# Payment FAQs

**Find answers to the most common questions regarding payment methods, timings, and more.**

## Payment methods

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b
What does 
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method_required
 in the Orders/preview response mean?
b
p
The field `method_required` under `general_policies` in the Orders/preview response identifies whether a payment method is needed in the order.

The `method_required` can be:

* True -- This means that a payment method (such as a credit card) is mandatory.
* False -- The product does not require a credit card for booking.


Refer to the [Payment use cases](/demand/docs/payments/payments-methods#credit-card--strong-customer-authentication-sca) for orders/preview response examples.

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b
What is a CVC?
b
p
The CVC (Card Verification Code) is a security code associated with a credit card. It is used to verify the card's authenticity during transactions.

* If a payment is refused due to an `issuer_cvc_check_failed` error, it means the CVC provided was invalid and the issuer rejected the payment. The solution is to verify that the correct CVC is entered and matches the one on the credit card.
* When modifying card details for a reservation, the cvc field is required in the `modification.payment` object.


For certain payment scenarios, such as securing a booking with a card where the traveller pays at the property, the cvc is included in the `payment.card` object of the /orders/create request.

The /accommodations/details endpoint can also indicate whether `cvc_required` or `amex_cvc_required` fields are true under the payment object, signifying if the CVC number is needed for the order.

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b
How can I check the card types accepted by the property?
b
p
You can check the card types accepted by a property using the following endpoints:

* For online payments: Use the /orders/preview endpoint - The accepted card types (IDs) will be listed in the `methods.cards` array within the response.
* For payments at the property: Use the /accommodations/details endpoint - This will return the payment methods (cards and/or cash) accepted by the property for payment at check-in.


Use the common/payments/cards endpoint to see the full list of card IDs and names.

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b
Does the Demand API support PayPal?
b
p
Unfortunately, the Demand API does not support PayPal as a payment method.

Refer to the [Payments section](/demand/docs/payments/payments-methods) for the list of currently supported methods.

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b
Does the Demand API support cryptocurrency payments?
b
p
Unfortunately, the Demand API does not support cryptocurrency as a payment method.

Refer to the [Payments section](/demand/docs/payments/payments-methods) for the list of currently supported methods.

### Strong Customer Authentication (SCA)

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b
 Does Strong Customer Authentication (SCA) cover all countries?
b
p
Strong Customer Authentication (SCA) is a requirement for online payments within the European Economic Area (EEA) and the United Kingdom (UK) only.

SCA tokens are used to authenticate transactions securely.

Refer to the [Credit card + Strong Customer Authentication (SCA)](/demand/docs/payments/payments-methods#credit-card--strong-customer-authentication-sca) section for an in-depth description.

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b
What should I do if the SCA token is rejected?
b
p
If an SCA token is rejected, it means that something went wrong in the chain of authentication.

* This could be due to an external cause, like the Credit Card being blocked, expired and/or invalidated.
* It can also be an internal reason, where the token cannot be validated in time.


Depending on the error returned, you can either try again, or go back to the traveller and request them to authenticate again, and use a new token to retry.

Check the list of [payment-related errors](//demand/docs/support/error-handling/payment-errors) for further details.

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b
Do I need to sign any additional addendums to use a Credit card with a SCA token?
b
p

Yes, there is an additional addendum to sign to get access to this online payment method. Contact your Account Manager for more details.

Check the pre-requisites disclosed in the dedicated [Credit card + Strong Customer Authentication (SCA)](/demand/docs/payments/payments-examples2#credit-card--sca-token) use case.

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b
Do I need to obtain a new SCA token if my credit card is marked as invalid?
b
p

The SCA token is valid only for the user who authenticated themselves during the transaction, which includes the use of the credit card. 

Therefore if the credit card is marked as invalid, the SCA token is no longer tied to a valid transactional context and will need to be reissued.

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b
Does Booking.com send SCA tokens along with credit cards for charging?
b
p

  No, Booking.com handles payments on your behalf. 

As such, PCI-compliant data is only transmitted through Booking.com to the chosen payment partner, never directly to the property.

### Virtual credit card (VCC)

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b
Where can I find the Virtual credit card (VCC) ID for payment instructions?
b
p
The VCC card ID can be found in the [/accommodations/details](/demand/docs/open-api/demand-api/accommodations/accommodations/details) response, under `payment.methods.cards.virtual_cards`.

Refer to the dedicated [payment instructions guide](/demand/docs/payments/payments-examples3#paying-at-the-property-with-authorisation-form) for more details on how to set the order.

