options
These guest payment options are when Booking.com is not responsible for processing payment on your behalf.
The options include:
Guest's credit card
With this payment option Booking.com will only collect the guest's credit card details but not process the payment.
Hotel IDs that are created by NightsBridge will have card enabled on booking.com, if it is a payment option on NightsBridge. However, the property needs to be verified and had a few guests stay, before CVC can be enabled.
Credit card payments are processed as follows:
- If you are using a Payment Gateway (PayBridge, iVeri, PayGate (VCS) and Direct Pay Online) the deposit will automatically be deducted but you will be responsible for collecting the balance from the guest.
- If you have a credit card machine, you will need to retrieve the credit card details from our card vault, from inside your NightsBridge, using an OTP (one-time password) - read the tutorial here.
Please note:
- If you haven't received a CVC number, please check your Booking.com extranet to ensure that you haven't selected that a guest can book without a CVC number.
- All payment and booking queries should be directed to Booking.com - read this tutorial on how to contact Booking.com.
Benefits of accepting guest credit card details:
- Guests can book and pay with their card, which is more convenient online. Can lead to more bookings.
- You are instantly made aware that deposit payment was successful or not.
- Can help you with cashflow.
- You can possibly free up the rooms sooner with Invalid Credit Card option on Booking.com, if the deposit payment fails. Guests will be given 24 hours to provide you with new card details or the you can cancel the booking.
Disadvantages of accepting guest credit card details:
- If you don't enforce card details at time of booking, it is very hard to cancel the booking. You will have to reach out to Booking.com and it will be up to Booking.com's discretion whether to cancel the booking or not.
- You have to hold rooms until the guest's arrival, before marking the booking as a no show.
- Marking a booking as a no show can have other issues with Booking.com reaching out to the guest if payment was taken, and guests often assume payment has been made when they enter their credit card details. You can then be incorrectly charged commission, without taking any payment.
- You may not be able to enforce any cancellation policy, because you won't have received payment.
Guest to pay you directly by bank transfer (EFT)
This payment option requires you to provide your banking details directly to the guest in order for them to make a payment to you.
Please note:
- You will need to regularly check your bank account to see if the payment has reflected.
- Booking.com does not facilitate any part of communicating your banking details to the guest or processing of any payments.
- We do not recommend this option, as it can lead to more cancellations and no shows, and you being charged commission incorrectly, if you do not manage the booking correctly on booking.com. It is very hard to cancel the booking before arrival, if the guest does not pay the deposit.
- Unlike credit cards, where you can mark the card as invalid, and the guest has 24 hours to provide new card details, before you can cancel the booking on booking.com
Cash Only (you are in charge of collecting payment)
With this payment option it is your responsibility to follow up with the guest if they will pay by cash when they arrive or send them your bank details for an EFT payment.
Please note:
- If the bank transfer does not reflect, you need to contact the client and arrange for another means of payment. If you are unable to get hold of the client and arrange payment, the booking needs to be canceled on the Booking.com Extranet.
- Booking.com will not assist you in collecting the funds.
- We do not recommend this option, as it can lead to more cancellations and no shows, and you being charged commission incorrectly, if you do not manage the booking correctly on booking.com. It is very hard to cancel the booking before arrival, if the guest does not pay the deposit.
- Unlike credit cards, where you can mark the card as invalid, and the guest has 24 hours to provide new card details, before you can cancel the booking on booking.com