Online travel platforms typically charge two parties: the host and the guest. This page is a neutral, educational explainer of how those fees are structured, what they're called, and why the same nightly rate can produce very different totals on different platforms.
Platforms charge hosts a commission taken out of the payout, and often charge guests a service fee added at checkout. On top of that sit cleaning fees set by the host, payment processing costs, and local tourist taxes. Which side pays what differs from platform to platform.
Most accommodation platforms operate one of two pricing models: a host-only commission model (the platform charges only the host, often 12–20%) or a split model (smaller host commission combined with a guest service fee). Both models can produce a similar end price, but the line items the guest sees are very different.
When evaluating fees, look at the booking total — not the headline nightly rate. Cleaning fees, service fees, currency markups, and resort fees can all materially change what a guest pays and what a host receives. The clearest comparisons happen at the gross-to-net level: gross booking value minus all platform-side deductions equals the host's payout.
BookingOnABudget.com uses a single, transparent figure: a flat 5% host commission and 0% guest service fee. During our promotion (see /promotion), hosts who list on or before 31.12.2026 pay 0% platform commission on every standard booking made on or before 31.12.2027, regardless of the dates of stay. This is described here for context only — outcomes on any platform depend on local terms and account type.