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b
What is the correct format for 
code
airplus.dbi.accounting_code
 when using AirPlus? 
b
p
When creating an order with AirPlus as the payment method, you must provide the AirPlus number.

You can also optionally supply additional fields in the Descriptive Billing Information (DBI), such as `accounting_code` or `accounting_unit`. These fields all share the same format: a string of up to 17 characters.

See the dedicated [AirPlus use case](/demand/docs/payments/payments-examples3#using-airplus-vcc) for more details and examples.

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b
Can I use AirPlus as VCC provider for payments?
b
p

  Yes, AirPlus is a supported payment method for both "pay_online_now" and "pay_at_the_property". However, it requires additional parameters and a connection with AirPlus before it can be used.   

See the dedicated [AirPlus use case](/demand/docs/payments/payments-examples3#using-airplus-vcc) for pre-requisites, details and examples.

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b
When should I use the authorisation form?
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p
The authorisation form is used for "pay at the property" bookings where Corporate Partners pay on behalf of their employees using Virtual Credit Cards (VCC).

* The form helps the property understand how to charge the partner's VCC when the guest arrives.
* This is what we call “payment instructions”


Find all details on how to use the authorisation form in the [Corporate Partner use case](/demand/docs/payments/payments-examples3#paying-at-the-property-with-authorisation-form-1).

## Payment errors

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What is the difference between the "insufficient fund" and " invalid amount" errors?
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p
* **Insufficient funds** - This is an error returned by the payment service provider (PSP). It means the customer’s card doesn’t have enough balance to cover the charge.
* **Invalid amount** - This is an error returned by Booking.com.
  * It typically means the authorised amount (the amount approved for the charge) is less than the amount that needs to be captured.
  * In rare cases, it can also occur if the authorised amount is more than the expected capture amount.


This error usually happens due to:

* Rounding issues or configuration bugs.
* A mismatch between the price shown in orders/preview and the final price sent in orders/create — for example, if the price changed between the two steps.


Since prices aren’t provided in orders/create, the “invalid amount” error should occur only in edge cases.

See the [Payment errors section](/demand/docs/support/error-handling/payment-errors) for more examples.

## Payment timings

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b
Where can I see the payment timings?
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p
In the **Accommodation API collection**, you can find the payment timings in the accommodations/details response, under the field `payment.timings`.

For product-level payment timings, refer to the `policies.payment.timings` in the accommodations/availability and accommodations/search endpoints for each block.

Timings can be:

- "pay_at_the_property"
- "pay_online_later"
- "pay_online_now"


In the **Cars API collection**, you can find payment timings in car rental search results using the cars/search endpoint.

The `policies.payment.timings` field in the response indicates when the payment takes place, such as:

- "pay_now"
- "pay_local"
- or "part_pay".


Additionally, you can filter car rental search results based on payment timing options (pay_local, pay_now, or part_pay) by including a [payment.timings as filter](/demand/docs/cars/cars-filter-sorting#filtering-by-payment-timing) in your request body.

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Are payment timings the same in accommodation and car rental endpoints?
b
p
No, payment timings are not the same for accommodation and car rental API collections.

For **Accommodation** the payment timings include:

- "pay_at_the_property"
- "pay_online_later"
- "pay_online_now"


For **Car rentals**, the payment timings include:

- "pay_now"
- "pay_local"
- or "part_pay".


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b
What does “securing the accommodation reservation” mean?
b
p
* For "pay online now" or "pay later" bookings, securing the reservation means making the payment at the time of booking.
* For “pay at the property”, securing the reservation involves providing credit card details to confirm the booking, but no payment is taken until the traveller arrives at the property. This helps properties track cancellation rates and manage no-show fees.


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b
For accommodation with the 
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pay_online_later
 payment timing, where can I find the date of payment?
b
p
In the [/orders/preview](/demand/docs/open-api/demand-api/orders/orders/preview) response, each payment timing object  (pay_at_the_property, pay_online_now, pay_online_later) contains a date object.

* This object specifies when the total price of the booking must be paid.
* The dates object will contain 2 or 3 items, each showing the date when a portion of the total price must be paid.


Note: In some countries, certain charges, such as tourist taxes, must be paid at the property, by law. These charges cannot be collected in advance through "pay_online_now" or "pay_online_later" timings and will be listed separately in the payment schedule.

Find different schedule examples in the [timings guide](/demand/docs/payments/payments-timings).

