Booking standardly takes 15% per night, up to 20% with visibility programs. Airbnb takes 3% from the host plus around 14% from the guest. Or 15.5% from the host alone. That is what official pages state. Plus one regional calculator (2026). Your exact rate is in your contract. The yearly amount depends on price and occupancy.
General website prices are explained in our separate guide. Here we calculate your concrete case. How much goes to platforms, and when your own site becomes cheaper.
How much do platforms really take?
Booking charges a fixed contract percentage. Standard is 15%, up to 20% with programs (regional calculators, May 2026). Airbnb has two models. First: 3% host plus 14.1–16.5% guest. Second: 15.5% host alone. That is the official help (2026). The old split model is phasing out. Expedia takes 15–25%, Vrbo 5–8% (same cross-section).
| Platform | Commission | Who pays |
|---|---|---|
| Booking | 15%, up to 20% with programs | Owner |
| Airbnb split | 3% + 14.1–16.5% | Owner + guest |
| Airbnb single | 15.5% | Owner |
| Expedia | 15–25% | Owner |
| Vrbo | 5–8% | Owner |
Booking calculates commission on the total amount. Lodging plus cleaning plus fees. It charges after guest checkout. A monthly invoice arrives with a 14-day deadline. No commission applies to residence taxes. VAT carries commission in most countries. That is the official partner help (updated 4 months ago). Your exact rate sits in the contract. Or on the Finance tab in the extranet.
What does that cost yearly in your example?
The formula has three numbers. Nightly price times night count times percentage. Take the regional calculator example. Fifteen nights at €80 gives €1,200 monthly. A 15% commission is €180 monthly. Yearly that is €2,160 (regional calculators, May 2026). Our commission calculator runs the same math. Enter your three numbers. The result is your yearly commission.
Take the average, not the best month. Season deceives. The winter hole gets forgotten by summer. Calculate the whole year back. Only realised nights enter the sum. Cancelled in time carry no commission.
When does a site pay off?
A site pays off when yearly commission exceeds its price. A presentation site costs €300–1,500 (local agencies, Sep 2026). An apartment with €2,160 commission covers a €690 site. It takes four months. The rest of the year works for you. This is arithmetic with your numbers, not a promise.
Three conditions must hold. Enough nights for commission to hurt. Guests who return or arrive by referral. And a site that takes inquiries while you sleep. Without the third, no direct bookings exist. A site nobody sees saves nothing.
Honestly: no public average of direct bookings exists for Serbia. Nobody measured it. Distrust whoever promises it to you. Calculate your own threshold. Divide the site price by the nightly price. You get the direct nights that return it.
What must an apartment site contain?
An apartment site needs three things. Calendar, prices and a big button. Plus photos, map and phone. Without a calendar the guest cannot tell if you are free. Without prices they ask then leave. Without a phone they call Booking instead of you. See what an apartment site looks like and compare with this list.
Photos carry half the job. Daylight, made bed, clean bathroom. The phone must be a tap-to-call link. Languages open foreign guests. Serbian plus English cover most. Every extra language is a plus, not a condition.
How to bring the guest directly next time?
A Google profile is a free apartment showcase. Reviews, photos, phone and a site link. Guests from maps call directly. No commission to anyone. A QR code on the apartment card leads to your site. The guest scans while waiting for coffee. A discount for next direct booking returns regulars. All three methods are allowed. None breaks platform rules.
Start with the profile. It takes one afternoon. QR cards cost little at the printer. Write the discount into the site pricelist. A channel builds over a year. Commission gets paid now. That is why today is the start.
Who should skip the site?
Skip the site with twenty nights a year. Commission is then smaller than the site price. Stay on platforms with no regret. A site does not pay off if you dislike hearing from guests. Direct bookings mean direct communication. Who refuses that pays the platform to do it instead. Both answers are honest. What matters is that they are conscious.
Do the first step tomorrow. Open the contract or the Finance tab. Read your percentage. Multiply it by last year's revenue. If the figure hurts, send your listing link. Through contact it reaches us. We calculate your exact yearly figure. Our pricelist shows what the alternative costs.