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What your OTA channel actually costs you.
Set your numbers below. The calculator shows what you hand over in commission each year, what the same volume would net booked direct, and what shifting part of it is worth.
On a $100 tour sold through an OTA at 30% commission, the operator receives about $70. Booked directly on the operator's own site, after card processing of roughly 3%, the operator receives about $97 — and keeps the customer's email address, which the OTA booking never provides.
Base rates start near 20%, but visibility programmes push the effective rate well past it. If you're enrolled in Viator Accelerate or a GetYourGuide boost tier, pick a higher number.
Nobody moves everything. Repeat travellers, referrals and people who searched your brand name are the realistic first tranche.
That's before you count what you don't receive at all: the customer's email address, the marketing consent, and the chance of a second booking.
that share direct$54,000
booked direct$6,000
Reference
What the platforms actually charge.
Rates are negotiated per operator and change, so treat these as orientation for a conversation with your account manager — not as quotes.
| Platform | Supplier commission | What pushes it higher |
|---|---|---|
| Viator | 20–30% | Accelerate visibility programme; operators report effective rates of 30–35%, some higher |
| GetYourGuide | 20–30% | Starting rate of 30% for new operators; boost tiers on top |
| Klook | ~15–25% | Category and market tiers |
| Airbnb Experiences | 20% | Flat rate |
| Your own website | 1.5–3.5% | Card processing only — plus the marketing that earned the visit |
The 8% figure that appears prominently in Viator's help centre is the affiliate rate paid to websites that refer travellers to Viator. It is not what a supplier pays. Operators who plan on 8% under-cost their most expensive channel by roughly two thirds.
What to do about it
Four moves, in this order.
The goal isn't zero OTA bookings. They fill unsold capacity and reach travellers who've never heard of you. The goal is controlling what share of your business depends on them.
Questions
About these numbers.
Isn't 8% Viator's commission?
No — that's the affiliate rate paid to blogs and websites that send travellers to Viator. Supplier commission, what you pay as the operator, sits in the 20–30% range before visibility programmes. It's the most persistent misconception in the industry and it causes real under-pricing.
The calculator ignores marketing cost. Isn't that unfair?
It is a simplification, and we'd rather say so than hide it. A direct booking isn't free — it costs whatever the SEO, content or ads that produced it cost. The honest comparison is your blended cost per direct booking against 20–50% commission, and that's exactly what we model in the audit with your real figures.
Should we leave the OTAs entirely?
Almost never. They fill capacity that would otherwise go empty and reach travellers who have never heard of your brand. The problem is dependence, not presence. Above roughly half your volume you're renting your own business.
What share can we realistically move direct?
It depends on your brand recognition and repeat rate. The reachable tranche first is travellers who already know you: repeats, referrals, and anyone searching your company by name and landing on a reseller instead.
Where do these rates come from?
Published supplier pages and operator-reported figures compiled through 2026 by industry sources including Arival, Skift and PhocusWire. Rates are negotiated individually, so your own agreement is the only figure that governs your business.
Next step
Model it on your actual bookings.
Send us your site and your rough channel split. We'll come back with what your commission is really costing, what a direct channel would cost to build, and how long it takes to pay for itself. Free, and written.