How much does Booking.com really cost you per year?

Booking.com can bring visibility and new guests. To decide how much to invest in a direct channel, start with the actual cost of that distribution—not a headline percentage.

How Booking.com commission works

Booking.com says the commission percentage is shown at the Agreement step when registering a property. Your agreement and current invoices are the reference for your own rate. There is no universal 15% minimum or fixed 18% rate for every property. Booking.com registration FAQ

Keep three different items separate:

• Contract commission: the agreed percentage and its applicable booking value.
• Preferred Partner: participating properties pay a higher commission; check your specific offer. Booking.com: how we work
• Genius: a loyalty programme offering discounts and other benefits on eligible stays. It is not a fixed 22% commission tier. A discount changes the selling price; commission is a separate calculation. Booking.com Genius programme

Discount and commission: an illustrative example

Assume a €100 room price, a property-funded 10% discount, and 15% commission applied to the discounted €90. Commission is €13.50, leaving €76.50 before other costs. The €23.50 difference from the original €100 contains €10 discount + €13.50 commission; it is not a 23.5% commission rate. These assumptions are for arithmetic only, not a statement about your agreement or a MyStaySite customer result.

Annual cost: keep reservations and nights separate

Illustrative scenarios only: each reservation is for one unit, four nights, at €50 per unit per night, so the average reservation value is €200. The 15% and 18% rates below are assumptions, not programme prices.

A reservation can cover several nights and more than one unit. Use the full booking value, not the nightly price, when estimating commission.

How to calculate your own number

1. Export the commissionable value of reservations for the period.
2. Reconcile cancellations, refunds and any charged no-shows with your statements.
3. Apply the agreed rate for each reservation if rates vary.
4. Compare the total with invoices and record payment-service charges separately.

Tax treatment is not included in these examples. Use your actual invoices and your accountant's treatment rather than adding an assumed VAT percentage.

What direct bookings can—and cannot—save

Direct bookings avoid the OTA commission on those reservations. They are not cost-free: account for website management, payment processing, booking software, marketing, direct discounts and your time.

In a separate illustrative scenario, €20,000 of OTA revenue at an assumed 18% commission costs €3,600. If 30% of that revenue moves direct, with the same total revenue and rates, avoided OTA commission is €20,000 × 30% × 18% = €1,080. At 50%, it is €1,800, not more than €1,800. Deduct the additional direct-channel costs to estimate net benefit. A 30% share of reservation count is not necessarily a 30% share of revenue.

Your own website also gives guests a clear place to view photos, read policies and contact you. Grow that channel without assuming every platform booking can be replaced.

How to start

1. Calculate actual channel costs for a full season.
2. Make the direct enquiry or booking path clear on mobile.
3. Put the website address on your social profiles and guest materials. Use Google Business Profile only if the business is eligible—individual holiday rentals are not automatically eligible.
4. Track confirmed stays and revenue, not just clicks or form submissions.
5. Compare any direct-booking incentive with your margin.

See our SEO guide and examples of our work. To discuss a managed website, send Kyros your property name. Already have a site? The free website check is an optional starting point.