to be intrigued (read: appalled) at Booking.com's seemingly new policy...

[Jewels234]

Regarding payment.

I have used booking.com on a very regular basis over the past few years, and have on a few occasions paid slightly more for the flexibility of the free cancelation service. These have always been booked on the basis that the full amount is payable on check out at the hotel.

Anyway, I came to book a holiday for next year (my honeymoon actually, so a pricier holiday than I would normally book). At the moment I need some flexibility about where I go, but hotels are booking up fast, so I used the 'free cancellation' option again.

However this time, turns out they charge a 50% deposit. It's a multi stay trip, so I had booked a few hotels on the same basis, and they were all a 50% deposit. Which was really not explicit in the slightest. Until I checked my bank account and a lot of money had been taken from it.

AIBU that this is a ridiculous change to make, and not to flag. And also warn you not to make the same mistake I did!

[fiveacres]

Well, I feel for you vini but so much is done online that I honestly don't see how you could survive without card facilities.

Whenever I need a hotel or guest house I look straight on the Internet.

[venividiarrivederci]

If a booking's done online and paid for when booked, then the payment is processed by the booking engine and we get the funds (eventually), so don't need our own card facilities. Problems only occur when with companies like Booking.com and Expedia, the payment is not taken on booking.

I dunno, you wouldn't expect to book concert tickets and not pay for them when you book. I really don't think this is much different. If people pay upfront, they are also far more likely to let us know if they want to cancel their room than to just not front up.

I can see it from both sides, but we always book direct with hotel rather than go through a booking engine (you often find the price is cheaper booking direct anyway) and would expect to pay for at least the first night upfront.

[fiveacres]

I do if we know where we are going, but if it's a new place then you tend to browse a bit more.

Do you mean you just take cash then?

[NickiFury]

I can't see how you'll be able to survive in the long term Veni unless you get a bit more "with it".

[venividiarrivederci]

Cash/cheques/BACS (lots of businesses like paying by BACS) and of course, if people book online they can pay with cards - we just don't have card facilities in house. We've looked at having card facilities on many occasions, but between cost and compliance (data protection, storage, PCI DSS compliance etc) it's just going to add £ to our room rates.

[fiveacres]

Right, I see - but then that does rather assume people will pay online as most people won't carry cash with them and cheques are almost obsolete!

I think it's reasonable to have a policy by which people pay in full by X date.

[venividiarrivederci]

Nicki, people really don't mind paying by cash/chq etc. The only time it becomes an issue is when the online agents do the booking but don't take the payment. There have been a few threads on here recently where people have been complaining about the price of hotel rooms. All these bits and pieces - £1 per room for c/card fees, £1 for compliance etc add to the cost.

We charge £55.00 an ensuite room with 2 people sharing. We provide a great breakfast, free wifi and all the bits and pieces that the big hotels don't do like giving people lifts to stations/sporting events/weddings, washing clothes, drying wet weather gear, printing off boarding passes etc etc etc with no extra charge.

We employ one lady for 4 hours a day to help with the cleaning and pay her £10.50 an hour because she's brilliant at her job. She's worried about her job when the premier Inn opens - she could probably get a job there on a minimum wage zero hours contract, but she's not looking forward to it! We have enough great feedback and repeat custom to know that we're doing a good job, but sometimes it feels like we're wading through treacle.

[GlitterNails]

Veni - what about the newer systems that link to your phone/computer, i.e paypal, izettle, sum up, etc. it would give you that option without huge fees, as long as you have a reliable internet connection such as wifi.

[BertieBotts]

Million I didn't even have to put card details in at all!

[venividiarrivederci]

Glitter, DH is researching these and had not looked at Izettle - thanks for that. He had a horrendous experience with Paypal a few years ago (fraud) so is a bit wary but this could be an option.