Travelers who book vacation rental properties on OTA platforms like Vrbo, Agoda, or Booking.com often plan their trips in advance and typically complete their stays. But sometimes, guests may change their travel plans or have to cancel their bookings due to emergencies, personal issues, or other reasons.
So, how does Agoda handle cancellations and refunds? You'll find useful information about the Agoda refund policy in this article.
You may also want to check out our article about the Booking.com refund policy.
What Is Agoda Refund Policy?
As stated in the company's policies, Agoda is committed to providing travelers with a simple and efficient refund process when they have to cancel their bookings. The Agoda refund policy for cancellations varies depending on the property and the specific booking, including its terms and conditions.
Information about cancellation policies for a specific property is provided on the listing's webpage. Travelers are encouraged to review the relevant Agoda cancellation policy carefully before booking and starting their trip to understand the refund options and potential cancellation fees.
Guests also receive a confirmation email specifying the exact cancellation due date, which is the deadline they should cancel if they want to avoid any cancellation fee. Usually, the cancellation due date is 14 days before the arrival at the vacation rental property, and the penalty charge is a one-night stay unless different terms are specified in the confirmation email.
The Agoda refund policy states that shortening a guest' stay during the high season, periods of high occupancy, trade fairs, and conventions, or failure to cancel a reservation before the due date noted on the confirmation may result in a penalty charge imposed by the property owner. This penalty charge is deducted from the amount refunded to guests. This way, Agoda takes measures to protect property owners from the loss of income due to unexpected cancellations.
Whether you own a house in a popular beach vacation destination or a rental at a ski resort, listing your property on multiple OTAs and creating your website to get direct bookings allows you to reach more travelers and improve your occupancy rate. As a popular digital booking platform with 2 million properties listed worldwide, Agoda offers an excellent option to list your home or apartment to drive more bookings and increase revenue.
And if you opt for vacation rental software like Hospitable, managing bookings on multiple channels and communicating with guests will be much easier. You'll be able to automate almost all repetitive tasks and never worry about double bookings.
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Agoda Refund Options
As we have already mentioned, Agoda offers different cancellation and refund options based on the policies set by property owners when they create their listings. Here are some common scenarios.
- Free cancellation bookings—guests can cancel their reservations without incurring any charges during a specific timeframe before the cancellation deadline, specified in the booking details.
- Non-refundable bookings typically offer lower rates, but no refund is provided for cancellations. The full rate will be charged regardless of the date of cancellation.
- Partially refundable bookings—in some instances, guests may be eligible for partial refunds if they cancel within the designated timeframe. For example, such a scenario may happen when the booking is canceled after the free cancellation deadline but before the check-in date. The refund amount depends on the property policies set by the host.
How Agoda Guests Can Get a Refund
Travelers can manage cancellations and refunds on Agoda when they log into their account and then select the My Bookings page from the drop-down menu. After that, they need to find and select the booking they'd like to cancel and get a refund under the Upcoming. The refund policy is specified in the booking details.
The next step is to click on the Cancel Booking link. After selecting the reason for cancellation, guests must follow the prompts to initiate the refund process.
When Agoda guests submit cancellation requests before the due date noted on their confirmation emails, they typically get a refund of 100% of the cost of their stay within 10 days of receiving the request. Cancellation requests submitted after the deadline are also processed within 10 days, and any applicable penalty charge is deducted from the amount refunded.
Travelers can check the status of their refund requests through their accounts or by contacting customer support directly. A traveler will also receive a confirmation email once the refund is processed on Agoda's side. The time it takes for the funds to appear in the traveler's account can vary. Most commonly, it depends on the payment method used when booking.
Final Thought
Agoda allows property owners to set different cancellation and refund policies for their listings. By offering free cancellation bookings, you can make your property attractive to many potential guests since many travelers prefer flexibility. On the other hand, setting a cheaper, non-refundable rate for your property will allow you to attract travelers who want to save money on bookings. Such a policy can help you avoid last-minute cancellations and secure guaranteed payments.
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