If you are implementing a Search, look and book integration for accommodation or car rentals, this guide explains the key concepts you need to know.
Payments in the Demand API define how bookings are charged across accommodation and car rental products.
They determine:
- What is charged.
- When it is charged.
- How it is collected.
- How payments are structured over time.
Payments consist of three key concepts:
Defines when a charge occurs during the booking lifecycle.
Examples include:
- At booking.
- Before cancellation deadline.
- At check-in or pick-up.
- Split across multiple dates.
See Payment timing for details.
Defines how a payment is collected or guaranteed.
Examples include:
- Credit card
- Virtual credit card (VCC)
- Pay at service (property or pickup)
See the Payment methods section for details.
Defines the full breakdown of payment events over time.
A single booking can include multiple payment events depending on:
- Travel service (accommodation or car rental)
- Supplier or property policies.
- Partner configuration.
- Regulatory constraints.
A schedule may include:
- Multiple charges across different dates.
- Partial payments.
- Deposits or guarantees.
See the Payment schedule section for details.
Payment timing, methods, and schedules are independent concepts that combine to form the full payment behaviour of a booking.
For example:
- A booking may be charged online immediately but split into multiple scheduled payments.
- A booking may require a payment method even if no immediate charge occurs.
- Different charges within a booking may follow different timing rules.
The exact combination depends on product type and supplier configuration.
The Demand API supports two primary payment collection models.
Online payments
Pay at service (property or pickup)
Payment structures differ depending on the travel service.
Accommodation payments are driven by supplier policies and are grouped under a central payment structure.
They typically include:
- Online payments.
- Pay at property flows.
- Split or scheduled payments.
Car rental payments are composed of multiple price components, each potentially having different payment rules.
These may include:
- Base rental cost
- Extra charges
- Deposits
- Excess / insurance
| Aspect | Accommodation | Car rentals |
|---|---|---|
| Payment structure | Grouped by policy | Grouped by policy and per amount/component |
| Timing location | payment object | timing per field |
| Schedule model | Centralised | Distributed |
| Complexity driver | Supplier policy | Price component structure |
Payments can be handled by different parties depending on the business setup.
Payments are collected before service delivery and processed through either:
Model | Flow | |
|---|---|---|
 | Partners collect payment | Partner charges the traveller and pays Booking.com using Virtual credit card (VCCs) |
 | Booking.com collects payment from traveller | Booking.com charges the traveller credit card directly and handles settlement with suppliers. |
 | Corporate partners | Partner pays using VCC (e.g. AirPlus) or MOTO flows for business travel. |
Payments are collected at the point of service delivery.
Travel service | The flow | |
|---|---|---|
 | Car rental | Traveller pays at the rental desk at pickup. |
 | Accommodation | Traveller pays at the property at check-in. For business travel, partners may provide a VCC and authorisation form so the property can charge the company directly. |
These flows may include:
- Full payment at service.
- Partial prepayment followed by remaining balance.
- Deposits or guarantees.
Exact behaviour depends on supplier policy.
Correct payment modelling ensures:
- Accurate pricing display.
- Fewer checkout drop-offs.
- Consistent checkout experience.
- Correct payment collection flow.
- Reduced post-booking disputes.
Incorrect interpretation can lead to:
- Unexpected charges at checkout or pick-up.
- Customer support issues.
- Loss of trust during booking.
Payment information is required when implementing:
Search, look and book integrations with either:
- Accommodation bookings (v3.1, v3.2)
- Car rental bookings (v3.2-Beta)
Payments are not required for content-only integrations.