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How to get direct bookings for your Alojamento Local, without paying commission

A direct booking is a guest who books and pays on your website, without going through a platform. Here is what you need, how to bring guests in and how much you earn.

What is a direct booking?

In Portugal, many Alojamento Local owners depend on Airbnb and Booking.com to receive bookings. When a guest books on Airbnb or Booking.com, the platform keeps a commission. Since 13 October 2026, Airbnb takes about 15.5% of the nightly price from hosts in the European Economic Area, and Booking.com also charges a commission, with a rate that depends on the country, the type of property and your contract.

With a direct booking, the guest books and pays on your own website. Only the payment provider's fees remain, about 1.8% of the amount depending on the payment method. Platforms stay useful to get discovered, direct booking complements them, it does not replace them.

What you need to receive direct bookings

A clear, fast website

Photos, description, amenities, house rules and rates, easy to read on a phone. It is the shop window the guest looks at before trusting you.

A synchronised calendar

Your calendar syncs with Airbnb and Booking.com through iCal. Syncing is not instant, so it is better to confirm bookings by hand to avoid double bookings.

Secure online payment

Bank card, Apple Pay, Google Pay and MB WAY through Stripe. The money reaches your account, minus the payment fees.

The mandatory information

Your RNAL registration number clearly visible, as on your listings, your legal information and a privacy policy that complies with GDPR.

How to bring guests to your website

A website does not get bookings on its own. Here are the simplest sources, without breaking platform rules.

  • Google. Someone searching for the name of your property should land on your website, and not only on a platform.
  • Past guests and word of mouth. A happy guest comes back and recommends you, especially if you give them a reason to book with you.
  • In the property. A business card, a small note or a QR code that leads to your website, for the next stay. Airbnb allows you to promote your booking website inside the property.
  • Social media and your contacts. Facebook, Instagram, local groups, OLX, WhatsApp, with the link to your website.

What not to do. According to Airbnb's terms, it is forbidden to push a guest to book outside the platform, for example by giving your website in Airbnb messages, offering an off-platform discount or cancelling a booking to redo it directly. The risk is account suspension. Promote your website outside the platform's messaging, and check the terms of each platform.

What you earn

A €90 night on Airbnb earns you €76.05 since 13 October 2026. The same night at €85 on your website earns you €83.47 after payment fees, which is €7.42 more, and the guest pays €5 less.

+€1,068
over the year, with 12 nights a month booked directly

See the details in the article on Airbnb platform commissions, or make an estimate with your own figures in the calculator on the home page.

Mistakes to avoid

  • Showing a direct price higher than on the platforms, the guest then has no reason to book with you.
  • Leaving a calendar unsynchronised, a source of double bookings.
  • Forgetting the RNAL registration number or the legal information on the website.
  • Pushing guests to leave Airbnb from the platform's messaging.
  • Thinking the website replaces everything, when platforms remain useful to be found by people who don't know you.

Where to start?

Start by estimating how much you could save with your own figures, then choose the type of website that suits you. If you have neither a listing nor a website, I suggest you fill in the Free audit, to get a clearer picture.

Simulate with my figures   See the plans   Free audit

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