Booking.com: Difference between revisions
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'''Booking.com''' is a Dutch online travel agency and subsidiary of [[Booking Holdings]] Inc. that lists approximately 3.4 million properties across 220 countries and processed 1.1 billion room nights in 2024.<ref name="boapps">{{Cite web |url=https://www.businessofapps.com/data/booking-statistics/ |title=Booking Revenue and Usage Statistics (2026) |access-date=2026-03-26 |website=Business of Apps}}</ref> Regulators in the UK, Hungary, Spain, Texas, and Italy have all taken enforcement action against the platform for hidden fees, misleading discount claims, fake scarcity tactics, and anti-competitive pricing restrictions. The European Commission designated Booking.com a gatekeeper under the [[Digital Markets Act]] in May 2024.<ref name="dma_designation">{{Cite web |url=https://digital-markets-act.ec.europa.eu/commission-designates-booking-gatekeeper-and-opens-market-investigation-x-2024-05-13_en |title=Commission designates Booking as a gatekeeper and opens a market investigation into X |date=2024-05-13 |access-date=2026-03-26 |website=European Commission Digital Markets Act}}</ref> | '''Booking.com''' is a Dutch online travel agency and subsidiary of [[Booking Holdings]] Inc. that lists approximately 3.4 million properties across 220 countries and processed 1.1 billion room nights in 2024.<ref name="boapps">{{Cite web |url=https://www.businessofapps.com/data/booking-statistics/ |title=Booking Revenue and Usage Statistics (2026) |access-date=2026-03-26 |website=Business of Apps}}</ref> Regulators in the UK, Hungary, Spain, Texas, and Italy have all taken enforcement action against the platform for hidden fees, misleading discount claims, fake scarcity tactics, and anti-competitive pricing restrictions. The European Commission designated Booking.com a gatekeeper under the [[Digital Markets Act]] in May 2024.<ref name="dma_designation">{{Cite web |url=https://digital-markets-act.ec.europa.eu/commission-designates-booking-gatekeeper-and-opens-market-investigation-x-2024-05-13_en |title=Commission designates Booking as a gatekeeper and opens a market investigation into X |date=2024-05-13 |access-date=2026-03-26 |website=European Commission Digital Markets Act}}</ref> | ||
== Consumer-impact summary == | ==Consumer-impact summary== | ||
* The platform's booking flow has allowed hosts to impose terms on consumers after payment, including chargeback waivers and uncapped fee authorizations. Booking.com's Terms of Service cap its own liability at the cost of the booking.<ref name="booking_tos">{{Cite web |url=https://www.booking.com/content/terms.html |title=Terms and Conditions |access-date=2026-03-26 |website=Booking.com}}</ref> | *The platform's booking flow has allowed hosts to impose terms on consumers after payment, including chargeback waivers and uncapped fee authorizations. Booking.com's Terms of Service cap its own liability at the cost of the booking.<ref name="booking_tos">{{Cite web |url=https://www.booking.com/content/terms.html |title=Terms and Conditions |access-date=2026-03-26 |website=Booking.com}}</ref> | ||
* In August 2025, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton secured a $9.5 million settlement with Booking Holdings for hiding mandatory fees under a "Taxes and Fees" line at checkout, the largest US state settlement against an OTA for junk fees.<ref name="texas_ag">{{Cite web |url=https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/news/releases/attorney-general-ken-paxton-secures-historic-95-million-settlement-booking-engaging-deceptive-junk |title=Attorney General Ken Paxton Secures Historic $9.5 Million Settlement with Booking for Engaging in Deceptive "Junk Fee" Practices |date=2025-08-19 |access-date=2026-03-26 |website=Office of the Texas Attorney General}}</ref> | *In August 2025, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton secured a $9.5 million settlement with Booking Holdings for hiding mandatory fees under a "Taxes and Fees" line at checkout, the largest US state settlement against an OTA for junk fees.<ref name="texas_ag">{{Cite web |url=https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/news/releases/attorney-general-ken-paxton-secures-historic-95-million-settlement-booking-engaging-deceptive-junk |title=Attorney General Ken Paxton Secures Historic $9.5 Million Settlement with Booking for Engaging in Deceptive "Junk Fee" Practices |date=2025-08-19 |access-date=2026-03-26 |website=Office of the Texas Attorney General}}</ref> | ||
