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OTA commission rates in 2026: what the platforms actually charge operators

Rate cards, visibility programmes, and the difference between the number you were quoted and the number you pay.

The short answer

In 2026 the major tour and activity OTAs charge suppliers roughly 20–30% commission on gross booking value. Viator's base is around 20% with Accelerate pushing effective rates to 30–35% or higher; GetYourGuide starts new operators at 30%; Klook sits lower at roughly 15–25%; Airbnb Experiences applies a flat 20%. Rates are negotiated per operator, so your own agreement is the only figure that governs your business.

The rates, platform by platform

Rates are negotiated individually and change without much warning, so treat this as orientation for a conversation with your account manager rather than as a quote.

PlatformSupplier commissionNotes
Viator20–30%Base near 20%; Accelerate placement pushes effective rates to 30–35%, some operators report higher
GetYourGuide20–30%Reported starting rate of 30% for new operators; boost tiers on top
Klook~15–25%Often reported lower than the western platforms; category and market tiers apply
Airbnb Experiences20%Flat rate
Some European wholesalersmid-30s%Net-rate contracting rather than commission
Your own website1.5–3.5%Card processing only, plus whatever the marketing cost

Why your effective rate is higher than the rate card

Three things push the real number above the headline percentage.

Visibility programmes. Both Viator and GetYourGuide run optional promotion tiers that raise your ranking in exchange for a higher commission. They are described as optional. In a competitive destination like Cairo or Luxor, a non-boosted listing sits below the fold, which makes the choice less optional than it sounds.

Listing fees. Viator introduced a per-product listing fee. For an operator with thirty products it is a fixed cost that adds a fraction of a percent on top of commission — small individually, real at scale.

Promotional discounts. Campaign participation, last-minute deals and cancellation exposure all shave the effective take further. By the time these are counted, a contracted 25% commonly behaves like 28–30%.

The rate card is the number you agreed to. The effective rate is the number you actually pay.

The 8% myth

Search for Viator’s commission and 8% appears with considerable confidence. It is the affiliate rate — what a travel blog or website earns for sending a traveller to Viator — and it has nothing to do with what a supplier pays.

The two programmes are entirely separate, and the affiliate figure appears prominently because those help pages are written for affiliates. Operators who plan on 8% under-cost their most expensive channel by roughly two thirds, which shows up later as a pricing problem nobody can explain.

What this means for your pricing

Plan on 20–30%, expect around 30% once visibility programmes are in play, and treat anything lower you read online with suspicion until you see it in your own agreement.

Practically, that means three things. Price your OTA-distributed products with the effective rate built in, not the rate card. Track what share of your revenue depends on the platforms, because that share is your exposure to their next pricing decision. And build a channel you control, so that the next commission increase is an annoyance rather than an emergency.

You can model your own numbers with our OTA commission calculator.

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Questions

Frequently asked

What is the average OTA commission for tours in 2026?

Most major platforms sit between 20% and 30% of gross booking value, with around 25–30% the most common outcome once visibility programmes are included. Klook is often reported lower; some European wholesalers reach the mid-30s.

Does the commission include payment processing?

On OTA bookings, yes — the platform collects payment and absorbs processing within its commission. On direct bookings you pay card processing separately, typically 1.5–3.5%.

Can we negotiate our OTA commission down?

Sometimes, if you have volume, strong ratings and products the platform wants. It is worth asking annually. Newer or smaller operators have far less leverage.

Is Viator's Accelerate programme worth it?

It depends on your margin and your category. It buys visibility, and in competitive destinations non-boosted listings struggle. Model the effective rate before opting in rather than after.

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