Book now, pay later — Hold the rate, pay before the deadline

The mechanic

Three steps, one deadline.

The deadline is the free-cancellation date attached to the rate by the supplier. It is shown on the booking before you confirm and on the booking record afterwards. We don't extend it, and we can't.

Book a refundable rate

No payment is taken. The booking is confirmed with the hotel at the rate you see.

The booking is held

It stays confirmed until the last free-cancellation date shown on the booking.

Pay before that date to keep it

If it isn't paid by the deadline, it cancels automatically at no charge.

The limits

Where it applies and where it doesn't.

Refundable rates only

Book-now-pay-later is available on rates that carry a free-cancellation window. The window length varies by hotel and rate; some are a few days before check-in, some a few weeks.

Non-refundable rates require payment at booking

If a rate has no free-cancellation window, it can't be held. You pay when you book, and the supplier's cancellation terms apply as shown.

The deadline is the supplier's, not ours

The free-cancellation date and time are set by the hotel or bedbank and shown in the hotel's local time. Pay before it, not on it.

Reminders before the deadline

Reminder emails go to the booking agent ahead of the deadline. Treat them as a backup, not the system of record: the deadline on the booking is what counts.

Worked example

A four-night hold, start to finish.

Illustrative dates and amounts. The rate, the deadline, and the reminder timing on a real booking are whatever the supplier sets for that rate.

Example: 4 nights, refundable rate, check-in Thursday Nov 12, 2026

Example only

Tue Oct 6, 2026 Your agent books a refundable king room for a client, Nov 12–16. Net rate shown: $684 for 4 nights. Free cancellation until Nov 5, 2026, 23:59 hotel local time. No payment is taken. The client receives a branded confirmation from your agency.
Oct 6 – Nov 4 The booking is confirmed and held. Your agent quotes the client at your markup, collects the client's payment on your own schedule, and can change or cancel at no charge if plans change.
Before Nov 5 Reminder emails go to the booking agent as the deadline approaches.
Wed Nov 4, 2026 You pay the $684 net rate from your account. The booking moves from held to paid. Nothing else changes: same room, same rate, same confirmation number.
If not paid by Nov 5, 23:59 The booking cancels automatically. No charge to you or your client. If the client still wants the room, your agent rebooks at whatever rate is then available.

What this is for. Holding a rate while your client decides, or while you collect payment from them, without fronting deposits. It is not credit: paid bookings are paid in full before the deadline. Resellers who qualify for a credit line can settle on terms instead.

Hold the rate. Pay before the deadline.