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How to Cancel Reservation on Booking.com for Free and with No Fees

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How to Cancel Reservation on Booking.com for Free and with No Fees

! Please note that on megabonus.com we deal with cash back issues only! We cannot help you cancel a booking or get a refund. Thank you for your understanding!

Booking.com is a popular online platform that helps to find and to book accommodation for traveling all over the world.

Today, almost 90% of all hotel bookings are made through this service. 

People who travel frequently, or are going on annual vacations, plan their destination and choose their location in advance, especially if the vacation falls on a holiday weekend or during the summer months.

Making a prepayment as a confirmation of a reservation is a normal practice that is widespread almost everywhere. But it often happens that for objective or subjective reasons a person can not go on a trip. And accordingly there is a need to cancel the booked room in the hotel.  

We have already written how to book a hotel and get cash back on Booking with Megabonus.

Now let’s take a look at the procedure for canceling a booking. Each service has its own peculiarities and requirements and sometimes you have to pay a penalty to cancel your order. Is it possible to cancel for free? 

Cashback platform “Megabonus has prepared a detailed and useful guide for you.

How to Cancel Reservation on Booking.com via Email


The reasons why a guest fails to check into a hotel that they have pre-booked are varied:

  • family circumstances;
  • disease;
  • unpredictable event;
  • financial difficulties;
  • change of circumstances, etc.. 

Regardless of the reason why you want to refund your prepayment and cancel your hotel room, you can do so without a fee. It all depends on the type of reservation you have chosen. 

  1. Free Cancellation. Each hotel sets its own rules. When making a reservation, a date may be specified before which you can cancel your reservation without paying a penalty or penalty fees.
  2. Non-refundable rate.  Many travelers make a non-refundable hotel reservation because it is cheaper. You can cancel the booking, but you will not get back the money spent. 
  3. No refund. In case of unforeseen circumstances, you will not be able to cancel such an order. If you have taken out insurance, you can get your money back through the insurance company.

When you book a room on Booking.com, you get a confirmation email. Scroll it down till you see the green “Cancel your booking” button.

cancel booking button

Click the button and you will get to the page with the details of the booking. The cancellation window will pop-up automatically.

booking cancellation policy

Carefully read the information about the terms and conditions for canceling your reservation. Also indicate the reason why you are canceling the reservation. It can be:

  • another option for accommodation;
  • personal reasons;
  • health status;
  • booking on another service.

NB!

  1. You can cancel the booking for free only in case you chose accommodation with free cancellation or if the accommodation owner agrees to cancel your booking for free. You need to send them a message with extra details then.
  2. The properties with free cancellation are more expensive so be careful when making a reservation if you are not going to overpay.
  3. Take into account that there are time limits for free cancellation. Different properties have different terms, so make sure to study them before reservation.

free cancellation booking

If you decide to cancel the booking right before the check-in, the full or partial sum can be charged from the card you entered when making the reservation. The sum depends on the property and its terms. In the example above, the cancellation is free but this is not common for all properties!

If your booking cancellation implies a fine, it will be charged from your bank card. The fine here stands for a partial payment for your stay. The reason is quite obvious —  the closer the date of your check-in is, the more likely the owner of the hotel is left with no guests. So it is a kind of penalty.

The platform will notify you about the fine via email in case there are some problems with charging the money from your card. To sum up, the cancellation via email suits you only in case you change your mind within the permitted period.

How to cancel booking on the website

  • Log into your booking.com account.

my bookings booking com

  • Go to Bookings.
  • Choose the booking you need to cancel.

view my bookings

  • Scroll the page down till you see the Cancel your booking button.

free cancellation apartments

  • Press it. You will see the booking cancellation policy window.
  • Fill in and submit the form and do not forget to check your email to make sure the booking is cancelled.

How to cancel a reservation on booking.com if you didn’t manage to do it for free

Not all hotels cancel free of charge, sometimes you have to pay penalties. In this case, cancelation will be similar – via email or service. You will receive a notification of the amount to be withheld.

If you have already paid the amount for your stay, the money will be refunded to your current account. The refund period depends on the hotel’s policy, payment system, bank and payment method.  

Of course, it is better to study the terms of cancellation in advance, before you make a reservation. Some travelers don’t pay attention to such details and when they do, it is too late.

What to do in case of force majeure. How to avoid a fine?

