What are Booking.com payment options?
Booking.com, the world’s largest online travel agency (OTA), forms a primary booking channel for a vast number of hotels and accommodation providers.
There are two ways to take payments for reservations made through Booking.com: direct from the guest (after which you pay a commission fee to Booking.com), or through the platform.
As part of its service, Booking.com can facilitate payments from guests on behalf of hotels. Booking.com’s payment methods are simple, reliable and secure. The service allows you to reduce admin and lets a guest choose how they want to pay from a range of options, including credit card, GooglePay, ApplePay, Paypal and Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) methods.
Gain more control over payments with Little Hotelier Take payment your way with Little Hotelier, which lets your guests pay how they want, encouraging more commission-free direct bookings!
Why are Booking.com payment options important for hosts?
By understanding your payment options for Booking.com, you can choose the one that works best for your business, and that will maximise the amount of bookings you secure.
Some accommodation providers will appreciate the control of taking payments directly from guests. Others will appreciate the simplicity of getting Booking.com to handle payments. There’s no right or wrong answer – your choice will reflect your unique circumstances and preferences.
How does Booking.com payments charge you?
If you choose to take payments directly from the guest, Booking.com will charge you a commission fee (usually 15-25% of the total booking) on every reservation facilitated by the platform. The charges are compiled into a monthly invoice that you can pay by direct debit, bank transfer or through an online payment service provider (PSP).
What about payments by Booking.com – does Booking.com pay the hotel directly? Yes, if you choose to get Booking.com to handle guest payments for you, the platform will automatically take their commission fee from every reservation, then send you your share.

Booking.com payment methods: All the options
If you get Booking.com to handle your guest payments, you’ll be offering guests a complete suite of payment options. This can help you maximise on bookings, particularly for international guests, by offering a traveller’s preferred payment method, no matter how niche.
Booking.com accepts the following forms of guest payment:
Paypal
Does Booking.com accept Paypal? It sure does! One of the first online payment options that Booking.com ever offered, Paypal payments are made through a Paypal portal that opens up when the guest chooses this option.
ApplePay
A pioneer in the world of digital wallets, ApplePay is accepted by Booking.com as a payment method for guests.
GooglePay
Android users need not fret: Booking.com accepts GooglePay too.
Local methods
It’s in Booking.com’s best interest to cater to every region the platform services, as this maximises the reservations it can secure. As such the OTA has made a wealth of country- and region-specific payment solutions available, such as iDeal, Trustly, Blik, Vipps, Venmo, and WeChat.
Buy Now, Pay Later
Does booking.com accept Klarna, Affirm and other Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) methods? Yes it does, although the specific BNPL providers can change from location to location. BNPL payments have exploded in recent years, and open up travel to people who wouldn’t otherwise have had that option.
All popular credit cards
Booking.com, like all self-respecting ecommerce sites, allows users to pay for a booking by entering their credit card details, and supports all major cards.
Common Booking.com payment issues and how to solve them
It won’t always be smooth sailing for a hotels in terms of Booking.com payments, so to prepare for the worst, here are a few common payment issues and how to solve them:
Delayed payments
If you get Booking.com to handle your guest payments, you can choose to get paid daily, weekly or monthly. You can check and change payment frequency in the Booking.com Extranet: click ‘Finance’ > ‘Finance Settings’ or ‘Getting Paid’ > ‘Payout Timing’ or ‘Payout Settings’, then choose your preferred payout schedule.
Once Booking.com sends the payment, it’s up to your bank to process it and make it available in your account. This may take a few days.
If you don’t receive the payment when expected, and your bank can’t help, you can check on payment status in the Extranet. Look for notifications or banners highlighting a payout delay, or message support with a subject line of “Receiving my payouts.”
Payment method error
If a guest is reporting an error when trying to make a payment through Booking.com, it could be an issue with their bank, card or PSP, or with Booking.com’s payment service. Unfortunately the guest will need to make contact with Booking.com to confirm.
This situation highlights the value of being able to take direct bookings and process your own payments, as this means you aren’t reliant on a third party to fill your rooms.
Cancellation fee
When you list your property on Booking.com you get to choose how strict you want your cancellation policy to be. Booking.com charges commission fees on all confirmed bookings whether the guest stays with you or not, but generally speaking, if you refund the guest, you won’t have to pay a commission fee. Learn more here.
Chargeback
If you choose to let Booking.com handle your payments, the platform will manage all the processes related to chargebacks and disputed payments, and will cover the refund costs.
By Dean Elphick
Dean is the Senior Content Marketing Specialist of Little Hotelier, the all-in-one software solution purpose-built to make the lives of small accommodation providers easier. Dean has made writing and creating content his passion for the entirety of his professional life, which includes more than six years at Little Hotelier. Through content, Dean aims to provide education, inspiration, assistance, and, ultimately, value for small accommodation businesses looking to improve the way they run their operations (and live their life).
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“Our accommodations are perfectly taken cared of, thanks to Little Hotelier. It's now easier to get real-time info! Payments are easily traced too.”
Mick Comerford,
General Manager
The Mercantile Hotel