What is an online travel agency (OTA)?

How does an OTA differ from booking direct?

The practical difference is who holds the contract. Booking.com's customer terms, updated 25 August 2025, state that the platform is not a recommendation or endorsement of any service provider [2], that Booking.com is not a party to the terms between the traveller and the service provider, and that the service provider is solely responsible for the travel experience [2]. The document is built as general conditions plus separate sections for accommodations, attractions, car rentals, flights, and private or public transportation, and the specific section prevails where it differs from the general one [2].

Payment and cancellation follow the same split. Where a service provider requires an upfront payment, it may be taken or pre-authorised at the time of booking and may be non-refundable; where Booking.com organises the payment, Booking.com or an affiliate manages it [2]. Any cancellation or no-show fee, and any refund, depends on the service provider's policy as displayed on its information pages, during the booking process and in the confirmation email or ticket [2]. For a side-by-side comparison of the two routes, see OTA versus direct booking: total cost.

Do OTA bookings earn hotel points and elite credit?

The hotel programme decides, and its rules can turn on the rate as well as on how the reservation is recorded. The worked example here is Marriott Bonvoy, whose programme rules carry an October 2026 update date [4]; other hotel programmes publish their own conditions for each rate and channel.

Marriott Bonvoy treats charges as qualifying when the member gives their membership number at the time of reservation or at check-in, stays in one of the reserved guest rooms as the registered guest, and pays for the charges [4]. Qualifying Charges include the qualifying rate for the stay along with items such as food and beverages and in-room movies charged to the folio [4]. Elite Night Credits, which count towards elite status, are earned only for a night in a Qualifying Stay as those rules define it [4].

The clearest channel restriction in the same rules covers one property. Atlantis, Paradise Island in the Bahamas is a non-branded participating property with limited participation, where members may earn points or miles on room rate only, and where points or miles are not earned and points cannot be redeemed for reservations booked through AtlantisBahamas.com [4].

If a stay never appears in an account, timing matters: Marriott Bonvoy requires missing-credit requests to be received within one year of the activity [4]. For recognition differences at check-in, see hotel OTA bookings and elite benefits.

What does Booking.com's own loyalty scheme give you?

Booking.com runs a membership scheme, Genius, that sits alongside any hotel programme: Genius rates are discounted rates offered by participating service providers or funded by Booking.com, membership carries no fee, and membership and rates are non-transferable [2]. Genius Levels are based on the number of completed bookings within a given period, for any vertical offered by the scheme [2].

Not every purchase counts: cruises, insurance, public transportation and free options are excluded from Genius, and additional purchases such as room upgrades, car seats and extra flight luggage do not receive Genius discounts [2]. Booking.com may change any feature of the scheme, including the levels and which booking types count towards progression [2].

A second currency sits alongside Genius. Booking.com may issue Rewards at its sole discretion, and the types awarded into the Wallet are Credits and vouchers [2]. Rewards cannot be sold, encumbered or transferred to a third party, and if an account holder dies the account is closed and any pending or available Rewards are cancelled [2]. A member who did not receive a Reward they believe they qualified for must contact customer service no more than 12 months after the qualifying activity [2].

Exceptions and limits

• The platform is not an endorsement of any provider, and the provider's own policies on cancellation, no-shows, deposits and age requirements govern the booking [2].
• The Booking.com entity behind the platform depends on the product: Booking.com B.V. for accommodations, flights and attractions, and Booking.com Transport Limited for car rental and private or public transportation [2].
• When a car rental is booked on Rentalcars.com, the Genius and Rewards clauses of the customer terms do not apply to that booking [2].
• The Marriott Bonvoy restriction described above is property-specific: it names Atlantis, Paradise Island and reservations booked through AtlantisBahamas.com, within a property that participates on a limited basis [4].
• Points can also lapse while a credit query is open: Marriott Bonvoy members must have Qualifying Activity at least once every 24 months to retain accumulated points, awards and other benefits [4].

Frequently asked questions

Do you earn hotel points when you book through an OTA?

The hotel programme's rules for the rate and the reservation decide it. In Marriott Bonvoy, charges qualify when the member's number is given at reservation or check-in, the member stays as the registered guest and the member pays [4].

Are OTA bookings eligible for elite night credit?

In Marriott Bonvoy, an Elite Night Credit is earned only on a night during a Qualifying Stay as the programme rules define it [4].

Who is responsible if something goes wrong with an OTA booking?

Booking.com states that it is not a party to the terms between the traveller and the service provider, and that the service provider is solely responsible for the travel experience [2]. Questions and complaints are handled through Booking.com's customer service [2].

How do you reach Booking.com Genius Level 2 or Level 3?

Level 2 requires 5 completed bookings within 2 years and Level 3 requires 15 completed bookings within 2 years, counted across the verticals the scheme offers [2].

What happens to Booking.com Rewards if the trip is cancelled?

Refunds of money and Rewards follow the service provider's cancellation policy [2]. If a Reward was issued because of a booking, any unspent part of it is deleted from the Wallet when that travel experience is cancelled [2].

Related pages

OTA versus direct booking: total cost, hotel OTA bookings and elite benefits, airline status credit on OTA bookings, member rate, and the full glossary of frequent flyer terms.

Sources

Sources accessed on 18 October 2026. It covers Booking.com's customer terms of service and the Marriott Bonvoy programme rules; the online booking conditions of other airlines, hotel groups and travel agents are not covered here.

1. Booking.com Terms of Service (customer terms, updated 25 August 2025), checked 18 October 2026
2. Marriott Bonvoy Loyalty Program Terms & Conditions (updated October 2026), checked 18 October 2026