Booking on Agoda, pay later?

[proton]

Two hotels I paid for when booking, another offered pay just before arrival. Now the trip is in three weeks they keep sending emails asking me If I still want to book it, even though I have an email confirmation months ago. They don't seem to have email contact now. When it comes to payment is it automatic or do you have to log in on their app and do it?

[Etaoin Shrdlu]

I have used the pay later option on Agoda several times. I book through their website and not the app on my phone.

 

My card is debited automatically on the date specified on the booking, which is usually a few days or so prior to the check-in date.

 

[proton]

22 minutes ago, Etaoin Shrdlu said:

I have used the pay later option on Agoda several times. I book through their website and not the app on my phone.

 

My card is debited automatically on the date specified on the booking, which is usually a few days or so prior to the check-in date.

 

Thats what I thought, but the hotel just told me pay when you check out. Wait and see if charged first.

[Etaoin Shrdlu]

1 minute ago, proton said:

Thats what I thought, but the hotel just told me pay when you check out. Wait and see if charged first.

Yes, there is also the option to pay at the hotel. I've done that as well. Usually that has meant paying the quoted charges upon check-in, not check-out as well as having an amount blocked on your credit or debit card for ancillary charges which is then cleared/settled on check-out.

[bignok]

9 minutes ago, proton said:

Thats what I thought, but the hotel just told me pay when you check out. Wait and see if charged first.

Well do that then. Hotels have different policies.

 

Most want upfront but not all. Some what a key deposit.

 

The buy now pay later is normally 2 days before and automatic.

 

So 3 options pay now, pay later, pay at hotel.

[bignok]

8 minutes ago, Etaoin Shrdlu said:

as well as having an amount blocked on your credit or debit card for ancillary charges which is then cleared/settled on check-out.

Never had that in Thailand in over 15 years.

[Etaoin Shrdlu]

3 minutes ago, bignok said:

Never had that in Thailand in over 15 years.

Neither have I. 

 

My experience with this comes from bookings made with hotels in the US.

[bignok]

If using card via agoda pay in baht not western $ for best deal. Ex rates poor if you select western $.

 

If you need any hotel tips ask. 

[still kicking]

I don't use Agoda at all I used Booking.com for years and I never paid the hotel when I booked I always paid when I moved in or when I moved out.

[bignok]

28 minutes ago, still kicking said:

I don't use Agoda at all I used Booking.com for years and I never paid the hotel when I booked I always paid when I moved in or when I moved out.

Agoda is cheaper most of the time with better rewards.

[still kicking]

What are the differences between Agoda and Booking affiliate programs as they both belong to the same Booking Holdings?

Different structures but the same company 

[pomchop]

I have used agoda dozens of times , never a problem. 

 

Once you log in if you go to mybookings u can see exactly what you have booked and what the terms are re payment.  
Agoda seems to have much more hotels in Asia available then some of the other sites....i have had a few times when the hotel showed my booking as booking.com even though i booked under the agoda name...but never resulted in any problems. 

 

You do have to carefully READ the type of booking you have selected before u hit the final button...some may be lower rates and non refundable...others maybe charge your card now but refundable if cxl by certain dates...the ones i nearly always book are the ones that say PAY 0 now where you are not charged til a few days before arrival. 

 

I have had friends who did not pay attention and then complained when they figured out they had booked a non refundable deal....do not get in a big hurry, take the time to look at the various offers for whatever hotel you want as it is all right there before you hit the book now button.  Safest is to make sure it says pay zero today ......in that case they will ask for your credit card info but it will not be charged until a few days before or sometimes upon arrival at the hotel unless u cancel it as outlined and then zero charge.

[bignok]

5 hours ago, pomchop said:

have had friends who did not pay attention and then complained when they figured out they had booked a non refundable deal

So they didnt read. Same with plane tickets.

[ChipButty]

Pay on arrival is cheaper for the hotel less commission, plus they don't have to wait for Agoda to payout, if on booking.com if they collect payments at the time of booking it is 10 days to payout and they charge 17.2% commission, Im not sure about Agoda, 

[Skipalongcassidy]

7 hours ago, still kicking said:

I don't use Agoda at all I used Booking.com for years and I never paid the hotel when I booked I always paid when I moved in or when I moved out.

Agoda is the cheaper version of booking.com... same company... 555

[Skipalongcassidy]

6 hours ago, pomchop said:

I have used agoda dozens of times , never a problem. 

 

Once you log in if you go to mybookings u can see exactly what you have booked and what the terms are re payment.  
Agoda seems to have much more hotels in Asia available then some of the other sites....i have had a few times when the hotel showed my booking as booking.com even though i booked under the agoda name...but never resulted in any problems. 

 

You do have to carefully READ the type of booking you have selected before u hit the final button...some may be lower rates and non refundable...others maybe charge your card now but refundable if cxl by certain dates...the ones i nearly always book are the ones that say PAY 0 now where you are not charged til a few days before arrival. 

 

I have had friends who did not pay attention and then complained when they figured out they had booked a non refundable deal....do not get in a big hurry, take the time to look at the various offers for whatever hotel you want as it is all right there before you hit the book now button.  Safest is to make sure it says pay zero today ......in that case they will ask for your credit card info but it will not be charged until a few days before or sometimes upon arrival at the hotel unless u cancel it as outlined and then zero charge.

Always read everything is good advice but not always the truth... I booked a seaside bungalow in Krabi with breakfast included... guess what... the restaurant wasn't open in the morning.

