Booking.com Refunds Policy: Process and Ts & Cs Explained
Summary
This article from iGMS explains Booking.com's refund policies and cancellation options for hosts. It highlights the importance of choosing a cancellation policy that balances flexibility to attract bookings with financial considerations, and encourages hosts to experiment with different policies and rates to find the ideal balance.
Key Insights
- •The non-refundable rate offers no refund.
- •Hosts can reduce cancellation rates by shortening their last-minute booking window and allowing same-day bookings.
- •Booking.com offers a fully flexible policy and a customized policy. The fully flexible policy allows guests to cancel their reservation free of charge up to a certain date, while the customized policy may include partial refunds or non-refundable options.
- •Booking.com also lets hosts set special conditions with policies such as additional supplements for services (extra beds, breakfast, pets, group bookings), and may also specify age requirements for guests.
- •The partially refundable policy states that a guest will have to pay a set amount if they wish to cancel their booking, which means they’ll receive only a partial refund. The cancellation fee is 50% of the total amount or the sum of the first night’s stay.
Action Items
- ✓Consider offering a flexible refund policy to attract more bookings, but balance this with potential financial risks, especially during peak season.Effort: lowImpact: medium
- ✓Review your Booking.com cancellation report to identify trends in cancellations, such as specific room types or booking lengths, and adjust your policies accordingly.Effort: mediumImpact: medium
- ✓Make sure your cancellation policy details are accurate and correctly linked to your rate plan on Booking.com.Effort: lowImpact: medium
Tools & Resources
- →Booking.com extranet and Pulse app: The article mentions Booking.com's extranet and Pulse app for managing refunds and cancellations.
Watch Out For
- ⚠Failing to update your calendar can lead to overbooking.
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