What booking sites charge hotels in commission

Commission is a share of the booking's value that the site keeps. It is collected in one of two ways, and many sites offer both:

• The guest pays you at the hotel, and the site sends you an invoice for its commission, usually once a month.
• The guest pays the site when booking, and the site pays you the price less its commission.

Either way, the rate is set in your contract with the site. Your own contract is the first place to look, before any average.

• Booking.com doesn't publish one rate. Its commission depends on the country, the kind of property and your agreement, and yours is in the agreement and in the extranet under Finance. It is charged on the whole booking, the room and any fees you charge through Booking.com, once the guest has checked out, on one invoice a month.
• Expedia Group doesn't publish its rate either. It says the percentage varies around the world, is shared for your market when you sign up, and is paid only on bookings.
• Agoda's commission depends on where the property is, and sometimes on how the guest pays. Yours is in the Agoda extranet, under Finance.
• MakeMyTrip and Goibibo don't publish theirs.

Each site sells a higher place in its search, paid for with more commission or a discount:

• Booking.com's Preferred Partner Programme, and Preferred Plus above it, cost a higher commission, which Booking.com doesn't put a figure on.
• Booking.com's Visibility Booster raises your commission on the dates you choose, and for travellers from a country you choose, to put you higher on those dates.
• Booking.com's Genius programme costs a discount for its members rather than commission.
• Agoda's Growth Express lets you raise your commission to come higher in its search, without a new contract.

• Booking.com charges no commission on local taxes such as a city tax, but in most countries it does charge commission on the GST or VAT in the price.
• On non-refundable and partly refundable bookings, Booking.com charges commission whether or not the guest arrives.
• Mark each no-show and cancellation in the Booking.com extranet within 48 hours of check-out, or you pay full commission on the original booking.

1. 1Take the price the guest paid for the room, without tax.
2. 2Take off the site's commission at your contract's rate, and the extra for any programme you are in.
3. 3Take off any discount you paid for, such as a price for the site's members, that brought the price down.
4. 4Take off the tax on the commission and any charge for taking the payment.
5. 5Compare what is left with what the same room brings when it is booked on your own website, after your booking engine's and payment charges.

The difference, for each booking from a guest who already knew your name, is what a direct booking is worth to you.