OTA commission calculator: what Booking.com & Expedia really cost you
Enter your monthly OTA revenue and commission rate to see exactly how much you pay Booking.com, Expedia and other OTAs per month and per year — and how much of it a direct booking channel would keep in your pocket. Free, no signup.
Your results
Commission paid per month
$3,600
Commission paid per year
$43,200
Selling $20,000 per month through OTAs at 18%, you're paying $3,600 a month — $43,200 a year — in commissions. That amount is deducted before the money reaches your account, which is why it's rarely read as the marketing expense it is.
Estimates based on the formulas shown below. Edit the assumptions to match your property.
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How the calculator works
Commission paid = OTA booking revenue × commission rate. Standard OTA commissions run 15–25% per completed reservation; 18% is a common effective rate before visibility programs (Genius, Preferred Partner) that trade extra margin for ranking. The yearly figure is the monthly commission × 12.
Why this number is usually a surprise
OTA commissions are deducted before the money reaches your account, so they never show up as a line item you approve. For many independent hotels the annual total is the single largest marketing expense — bigger than ads, agencies and the website combined. The defense isn't leaving OTAs; it's moving repeat guests and brand searches to your own website, where the same reservation arrives commission-free.
FAQ
What commission does Booking.com charge?
Typically 15–25% depending on country, property type and programs. The rate is visible in your extranet contract. Optional visibility programs add margin on top, which is why effective rates often exceed the base.
Is a direct booking really commission-free?
There's no OTA commission, but direct channels have costs too: payment processing (~3%) and whatever your website/booking engine costs. Even so, the all-in cost of a direct booking is typically a fraction of an OTA commission — that difference is what this calculator surfaces.
Is this tool really free?
Yes — every GuruHotel tool is free, with no signup and no usage limit. GuruHotel makes money helping hotels grow commission-free direct bookings, and these tools show you where that opportunity is.