Tour Booking Software Fees Explained (What You're Really Paying)
Jarod LaFalce
Co-Founder / COO of BookingTerminal
Published on: January 16, 2026 | Estimated Read Time: 8 minutes
When it comes to booking software, costs can get confusing fast. Between online fees, direct fees, monthly subscriptions, and more, it's easy to lose track of what you're actually paying. In this post, we'll break down the most common pricing models used by tour booking platforms — and show you how they connect to the features you get.
Online Booking Fee
What it is
A percentage or fixed amount charged on bookings made through your website checkout. Many platforms let you pass this fee on to the end customer, but most also give you the option to absorb it yourself.
Example
If your tour is $100 and the platform charges 6%, that's $6.00 per booking. Passing the fee on to customers or absorbing it yourself will affect how you think about pricing as a whole.
Impact on Your Pricing Strategy
Understanding the online booking fee helps you decide how to manage it and how it interacts with your tour pricing, add-ons, and upgrades. Lower online booking fees give you more flexibility — whether that means adjusting your prices, offering promotions, or simply keeping more margin per booking.
BookingTerminal's online booking fee is 5%.
Direct Booking Fee
What it is
A percentage or fixed amount charged on bookings created manually by staff in your internal dashboard. These bookings will often originate from the customer reaching out over the phone, email, or in person.
Example
A $100 tour with a 6% direct booking fee costs $6.00 per booking. Many platforms that charge this don't automatically pass it on to the customer's pricing or collect it on the time of transaction.
Impact on Your Pricing Strategy
Knowing how this fee applies helps you decide when it makes sense to process a booking manually versus directing customers to book online. Additionally, since these fees often aren't automatically collected by your software provider, there might be bulk invoicing involved, so keeping cash reserves on-hand for this will be important.
BookingTerminal does not charge a direct booking fee.
OTA API Fee
What it is
Some platforms charge a percentage or fixed amount for bookings that come through their OTA API connection. This is separate from the OTA's own commission, which is often 20%+.
Example
If a platform charges a 2% OTA API fee on a $100 tour, that's $2 per booking. Combine this with the OTA commission, which can easily be 20%, and a $100 OTA booking can cost $22+.
Impact on Your Pricing Strategy
If your business relies on OTAs in any capacity, understanding how your booking software handles these fees is key to knowing their impact on your margins. It can sometimes be the difference between a booking being profitable or not.
BookingTerminal does not charge an OTA API fee.
Monthly Subscription Fee
What it is
A flat recurring cost for using the platform, no matter whether you're taking bookings at the time or not.
Example
A platform charging $50/month costs $600/year, regardless of how many bookings you process.
Impact on Your Pricing Strategy
Flat fees are predictable, but make sure the features and support included justify the cost — especially during slower months.
BookingTerminal does not charge a monthly subscription fee.
One-Time Fees (Setup / Onboarding)
What it is
Initial costs for setup, onboarding, or premium training.
Example
A $200 setup fee might include configuring your setup, importing your data, and training staff.
Impact on Your Pricing Strategy
Knowing these fees upfront helps you budget for a switch or initial setup and ensures you're paying for services you'll actually use.
BookingTerminal does not charge any one-time fees.
How Fees Connect to Features
Now that you understand the different fee types, it's easier to understand what you're actually getting for your money. Below is a side-by-side comparison showing how BookingTerminal stacks up against other platforms — both in fees and features.
Compare booking software providers.
*Competitive data on this page was gathered through independent market research prior to August 2025 and is subject to change. BookingTerminal does not guarantee the completeness or accuracy of this information. If you notice something that needs to be updated, please reach out to us at [email protected].
Conclusion
It's important to understand your cost basis when comparing booking software and to recognize the tradeoffs between costs, features, and support. If you're evaluating platforms or planning a switch, the goal should be minimizing those tradeoffs while still getting the functionality and support your business needs. At BookingTerminal, we don't make you compromise between capability and cost, so come talk with us to learn how we can support your business!