Booking.com Can No Longer Forbid You From Offering Lower Prices on Your Own Site
Since November 2024, an EU law bans the price parity clauses Booking.com used to enforce. Here is what it means for property owners in practice.
If you run a guesthouse, villa, or cabin listed on Booking.com, you have probably seen the idea of rate parity before. For a long time, the practical message was simple: do not undercut the platform on your own website unless you are ready to take risks.
Since November 14, 2024, the framework has changed for properties operating in the European Union. That does not make Booking.com irrelevant, but it does give you more room to work legally and visibly toward direct bookings.
In short
- Booking.com has had to comply with the relevant Digital Markets Act obligations since November 14, 2024.
- For travel providers in the EU, that opens the door to different prices and conditions on their own websites.
- Booking.com still matters for visibility, but it is no longer the only place where your offer can be optimized.
What changed in November 2024?
The European Commission designated Booking as a gatekeeper on May 13, 2024. Then, from November 14, 2024, the relevant DMA obligations became applicable to Booking.com.
For property owners, the practical point is straightforward: according to the European Commission's official guidance and the Digital Markets Act, providers using Booking.com can offer different prices and conditions on other channels, including their own websites.
What can you do now?
Offer a better rate on your own website
You can build a direct offer that is more attractive than the one shown on Booking.com. That can mean a lower price, better conditions, or a more appealing package for direct reservations.
Communicate the benefits of booking direct more clearly
The DMA is not only about the price difference. The regulation also protects the ability of business users to communicate and promote offers to their customers, including under different conditions.
Get better access to data generated by your activity
The DMA also improves access for business users to data generated through the platform. That alone does not solve distribution, but it gives you more visibility into how your own activity performs.
What does this not mean?
It does not mean you should leave Booking.com
Booking.com remains an important visibility channel. For many properties, it is still useful for discovery, especially in low season or in international markets.
It does not mean price alone will fix the funnel
Having a better direct rate helps, but it is not enough on its own. If the website feels unclear, hard to trust, or difficult to use, visitors will still stay on the platform.
It is not personalized legal advice
This article is informational. If you have contract-specific or operational questions, review your current account terms and seek legal advice when the situation calls for it.
What actions are useful today?
1. Decide how your direct offer should differ
Choose whether you want to compete on price, on better conditions, or on extras included in the stay. The key is to make the difference obvious and easy to understand.
2. Build a clear page for direct bookings
If visitors reach your site, they should immediately see what they gain by booking direct: a better rate, direct contact, more flexibility, or a stronger package.
3. Measure enquiries and sources
Without your own website, you learn very little from the demand you generate. With a clear site and basic tracking, you can start seeing which pages convert and which channels are worth more effort.
Useful sources
- European Commission: Booking must now comply with the Digital Markets Act
- European Commission: Commission designates Booking as a gatekeeper
- EUR-Lex: Digital Markets Act, Regulation (EU) 2022/1925
What to do next
If you do not have your own website yet, now is a good time to build one. It does not need to be complex, but it does need to be clear, credible, and ready for direct enquiries.
If you already have a website, the next step is to make the direct offer more visible and more convincing than it is today.
At iscusIT we build presentation websites for guesthouses, villas, and cabins with clear structure, easy-to-follow information, and a better experience for guests who want to book direct.
Want to see how your property's site could look?
Send a few details and, if you already have one, your property link. If we have what we need, we send a free one-page demo so you can clearly see the direction.
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