In my case they took my payment information and paid the hotel where I was going to be staying. Only to find out that the hotel was out of business and I had to prove that it was charged to my account. They did not find me a replacement hotel to stay in for the same price. Nor did they care that I was left without a place to stay. So beware before you purchase.

Make reservations directly to the hotel. Booking.com doesn't care what you want and if you have a problem they don't have any customer service to help you. Simply avoid using them if you do not want to meet their conditions. I lost over $400 to them because of their fine print. Proceed with caution if you use them.

Hi Safeera,
In my experience Booking.com will always take your payment details at the time of booking. Understandably, this is so people who book actually turn up and if they don't either a fee for late cancellation or payment for the accommodation can be taken for loss of business. However, payment may be taken before your stay but not always - unfortunately Booking.com are not very consistent. Obviously, the main reasons for taking payment immediately are when booking late (i. E: for the following day) or at an extremely reduced price (usually a limited offer). Otherwise, payment will be taken at the accommodation at the end of your stay. However, I have found that this is not always the case. Having stayed at the same hotel several times, sometimes I have been charged for the room beforehand and other times after my stay even though I have booked way in advance. For me this has not been a problem as I know the hotel which I use for frequent shopping trips. In your case I would check directly with the hotel and at the same time you could ask them if they could do you a better deal as they have to pay a commission to Booking.com@ 20-25% or so I've been told! Hope this helps.

I think it also depends on what country your in.as previous answers state. Better off not using them at all!

It depends on the hotel. I know of no hotel that is not going to need a credit card to secure the room? People would not bother to cancel, never show up, etc. Are you serious?

That's how they work, just like many other travel companies. My problem is they wouldn't make any concession after I believe they screwed up my reservations (not making it 3 nights rather than the original 2).

Hi Safeera,

With booking.com I think it depends on the hotel. It is thw hotel's preference if they want you to pay upfont. If you book directly with the hotel, it is normal for tou to pay after tiur stay, wher they give you the

Because they charge your credit card upfront. That's how it works. As I said, I was refunded all but one day by the hotel (my credit card was credited.) Unless you have personal information about the hotel, I would not use Booking.com. Their ratings are dishonest.

In our hostel we do not ask for credit card. This depends on each hostel/hotel.

If you want to make a payment after your stay as most hotels allow, then simply don't use booking.com. They make you pay up front so if your not happy or if you want to shorten your stay, there's no recourse.