Booking & Airbnb commission calculator

Enter your nightly rate, booked nights and commission rates. The calculator shows what the platforms take per year, what you keep per night, and how much more you would earn if part of your guests booked directly.

For hosts and property managersBooking.com + AirbnbDirect booking savings

How much the platforms take

The default figures are an example. Enter your own numbers from last season.

The rest up to 100 % is counted as Airbnb. Genius discounts, the Preferred Partner programme and payments by Booking.com can raise your effective commission, so use the rate from your invoices.
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How much do Booking.com and Airbnb really charge?

Booking.com charges hosts a commission on each booking, typically around 15 % of the booking value in most European markets. Visibility programmes such as Preferred Partner add a few percentage points, and Genius discounts reduce the price the guest pays, so the effective cost is often higher than the headline rate.

Airbnb mostly uses a host-only fee of around 15–16 % for professional hosts and channel managers, or a split fee where the host pays around 3 % and the guest pays a service fee on top. Check which model applies to your listing in your Airbnb payout settings.

VAT on the commission

In the EU, platform commissions are a cross-border service. If you are not VAT-registered, you may still have to report and pay VAT on the commission in your own country under the reverse-charge rules (in Croatia 25 %). Tick the box if this applies to you, and ask your accountant if you are not sure.

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What direct bookings are worth

Every guest who books on your own website instead of an OTA saves you the full commission. Even 20–30 % direct bookings usually save more per year than a professional website and advertising cost. The usual path is: a fast website with a booking engine, a Google Business Profile, reviews, and Google Ads for searches like “villa with pool Istria” or “apartment Split old town”.

How to use the result

  • Use your real numbers from last season: booked nights, average rate and the commission on your invoices.
  • Compare the “platform cost per night” with what a direct booking costs you in advertising.
  • Keep the OTAs for visibility, but move repeat guests and high-season demand to direct bookings.

Frequently asked questions

How much commission does Booking.com take?
Typically around 15 % of the booking value in most European markets, more if you use programmes like Preferred Partner. Your exact rate is shown on your monthly invoice.
How much does Airbnb charge hosts?
With the host-only fee around 15–16 % of the booking subtotal; with the split fee about 3 % for the host while the guest pays a service fee.
Do I pay VAT on Booking.com commission?
In the EU, hosts who are not VAT-registered may have to pay VAT on the commission under the reverse-charge rules of their own country. Ask your accountant.
How can I get more direct bookings?
A fast website with online booking, good reviews, a Google Business Profile and Google Ads for local searches. Repeat guests should always be invited to book directly.
Author and reviewTomislav Kovačec, owner of Supremio Digital, Zagreb

Licensed real estate agent, certified Google Ads professional and registered drone operator (Croatian Civil Aviation Agency). Figures from regulations are checked against official sources and cited with each tool.

Updated: November 2026 · Supremio Digital, Zagreb

Supremio Digital

Want more direct bookings? Guests are already searching on Google.

We run Google Ads for holiday villas and apartments, so guests book on your own website instead of paying 15–20 % commission.

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