Understanding our commission

We collected all the info you need in one article to help you understand how our commission works, including when it’s collected, when it isn’t, and how to check the commission details of both monthly invoices and individual reservations.

In this article

The commission-based model

Booking.com works with a commission-based model, which means you pay us a set percentage on each reservation you get through our platform. We’ve structured our commission with a few details in mind:

• Our commission structure is based on the idea that the price you set is the price guests should pay 
• We strive for simplicity in pricing to make it easy for you to price your property competitively and attract more guests
• The commission percentage varies by country and can also vary depending on your property type or location Start your registration process to find out how much applies to you.

How we determine commission eligibility

You pay commission when:

• You have a confirmed stay – your guest has checked out and paid
• You charge guests for non-refundable bookings, regardless of whether the guest stays at your property
• You charge guests for partially refundable and non-refundable bookings
• You charge guests for no-shows or cancellations
• You charge guests who cancel after the free cancellation period ended

You don’t have to pay commission when:

• You choose to waive the cancellation fee for non-refundable bookings
• You mark a guest as a no-show and choose to waive the cancellation fee
• You marked a guest's credit card as invalid because you were unable to charge them

Paying commission on overbookings

Commission is charged for an overbooking because the room was made available on Booking.com. In addition to charging you commission, we ask that you cover relocation costs for the guest.

Exceptions: If your property has been live on Booking.com for less than 30 days or you’ve had fewer than 5 overbookings in 12 months, no commission will be charged.

How we calculate monthly commission invoices

Your monthly commission invoice is based on the total number of eligible reservations from the previous month. During the first week of each month, invoices are issued for all reservations with check-out dates from the previous month. For example, if a guest arrives on January 31 and checks out on February 1, the commission for this reservation would be included in your March invoice.

You can mark no-shows, modify reservation dates, and change prices from 12 a.m. on the check-in date until either the 2nd or 5th of the following month, depending on your property’s location. Your invoice is generated one day later, either on the 3rd or the 6th of the month. 

We expect partners to verify reservations before the invoice is issued. By conducting your own review, you can ensure that you only pay for reservations that have been verified.

For example, if a guest completes a reservation in July, partners have until either August 2nd or 5th to complete the reconciliation process. The invoice then generates on either August 3rd or 6th, depending on your country/territory.

Viewing your invoices 

You can view your full list of invoices, as well as a history of invoices you’ve received from us, by following these steps:

1. Log in to the Extranet
2. Click Finance, then Invoices
3. From the Filter by year drop-down menu, choose a year to view invoices for
4. Click PDF for each monthly invoice in the Actions column

Viewing commission info for individual reservations

You can see reservation-level details, like how much commission is due or how much has already been paid for a particular invoice, in your Reservation statements on the Extranet.

1. Log in to the Extranet
2. Click the Finance tab and select Reservation statements
3. Choose a Period from the drop-down menu to see all the reservation details included in a particular monthly invoice and how much commission you owe

You can download .xls or .csv versions of your reservation statements from this page if you want to save or upload them for use in your own accounting software.

For more info on reservation statements, read this article. 

If the commission percentage in the reservation statement is higher than the one listed in your contract, you may be participating in one of our marketing programs like Genius, Preferred Partner, or Visibility Booster. To check on your participation and the total commission percentage for these programs, log in to the Extranet and visit each program’s section in the Opportunities tab. You can also contact the Partner Services team for assistance by sending a message from your Inbox.

Commission invoices and VAT/GST charges

Depending on your local tax rules, we may include VAT/GST on your commission invoice. The commission we charge you is calculated based on your total reservation cost. In cases where we don’t charge VAT/GST, you may be required to calculate and report it directly to your local tax authority.

If you have additional questions about VAT/GST, we recommend consulting your accountant or a local tax authority.

Contacting us with questions about your invoices

For questions or concerns about invoices, contact us directly from your Inbox. 

Along with your monthly commission invoice, you may also be issued other types of invoices and documents. Check what types of invoices you’ve been issued by following these steps:

1. Log in to the Extranet
2. From the Finance tab, select Invoices
3. Check the Document name column to see what type of invoices you’ve been issued

Common additional invoice types include:

• Incorrect no-show – reservations on this invoice were originally marked as a no-show and weren’t included in your commission invoice. Guests later confirmed with us that they stayed according to their original reservation. Since the commission for these reservations wasn’t included in your commission invoice, a separate invoice was issued for payment.
• Customer complaint costs – this type of invoice is issued in situations involving relocation costs due to double-booking or incorrect charges to the guest. In these instances, you should have already received a separate communication from our customer service team.

Debit note: These can be issued for different reasons, but you may encounter them if an invoice needs to be corrected. If we discover an incorrect VAT amount or find incorrect reservations included in an invoice, we’ll send you a debit note. To check on the details, download the PDF version of the note, which will contain additional details specific to a prior invoice.

Disputing a commission

After a guest checks out, you have up to 48 hours after the end of the check-out month to modify your property’s reservations on the Extranet and make sure you get a correct invoice. For more info and steps, see this article.

How to pay your invoices

For more info on how to pay your invoices, see this article.