Everything you need to know about damage policy options

Damage deposits and the damage program are options for the facilitation of damage payment. They’re meant to ensure you can repair or replace items or property damaged by guests during their stay.

The two options differ in terms of how the damage payment process is facilitated. If you set up the damage program, we’ll facilitate the damage payment process on your behalf. If you opt for a damage deposit, you’ll manage the process yourself.

In this article:

Understanding damage deposits

Setting up a damage deposit allows you to collect deposit money upfront in case a guest causes damage to your property or items during their stay.

You’ll manage the entire damage payment process yourself.

Here’s how a damage deposit works:

• Before their stay, your guest gives you a deposit directly. You define how and when you collect this amount and manage the money yourself. 
• You must collect and return the amount per the settings you defined at the time of booking. 

Understanding the damage program

The damage program allows Booking.com to facilitate the damage payment for you at no additional cost. 

With this option, we take care of everything, from contacting the guest if damage occurs to facilitating the payment process on your behalf.

Here’s how the damage program works:

• Your guest doesn’t pay a deposit upfront – they only pay if they cause damage during their stay and you report it to us.
• You can only ask your guest to pay for the value of the damage caused, up to a maximum amount you select when you set up the damage program.
• If damage occurs, you submit a damage payment request that your guest will be asked to pay if they cause damage to your property.
• You have 14 days after the guest checks out to submit a request via Booking.com
• We contact the guest for you, informing them that damage occurred during their stay and that you’re requesting payment from them.
• If your damage payment request is accepted, we’ll pay it out to you via bank transfer. This process can take up to 30 days.

Setting up the damage program 

By opting for the damage program, you can ask for the value of the damage caused, up to a maximum amount you select during set-up. This is the amount your guest will have to pay if there’s enough evidence that they damaged your property. We’ll facilitate the damage payment request on your behalf. 

To set up your damage policy:

1. Log in to the Extranet and click the Property tab.
2. Click Policies, scroll down to Other policies, and click Edit in the Damage policy options box. 
3. You’ll be redirected to another page. Under Do your guests pay a damage deposit?, choose Yes.
4. Under Enter the maximum amount a guest can be charged for damage (per stay), enter the amount of your choosing.
5. Click Save.

Making a damage payment request

If a guest damages your property or items within your property, here’s how to make a damage payment request:

1. Log in to the Extranet
2. Go to the Reservations tab and select the reservation where the damage occurred 
3. Click the Make a damage payment request button
4. Fill out the form and provide a clear description of the damage. State how much you’re requesting and provide a clear photo(s) of the damage.
5. Once completed, click Review request

It takes up to 14 days to process a damage payment request. You can monitor the progress of your request on the reservation details page. Find more info and advice in this help article.

Maximum amount of damage payment

Booking.com facilitates damage payment requests via Payments by Booking.com, up to a maximum amount. These maximum amounts differ for properties in different countries, since currency values differ from country to country. Refer to the product policy page on the Extranet under Damage policy options to find out the applicable maximum amount that a guest could be charged for damage. Damage payment requests facilitated by Payments by Booking.com are up to €/$/£500, but this amount is subject to change.