* Spain's CNMC fined Booking.com €413.24 million in July 2024 for abusing its dominant position by imposing unfair conditions on Spanish hotels and restricting competition from other OTAs.<ref name="cnmc">{{Cite web |url=https://www.concurrences.com/en/bulletin/news-issues/july-2024/the-spanish-competition-authority-fines-an-online-hotel-booking-platform |title=The Spanish Competition Authority fines an online hotel booking platform €413M for abusing its dominant position between 2019 and 2024 |date=2024-07-29 |access-date=2026-03-26 |website=Concurrences}}</ref> | *Spain's CNMC fined Booking.com €413.24 million in July 2024 for abusing its dominant position by imposing unfair conditions on Spanish hotels and restricting competition from other OTAs.<ref name="cnmc">{{Cite web |url=https://www.concurrences.com/en/bulletin/news-issues/july-2024/the-spanish-competition-authority-fines-an-online-hotel-booking-platform |title=The Spanish Competition Authority fines an online hotel booking platform €413M for abusing its dominant position between 2019 and 2024 |date=2024-07-29 |access-date=2026-03-26 |website=Concurrences}}</ref> | ||
* Hungary's GVH fined Booking.com HUF 2.5 billion (approximately EUR 7 million) in 2020 for misleading free cancellation advertising and pressure tactics, then fined it again (HUF 382.5 million) in 2024 after finding it hadn't stopped.<ref name="gvh_2020">{{Cite web |url=https://www.gvh.hu/en/press_room/press_releases/press-releases-2020/gigantic-fine-imposed-on-booking.com-by-the-gvh |title=Gigantic fine imposed on Booking.com by the GVH |date=2020-04-28 |access-date=2026-03-26 |website=Hungarian Competition Authority (GVH)}}</ref><ref name="gvh_2024">{{Cite web |url=https://www.gvh.hu/en/press_room/press_releases/press-releases-2024/record-fine-the-gvh-fined-booking-almost-huf-400-million | *Hungary's GVH fined Booking.com HUF 2.5 billion (approximately EUR 7 million) in 2020 for misleading free cancellation advertising and pressure tactics, then fined it again (HUF 382.5 million) in 2024 after finding it hadn't stopped.<ref name="gvh_2020">{{Cite web |url=https://www.gvh.hu/en/press_room/press_releases/press-releases-2020/gigantic-fine-imposed-on-booking.com-by-the-gvh |title=Gigantic fine imposed on Booking.com by the GVH |date=2020-04-28 |access-date=2026-03-26 |website=Hungarian Competition Authority (GVH)}}</ref><ref name="gvh_2024">{{Cite web |date=2024-07-15 |title=Record fine: the GVH fined Booking almost HUF 400 million |url=https://www.gvh.hu/en/press_room/press_releases/press-releases-2024/record-fine-the-gvh-fined-booking-almost-huf-400-million |access-date=2026-03-26 |website=Hungarian Competition Authority (GVH)}}</ref> | ||
* The UK CMA found Booking.com didn't display the full cost of rooms upfront and used false availability claims to pressure consumers. Booking.com committed to changes in 2019.<ref name="cma_enforcement">{{Cite web |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/hotel-booking-sites-to-make-major-changes-after-cma-probe |title=Hotel booking sites to make major changes after CMA probe |date=2019-02-06 |access-date=2026-03-26 |website=GOV.UK}}</ref> | *The UK CMA found Booking.com didn't display the full cost of rooms upfront and used false availability claims to pressure consumers. Booking.com committed to changes in 2019.<ref name="cma_enforcement">{{Cite web |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/hotel-booking-sites-to-make-major-changes-after-cma-probe |title=Hotel booking sites to make major changes after CMA probe |date=2019-02-06 |access-date=2026-03-26 |website=GOV.UK}}</ref> | ||
* The European Court of Justice ruled in September 2024 (Case C-264/23) that Booking.com's price parity clauses violate EU competition law.<ref name="ecj_parity">{{Cite web |url=https://news.gtp.gr/2024/09/20/european-hotels-applaud-eu-court-ruling-against-booking-coms-price-parity-clauses/ |title=European Hotels Applaud EU Court Ruling Against Booking.com's Price Parity Clauses |date=2024-09-20 |access-date=2026-03-26 |website=GTP Headlines}}</ref> | *The European Court of Justice ruled in September 2024 (Case C-264/23) that Booking.com's price parity clauses violate EU competition law.<ref name="ecj_parity">{{Cite web |url=https://news.gtp.gr/2024/09/20/european-hotels-applaud-eu-court-ruling-against-booking-coms-price-parity-clauses/ |title=European Hotels Applaud EU Court Ruling Against Booking.com's Price Parity Clauses |date=2024-09-20 |access-date=2026-03-26 |website=GTP Headlines}}</ref> | ||
* Booking.com USA holds an F rating from the Better Business Bureau, with 5,060 complaints in three years and 720 left unanswered.<ref name="bbb">{{Cite web |url=https://www.bbb.org/us/ny/new-york/profile/online-travel-agency/bookingcom-usa-inc-0121-139308 |title=Booking.com USA, Inc. BBB Business Profile |access-date=2026-03-26 |website=Better Business Bureau}}</ref> | *Booking.com USA holds an F rating from the Better Business Bureau, with 5,060 complaints in three years and 720 left unanswered.<ref name="bbb">{{Cite web |url=https://www.bbb.org/us/ny/new-york/profile/online-travel-agency/bookingcom-usa-inc-0121-139308 |title=Booking.com USA, Inc. BBB Business Profile |access-date=2026-03-26 |website=Better Business Bureau}}</ref> | ||
