No-shows and invalid cards on Booking: how to mark them, within what deadline and what commission you pay

Short answer: if the guest does not arrive, mark the booking as a no-show in Reservations (extranet or Pulse app). The button works from midnight on the arrival day until 48 hours after the scheduled check-out. If you charge the no-show fee, Booking charges commission on that fee; if you waive it in time, you pay no commission. If the card does not go through, mark it as invalid: the guest has 24 hours to provide another one (12 or 2 hours on last-minute bookings) and, if they do not, you can cancel without commission. With Payments by Booking.com, Booking checks the cards and charges the no-show for you.

This guide goes deeper into what Cancellation policies covers in broad terms.

When is it a "no-show" for Booking?

Booking calls a no-show anyone who has not arrived before midnight on the scheduled check-in day. From then on you can charge them the no-show fee set in your cancellation policy. Marking the booking also ensures the commission is calculated correctly on your invoice.

How is it marked and until when?

In the extranet:

1. Go to Reservations and open the booking.
2. Under Reservation related, click Mark as no-show.
3. Choose Yes, waive the fee (you charge them nothing) or No, charge the fee (you apply your penalty).
4. Confirm with Mark as no-show.

In Pulse: Reservations → find the booking → Mark as no-show → Yes.

The booking is cancelled and both you and the guest receive an email. The deadline is strict: from midnight on the arrival day until 48 hours after the scheduled check-out. After that, the button disappears and you have to write to Booking (how to contact Booking).

Do I charge anything and pay commission?

Watch out for one detail: if you use Payments by Booking.com, the "Waive cancellation fee" option does not apply; what counts is the cancellation policy you have in the extranet. That is why it is worth setting it up properly from the start (which to choose). And if you want to check afterwards how it has turned out on the invoice, it is in Booking payouts and invoice.

What do I do if the card is invalid?

This only happens to you if you charge the guest yourself (without Payments by Booking.com, or with bookings paid at the property). Booking gives you the card details in the booking (View credit card details) and you charge it on your own card terminal. If it cannot be charged:

1. Open the booking in Reservations and click Mark credit card as invalid (in Pulse, under Payment - Credit card).
2. Booking sends the guest an email and a text message asking for another card.
3. If they change it, it lets you know by email. If not, the option Cancel this booking appears.

Deadlines the guest has (October 2026):

If they do not provide a valid card, you can cancel until 15:00 (local time) on the arrival day. Booking adds that the option to cancel remains available until the end of the month of check-out and before the booking is invoiced. A booking cancelled for an invalid card pays no commission.

Three practical warnings:

• The card details can be viewed up to three times and for 10 days after check-out or cancellation. The security code is shown only once.
• You cannot mark a card as invalid if you use Smart Pay-at-Property: there the check is done by Booking.
• If your property is new and not yet verified, Booking applies the "No prepayment" restriction: you do not see the card details except for no-shows and cancellations of non-refundable rates, and you charge on arrival.

When does having Booking handle payments protect me?

With Payments by Booking.com, the guest pays Booking and Booking pays you. In practice:

• Bookings prepaid online: Booking says that, if the guest completes the booking and pays online, your payment "will be guaranteed".
• Bookings without prepayment and with free cancellation (Smart Pay-at-Property, available in the European Economic Area): Booking checks the card from the booking until the end of free cancellation and lets you know if it is still invalid so you can cancel in time. If the guest does not show up, it tries to charge them the fee and pays it to you by virtual card or bank transfer. For that you have to mark the no-show within the four calendar days following the arrival date.
• If Booking cannot collect, it does not pay you that fee, but it does not charge you the commission on that booking either.

What does not change: you have to mark the no-show yourself in the extranet or in Pulse to get paid.

And if they arrive late without warning?

Do not rush. Marking the no-show cancels the booking and the guest gets an email. Before that:

1. Write to them from the booking conversation (extranet or Pulse). The phone number is in the extranet and in Pulse, but only users with permission to manage bookings can see it; if you work with a channel manager, Booking no longer passes on phone numbers to it.
2. Wait until midnight on the arrival day has passed, which is when Booking considers it a no-show.
3. If they have said they are cancelling after that midnight and do not come, mark them as a no-show and apply your fee. If they ask to cancel with less than 48 hours' notice, Booking says to refer them to its Customer Service.

To avoid surprises, set in Policies a check-in time that matches when guests can really get in, and explain late arrivals in the Important information section and in your message templates. If the guest behaves badly, you have 7 days after check-out to report it to Booking.

What does a manager do with this?

They check arrivals every night, try to make contact before marking anything and mark no-shows and invalid cards within the deadline, which is where money is lost. At TGV we prefer the platforms to handle payments, so that no-shows are charged without arguments with the guest. If you charge yourself, following up each card is daily work: Booking payouts and invoice explains what changes.