What is Payments by Booking.com?
Payments by Booking.com is a payment collection method offered to hosts to help them receive guest payments in a secure and efficient way. Instead of hosts handling all payments directly, Booking.com can collect payments from guests and then transfer the money to the host. This reduces your work and helps protect both parties against fraud and non-payment.
How does Payments by Booking.com work?
During the booking process, Booking.com charges the guest for their stay. The guest can pay using their preferred payment method, including credit/debit cards, digital wallets, or other local payment options. After the guest pays, Booking.com loads the money onto a virtual credit card (VCC). Later, they share the details of the VCC with the host.
When do I get paid via Payments by Booking.com?
The amount on the VCC becomes transferable once the reservation has become non-refundable. This is in accordance with your cancellation policy, or at check-in time, if you offer free cancellations.
Identify reservations made while Payments by Booking.com was off
To help you catch any bookings that require manual collection, Hospitable now flags reservations that were created while Payments by Booking.com (PbB) was disabled for the property. These reservations will not be prepaid by Booking.com and you must collect payment from the guest directly per your policies.
What you’ll see in Hospitable
Conversation banner
You’ll see a yellow banner at the top of the conversation: “Payment collection needed. No upfront payment was collected for this reservation. Make sure to collect the full amount from the guest.”
This indicates Booking.com did not process payment and a manual collection is required.
Inbox badge
In the Inbox list, affected threads display an orange “Collect payments” badge so you can quickly identify which bookings need action.
What to do next
1) Confirm PbB status in Booking.com
Open the reservation in the Booking.com Extranet and check the Price/Payment details to confirm whether Booking.com will pay you by VCC or bank transfer, or if the guest must pay at the property.
2) Collect payment if needed
If the banner and badge are present and the Extranet shows “pay at property,” charge the guest according to your prepayment and cancellation policies and your usual payment workflow. This could be Stripe, Venmo, PayPal, etc.
3) Prevent future unpaid reservations
If you prefer Booking.com to collect payments, enroll the property in Payments by Booking.com in the Extranet under Finance → Payments by Booking.com. After activation, future eligible reservations will be paid out to you by Booking.com.
Can I be paid out via bank transfer instead, when using Payments by Booking.com?
Payments by Booking.com do offer the option to be paid out via bank transfer!
Bank transfer can mean potentially lower transaction costs and a choice of daily, weekly, or monthly payout schedules after check-out.
Note: Some payout frequencies may not be available in every market.
What are the benefits of using Payments by Booking.com?
Using Payments by Booking.com comes with several benefits:
Reduced risk of fraud – Payments are verified and processed securely.
Less administrative work – You don’t need to chase guest payments or manage chargebacks.
More payment options for guests – Booking.com supports many global and local payment methods.
Reliable cash flow – Payouts are processed according to a clear schedule.
This service can be especially helpful for new hosts or smaller businesses that prefer predictable income and fewer financial risks.
How do I sign up for Payments by Booking.com?
You may need to grant Hospitable permission to manage Booking.com payments, if that permission is not already in place.
On the Payments page, you will see a callout, telling you that you need to grant Hospitable permission before being able to set up your Payments by Booking.com through Hospitable:
After granting Hospitable permission to manage payments on Booking.com:
Navigate to the Payments page:
Hospitable > Properties
Select your property.
Select Payments in the left-hand side menu.
Click Enroll
Select the payout method and frequency of payouts you want.
Click Submit enrollment request
Is Payments by Booking.com available in all countries?
No, Payments by Booking.com is not available in every country or for every type of property. Availability depends on local regulations, currency support, and Booking.com's internal policies. However, Booking.com is continually expanding the program to more markets, so it's worth checking regularly if you're not yet eligible.
You can read more about Payments by Booking.com here.