== Incidents == | ==Incidents== | ||
=== Post-payment terms disclosure === | ===Post-payment terms disclosure=== | ||
{{Main|Booking.com Post-Payment Terms Disclosure}} | {{Main|Booking.com Post-Payment Terms Disclosure}} | ||
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== See also == | ==See also== | ||
* [[Digital Markets Act]] | *[[Digital Markets Act]] | ||
== References == | ==References== | ||
{{reflist}} | {{reflist}} | ||
[[Category:Booking.com]] | [[Category:Booking.com]] | ||
[[Category:Online travel agencies]] | [[Category:Online travel agencies]] | ||
[[Category:Dark patterns]] | [[Category:Dark patterns]] | ||
Revision as of 11:13, 27 March 2026
Booking.com
[[File:|200px]]
| Basic information | |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1996 |
| Legal Structure | Subsidiary |
| Industry | Online Travel Agency |
| Also known as | Booking.com B.V.,BKNG |
| Official website | https://www.booking.com/ |
Booking.com is a Dutch online travel agency and subsidiary of Booking Holdings Inc. that lists approximately 3.4 million properties across 220 countries and processed 1.1 billion room nights in 2024.[1] Regulators in the UK, Hungary, Spain, Texas, and Italy have all taken enforcement action against the platform for hidden fees, misleading discount claims, fake scarcity tactics, and anti-competitive pricing restrictions. The European Commission designated Booking.com a gatekeeper under the Digital Markets Act in May 2024.[2]
Consumer-impact summary
- The platform's booking flow has allowed hosts to impose terms on consumers after payment, including chargeback waivers and uncapped fee authorizations. Booking.com's Terms of Service cap its own liability at the cost of the booking.[3]
- In August 2025, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton secured a $9.5 million settlement with Booking Holdings for hiding mandatory fees under a "Taxes and Fees" line at checkout, the largest US state settlement against an OTA for junk fees.[4]
- Spain's CNMC fined Booking.com €413.24 million in July 2024 for abusing its dominant position by imposing unfair conditions on Spanish hotels and restricting competition from other OTAs.[5]
- Hungary's GVH fined Booking.com HUF 2.5 billion (approximately EUR 7 million) in 2020 for misleading free cancellation advertising and pressure tactics, then fined it again (HUF 382.5 million) in 2024 after finding it hadn't stopped.[6][7]
- The UK CMA found Booking.com didn't display the full cost of rooms upfront and used false availability claims to pressure consumers. Booking.com committed to changes in 2019.[8]
- The European Court of Justice ruled in September 2024 (Case C-264/23) that Booking.com's price parity clauses violate EU competition law.[9]
- Booking.com USA holds an F rating from the Better Business Bureau, with 5,060 complaints in three years and 720 left unanswered.[10]
Incidents
Post-payment terms disclosure
- Main article: Booking.com Post-Payment Terms Disclosure
Booking.com's platform permits hosts to present contractual terms to consumers only after payment has been processed, including chargeback waivers, liability releases, and uncapped fee authorizations. The platform's Terms of Service cap its own liability at the booking cost and route disputes back to the host. The FTC's Junk Fees Rule, effective May 12, 2025, now requires Booking.com to display all mandatory fees upfront for US consumers.
See also
References
- ↑ "Booking Revenue and Usage Statistics (2026)". Business of Apps. Retrieved 2026-03-26.
- ↑ "Commission designates Booking as a gatekeeper and opens a market investigation into X". European Commission Digital Markets Act. 2024-05-13. Retrieved 2026-03-26.
- ↑ "Terms and Conditions". Booking.com. Retrieved 2026-03-26.
- ↑ "Attorney General Ken Paxton Secures Historic $9.5 Million Settlement with Booking for Engaging in Deceptive "Junk Fee" Practices". Office of the Texas Attorney General. 2025-08-19. Retrieved 2026-03-26.
- ↑ "The Spanish Competition Authority fines an online hotel booking platform €413M for abusing its dominant position between 2019 and 2024". Concurrences. 2024-07-29. Retrieved 2026-03-26.
- ↑ "Gigantic fine imposed on Booking.com by the GVH". Hungarian Competition Authority (GVH). 2020-04-28. Retrieved 2026-03-26.
- ↑ "Record fine: the GVH fined Booking almost HUF 400 million". Hungarian Competition Authority (GVH). 2024-07-15. Retrieved 2026-03-26.
- ↑ "Hotel booking sites to make major changes after CMA probe". GOV.UK. 2019-02-06. Retrieved 2026-03-26.
- ↑ "European Hotels Applaud EU Court Ruling Against Booking.com's Price Parity Clauses". GTP Headlines. 2024-09-20. Retrieved 2026-03-26.
- ↑ "Booking.com USA, Inc. BBB Business Profile". Better Business Bureau. Retrieved 2026-03-26.