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b
Why doesn’t the property receive credit card details for a 
code
pay_at_the_property
 booking?
b
p
For these bookings, the guest pays the full amount directly at the property. Because of this, the guest’s credit card details are **not shared** with the property.

Key points:

- If the guest cancels after the free cancellation period or does not show up, **Booking.com** collects the applicable fee.
- The property is only responsible for collecting payment **once the traveller arrives** at the property.
- Booking.com manages card validation and handles charges related to **late cancellations** or **no-shows**.


This payment flow is known as **Booking.com Managed Pay at the Property** (also called **Smart Pay at the Property**).

This payment model applies regardless of whether you use Demand API v2 or v3. It reflects an overall shift in how payments are processed.

## Receipts

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b
How can I get an order receipt?
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p
There are several ways to get a receipt depending on the payment timing:

| Payment timing | Receipt behaviour |
|  --- | --- |
| `pay_online_now` | Receipt generated immediately via /orders/create. Setting the `payment.include_receipt` field to true. |
| `pay_online_later` | Retrieve a credit slip from [orders/details/accommodations endpoint](/demand/docs/open-api/demand-api/orders/orders/details/accommodations) once payment is due (e.g. 3 days before arrival). |


## Commissions

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Why is the commission not returned in v3 sometimes?
b
p
There are two possible reasons for this:

- Commission is not enabled for that partner.
- If an order is cancelled, commission will be returned as null.


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b
Why are the fields `actual_amount` and `actual_percentage` in the commission section returned as null in V3?
b
p

  These fields are only populated once the guest has checked out of the property. 


```json
  "commission": {
        "actual_amount": null,
        "actual_percentage": null,
        "estimated_amount": {
          "accommodation_currency": 17.5,
          "booker_currency": 19.23
        }
      },
```

* Wait until this happens and then use [orders/details endpoint](/demand/docs/open-api/demand-api/orders/orders/details) to look at the list of orders you are interested to check commissions.


## Endpoints

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Which endpoint should I use to retrieve 
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direct_payment_info
?
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p
* In V2, the `direct_payment_info` field was available under /orders/details/accommodations.
* However in v3, you can find this information in the [orders/details](/demand/docs/open-api/demand-api/orders/orders/details) endpoint, under the 'data[].payment' object.


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Is there a 
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prepayment_required
 field?
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p
Yes, in the accommodations/availability response, under `policies.payment.payment_required`, you will find whether prepayment is required for the block.

This is equivalent to the `deposit_required` field in v2.

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Where can I find the booker information?
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p
You can find the booker information calling the [orders/details](/demand/docs/open-api/demand-api/orders/orders/details) endpoint.

## Testing

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What credit card should I use when testing online payments?
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p
When testing online payments in either Sandbox or Production environments, you must use a real credit card with actual funds available.

While it's a test booking, the charge is real. However, every Monday following a test booking, we will automatically refund the charge to the used credit card.

* Check the recommendations for testing in the [Payments quick guide](/demand/docs/payments/how-to#testing).


Do not use fake credit cards as they will fail and return errors.

## Demand API v2/v3 differences

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Are there rates with "Deposit required" in v3.1?
b
p
In v3.1, the equivalent of the "Deposit Required" field is `prepayment_required`.

This indicates whether a prepayment is needed, usually for pay online timings.

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Is "CVV suppression" possible via the AID in v3.1?
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p
CVV suppression is not supported in v3.

However, there is a `cvc_required` field under the 'payment' object, in the /accommodations/details response.

This field indicates whether the CVV is required for the defined accommodation.

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b
 Where can I find commission euro_fee and fee_percentage in v3? 
b
p
In v2, the "Commission" section included `euro_fee` and `fee_percentage`, however in v3 there are some equivalencies returned in [orders/details endpoint](/demand/docs/open-api/demand-api/orders/orders/details):

* fee_percentage -- Find the equivalent under `commission.actual_percentage`.
* euro_fee -- This is either under `actual_amount` or `estimated_amount`, depending on the timing of the request.


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What are the equivalents to "payable" and "bookable" flags in v3.1?
b
p
In v2.10, there were "payable" and "bookable" flags, however in v3 there are some equivalencies:

* The payable flag in v3.1 can be found in the [orders/details](/demand/docs/open-api/demand-api/orders/orders/details) endpoint (static data), indicating the available methods for paying at the property timing.
* The bookable flag in v3.1 can be found in the [orders/preview](/demand/docs/open-api/demand-api/orders/orders/preview) endpoint, indicating the available methods for paying online.