Booking.com no longer looks at a hotel's prices on other sales channels when deciding whether it can join the Booking Sponsored Benefit programme, the European Commission said on 28 September [1].
The change followed a regulatory dialogue under the Digital Markets Act, which bans designated platforms such as Booking.com from requiring price parity [1].
Booking.com has also removed the "competitive" and "non-competitive" labels from its hotel extranet, so hotels are not led to think it expects the same prices everywhere, the Commission said [1].
What it covers
Accommodation providers in the European Economic Area. Under the Sponsored Benefit programme, Booking.com lowers the price shown to customers and pays the difference itself [1].
Booking.com removed contractual parity clauses in July 2024. Outside prices were still used for this one programme until now, according to the Commission [1].
It says Booking.com now explains that external price scans are for information only, and not used for its default ranking or programme eligibility. Its terms are to be updated later this year [1].
What it does not tell you
Whether hotels will now offer lower prices elsewhere, or whether consumers will pay less. The Commission describes changes to rules, not their effects [1].
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