[Tropicalevo]

8 hours ago, Etaoin Shrdlu said:

I have used the pay later option on Agoda several times. I book through their website and not the app on my phone.

 

My card is debited automatically on the date specified on the booking, which is usually a few days or so prior to the check-in date.

 

Same here.

[pomchop]

1 hour ago, ChipButty said:

Pay on arrival is cheaper for the hotel less commission, plus they don't have to wait for Agoda to payout, if on booking.com if they collect payments at the time of booking it is 10 days to payout and they charge 17.2% commission, Im not sure about Agoda, 

I have read the average expedia commission on a hotel booking is about 22%...that is a HUGE amount of commission but the online giants are so powerful now that if you don't play their game then they can almost put you out of business.  Some of the big hotel chains like hilton and hyatt try to fight back by saying book direct with us but the onlines are so powerful it is tough.

 

  I actually prefer to book direct with Thai hotels but have found a lot of them seem terrified to give you a lower rate for fear of retaliation...it can get ridiculous if u are already staying at a hotel booked via online and then go to front desk to extend and they quote u higher rate direct...so you go sit down in lobby and book with online giant at lower rate then walk back to front desk and all is fine.....

[ChipButty]

1 hour ago, Skipalongcassidy said:

Always read everything is good advice but not always the truth... I booked a seaside bungalow in Krabi with breakfast included... guess what... the restaurant wasn't open in the morning.

That happened to some friends of mine booked a 2 bedroom apartment in a 5 star resort in Karon they were given vouchers for a restaurant that wasn't opened, 

[Bangkok Barry]

9 hours ago, bignok said:

9 hours ago, Etaoin Shrdlu said:

as well as having an amount blocked on your credit or debit card for ancillary charges which is then cleared/settled on check-out.

Never had that in Thailand in over 15 years.

In my 40+ years of travel I've rarely had anything else. They usually don't tell you what they do, which is why you are unaware of it.

[ChipButty]

6 minutes ago, pomchop said:

I have read the average expedia commission on a hotel booking is about 22%...that is a HUGE amount of commission but the online giants are so powerful now that if you don't play their game then they can almost put you out of business.  Some of the big hotel chains like hilton and hyatt try to fight back by saying book direct with us but the onlines are so powerful it is tough.

 

 

Im not sure about that 22% commission expedia is a huge group of companies, from my information they are not very big out here in Asia, My friend tells me most of their bookings are coming from Trip.com I think Chinese outfit 

[Bangkok Barry]

10 minutes ago, pomchop said:

I actually prefer to book direct with Thai hotels

The only time I tried that was when I had to go to Phuket on business shortly after the tsunami. The person who took the booking seemed so disinterested that I called the hotel again the next day to confirm they had my booking. They didn't. You'd have thought that after the disaster they'd be begging for business, but TIT.

[bignok]

4 minutes ago, Bangkok Barry said:

In my 40+ years of travel I've rarely had anything else. They usually don't tell you what they do, which is why you are unaware of it.

What are you talking about?

[ChipButty]

9 hours ago, still kicking said:

I don't use Agoda at all I used Booking.com for years and I never paid the hotel when I booked I always paid when I moved in or when I moved out.

the problem for the hotels with payment on arrival, is the No Show and cancellation rate is high, 

[bignok]

5 minutes ago, Bangkok Barry said:

They usually don't tell you what they do, which is why you are unaware of it.

Who? What? 

[bignok]

1 minute ago, ChipButty said:

the problem for the hotels with payment on arrival, is the No Show and cancellation rate is high, 

Quiet hotels accept it. Busy ones dont need it.

[pomchop]

10 minutes ago, ChipButty said:

Im not sure about that 22% commission expedia is a huge group of companies, from my information they are not very big out here in Asia, My friend tells me most of their bookings are coming from Trip.com I think Chinese outfit 

Some big names that control a ton of rooms..i think agoda is their biggest in asia

 

Booking Holdings Inc. is an American travel technology company incorporated under Delaware General Corporation Law and based in Norwalk, Connecticut, that owns and operates several travel fare aggregators and travel fare metasearch engines including namesake and flagship Booking.com, Priceline.com, Agoda.com, Kayak.com ...

 

Expedia Group, Inc. is an American travel technology company that owns and operates travel fare aggregators and travel metasearch engines, including Expedia.com, Hotels.com, Vrbo, Travelocity, Hotwire.com, Orbitz, Ebookers, CheapTickets, CarRentals.com, Expedia Cruises, Wotif, and Trivago.

[Bangkok Barry]

18 minutes ago, bignok said:

What are you talking about?

You wrote that you have never in 15 years in Thailand had an amount blocked on your credit or debit card for ancillary charges which is then cleared/settled on check-out. I wrote that it is common for hotels to do that, and that you would not be aware of their policy because they didn't tell you. Often they don't, which is a bit sneaky. Is it clear now?

[bignok]

Pay on arrival - hotel could tell booking company person didnt show and not pay 17%. Or person doesnt show and hotel gets nothing.

 

Pay up front - no show, hotel gets about 83% of non refundable amount.

 

So pros and cons.

[sandyf]

8 hours ago, pomchop said:

I have used agoda dozens of times , never a problem. 

Generally speaking the service is good but not without problem.

In Sept 21 I had to book 2 weeks quarantine which I did through the Agoda facility that had been set up. At the end of the month the government reduced it to one week but Agoda refused to refund the difference saying I was outside the standard cancellation period.

My argument was that if Agoda signed up to the government scheme they were obliged to abide by the government regulations in place at the time. I initiated a chargeback, think about £900, which became quite protracted, but won the day in the end.