Step one

Write an email to the hotel:

  • specify the reason for cancellation,
  • write why you can’t pay the fine (for example, you don’t have money),
  • don’t forget to mention that you really love the hotel and you are planning to stay there in the future,
  • remember to write your letter in English,
  • send the email to the hotel’s email address.

Step two

You will receive a reply within a few days. If you receive a recommendation to cancel the reservation on Booking.com, then you need to follow the standard procedure and, in most cases, to pay the fine if any apply. In this case, write another email, a more detailed one to the property owner.

Describe the situation, highlight the fact that you will not stay in the hotel and you have no money to pay the fine. Ask the hotel to contact the Booking.com to cancel the reservation without the fine. Don’t forget to mention that such a lovely hotel will be quickly booked by other people. Be friendly and positive. These days, property owners try to look into the situation and are open to dialogue.

You can save on your hotel booking with the “Megabonus” service. Activate cashback on our website or mobile application and get back a part of the amount. Taxes and hotel fees are not included in the total amount. Newcomers can get a guaranteed 1.78% cashback. For detailed information about the terms and conditions of cashback, please read here.

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  1. i wish to cancell my booking at the hilton blackpool on the 14 to 18 may comfirmation number 4348057811 due to medical reasons thank you.

  2. I wish to cancel my booking @ the grand hotel Kiama for 9/12/2023 for 1 night only ! 49 Manning St Kiama nsw Australia

  3. I am writing to in town suites in Concord kannapolis asking that my room #309 to be cancelled now and my name removed from the room and for Samantha Lambert to be held accountable for any damage committed to the existing room.

  4. Airport Transfers Bahamas is proud to serve the island of New Providence with professional transportation services.

  5. I am writing to cancel our reservation for borden carlton motel and Cafe I pei Canada on July 23 and 25 unable to make it at this time

  6. I wish to cancel my booking ref 25338324 due on 18th june 2022. My husband has gone into hospital with a clot on his lung and is not likely to be fit to travel next saturday. Please advise if i can book later in the year and not loose the money i have already paid. Thank you for any help you can give me. Hazel packham

  7. I want to cancel my booking but I can’t find my booking on my email. So l don’t have any pin number to cancel the booking so l having be ringing all evening but l can’t get through because I don’t have any number can anyone please help

  8. Hello Sir/Madam,

    I write in relation to my booking at Coral Strand Smarch Choice Hotel at Mahe island, I can only spend 3nights (April 30th till May 2nd, 2022) instead of 6 and wanted to inform you ahead of time. Kindly respond to me so I can check out tomorrow, I must go to another island for the rest of my stay.

    Thanks,
    Romarick Ngabo

  9. I booked at Suite Manzoni in Italy for July6-9. Our trip got cancelled so I needed to cancel my booking. There is free cancellation until June 21. However on the paper I printed, there is no confirmation number to cancel. How can I cancel this reservation?
    I may have already cancelled, but have no record of cancelling.

  10. Iam writing to cancell my booking with you at reef villas resort Port Douglas on the 25/07/22 — 1/08/22 as I cannot attend those dates due to work commitments.
    Can you please get back to me with the requested cancellation.
    Thanks you for your time
    Regards
    Peter Bannister.

  11. I would like to cancel a booking for the 7 8 9 of april resevation number XXXX pin XXXX 2 rooms need to be cancelled thank you leona fitzgerald phone number XXXXX

  12. I booked at swiss cottage for April 15_16 but I made a mistake the real date is 15 to 18 April and there is no cancelation option what to do .

  13. How long does it take to get a refund for a free cancelation? My friend canceled our vacation house beginning of September and we still haven’t heard anything

  14. I need to cancel my booking atJikeleza lodge because it has no parking for the car. It is far to summerstrand beach with kids without transport

  15. I wish to cancel my booking for the 30th. Dec for 3 nights.
    Confirmation No xxxxx713144 PIN code xxxx
    Hotel name The Torbay Hotel

    Kind Regards

    Colin Alway

  16. My name is Paul Edwards I’ve checked in to the B&D Lodge magpie hall road Chatham I’m not happy with the room and I want a refund is this possible please

  17. I am unable to find my confirmation of booking for sat 31st july the strand hotel 1 night 2 people. I need to cancel. Unable to contact booking. Com as i dont have the confirmation number. Also tried 3 times sending e mail adress to request confirmation . Help!

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