Booking.com commission calculator
Booking.com usually charges vacation rental hosts around 15% commission in Europe, more with visibility programmes or its payment service. Enter your numbers to see what you keep, next to Airbnb, Vrbo and a direct booking.
- Free
- No sign-up
- Nothing you type is stored
- Booking.com$340.00Fee: $60.00Real fee: 15.0%
- Airbnb (15.5% host-only fee)$338.00Fee: $62.00Real fee: 15.5%
- Vrbo, from 29 Oct 2026$352.00Fee: $48.00Real fee: 12.0%
- Direct booking$388.10Card / payment: $11.90Real fee: 3.0%
A direct booking keeps $48.10 more than Booking.com
Same stay, same price. Only card processing is deducted from a direct booking.
Your year
Fees per year if every booking comes from Booking.com: $3,600
You keep $469 more per year with 20% direct bookings after paying $108 a year for your website
Price for a target payout
- List at $470.59 on Booking.com to receive $400.00.
- List at $473.37 on Airbnb (15.5% host-only fee) to receive $400.00.
- List at $454.55 on Vrbo, from 29 Oct 2026 to receive $400.00.
- List at $412.26 on Direct booking to receive $400.00.
Estimates for one stay, taxes collected for authorities not included. Rates checked 2026-10-09. Platforms can charge individual hosts different rates: compare with your own payout statements.
How to use it
- 1Pick your country to add VAT on the commission where it applies.
- 2Enter your nightly price, nights and cleaning fee.
- 3Set your commission rate (15% is the default in most of Europe) and the extra fee if you use Payments by Booking.com.
- 4Compare your payout with Airbnb, Vrbo and a direct booking.
How Booking.com commission works
Booking.com charges a commission on each completed stay, calculated on the amount the guest pays you for the room (including fees you include in the price, excluding taxes). The headline rate for vacation rentals in most of Europe is about 15%, but the real cost is often higher:
- Visibility programmes such as Preferred Partner raise the commission by a few percentage points.
- Genius discounts don't change the rate, but they lower the price the commission is charged on and your payout with it.
- Payments by Booking.com can add a payment fee when Booking.com collects the money for you.
- VAT on the commission is charged in many countries if you are not VAT-registered.
Is Booking.com cheaper than Airbnb?
At a flat 15%, Booking.com takes slightly less than Airbnb's 15.5% host-only fee, and both add VAT in most of Europe if you are not registered. The bigger difference is who your guests are: Booking.com sends more short city stays and last-minute bookings, Airbnb more leisure stays. Use the calculator with your own numbers.
Keep more with direct bookings
A guest who already stayed with you doesn't need a platform the second time. A direct booking on your own website costs only card processing. Stayveo gives you your own direct booking website for €9 per property per month, with 0% commission: see how it works.
Facts checked October 9, 2026 · General information, not legal or tax advice. Check your own statements and local rules.
Frequently asked questions
What commission does Booking.com charge vacation rentals?
Around 15% of the room price in most of Europe, with the exact rate set per country and property. Visibility programmes, the payment service and VAT on the commission for non-registered hosts can raise the real cost to roughly 17% to 22%.
Is Booking.com commission charged on the cleaning fee?
Commission is charged on the amount the guest pays for the stay excluding taxes. Fees you include in the room price, such as a cleaning fee built into the rate, are commissionable.
Do I pay VAT on Booking.com commission?
In the EU, Booking.com charges VAT on its commission to partners who are not VAT-registered; registered businesses usually account for it themselves under the reverse charge. Check the invoices in your extranet.
How do I avoid Booking.com commission?
You can't avoid it on bookings that come through Booking.com, but you can win back returning guests and direct website visitors, which only cost card processing.