Can I charge guests differently by country or residence? Resident rates, geo-blocking and non-discrimination (2026)

Updated: 9 November 2026

Many hoteliers wonder whether they can have one price for residents and another for foreigners, or a website per country with different rates. In the EU the answer lies in the Geo-blocking Regulation (EU) 2018/302, which names hotel accommodation explicitly. This is what we checked in official sources (links at the end). This is not legal advice: check unclear cases with a lawyer or your hotel association.

The basic rule: same terms for a guest from another EU country

Hotel accommodation is a service received at a physical location. The Regulation names it in recital 25, and Article 4(1)(c) bans different general conditions of access, prices included, based on the customer's nationality, place of residence or place of establishment.

A guest from Germany or France must be able to book your room on the same terms as a local guest. Your Europe, the EU's official site, says so for hotel bookings: you are entitled to the same prices as local buyers.
It does not oblige you to do anything abroad: the service is provided at your property and you do not need to register for VAT in another country (recital 25).
It protects customers who are nationals or residents of an EU country, or businesses established there, buying for end use (Art. 2(13)). We have not analysed other rules for guests from outside the EU.
It does not apply to purely internal situations, where every element of the booking is in one country (Art. 1(2)).

What you can do

Have different prices by channel, website or country. Article 4(2) allows different conditions, prices included, for customers in a territory or specific groups, as long as this is non-discriminatory. The Commission confirms you can set different prices on websites aimed at different groups, but any EU customer must be able to use all of them and book on the same terms.
Make offers to groups defined by criteria other than nationality or residence: young people, businesses, members of an association (recital 27 and Commission guidance).
Move prices by season, demand or lead time. The Commission's guidance says the Regulation does not cover dynamic pricing based on factors unrelated to nationality or residence.
Choose which payment methods you accept.

What you cannot do

Block or limit access to your website or booking engine based on the visitor's country (Art. 3(1)).
Automatically redirect to another country's version without explicit consent. You may suggest it, but the version they were looking for must stay accessible (Art. 3(2) and Commission guidance).
Raise the price or worsen the terms when the guest enters their country or address. Your Europe tells the case of a Danish customer whose Spanish car hire price rose by EUR 140 when she entered her address: she complained with the help of her European Consumer Centre.
Refuse a card because of where it was issued if you accept that card brand and category (Art. 5(1)).

What about resident discounts?

This is where you need care.

A lower price only for residents of your country, refused to a guest living in another EU country, is a difference based on place of residence: exactly what Article 4(1)(c) bans, unless a law compatible with EU law requires it.
The Commission's example: a theme park in France with a family discount must give it to an Italian family just as to a French one.
The Commission also explains that local taxes may subsidise, for example, museum or swimming pool entry, but if the service falls under the Regulation the non-discrimination ban still applies.
Outside the Regulation, the Services Directive (Art. 20(2)) bans general conditions that discriminate by nationality or residence, unless differences are directly justified by objective criteria. Its recital 95 gives examples such as distance costs or seasonal demand.
We have not found an official answer on a town or region "resident rate" for hotels. If you have one, get advice before keeping it, or use a criterion that does not depend on residence.

Who enforces it and real cases

Spain: the consumer and tourism authorities of each autonomous community, with penalties under the consumer protection law (Royal Legislative Decree 1/2007). The European Consumer Centre assists consumers.
Portugal: according to the European Court of Auditors, ASAE opened two proceedings after a 2021 alert and in 2022 inspected 774 operators, with six proceedings and fines. We have not confirmed the Portuguese law or its amounts.
Italy: the Competition Authority (AGCM), under Law 37/2019, art. 6. Amounts not confirmed.
Greece: the Consumer Protection Directorate of the Ministry of Development (JMD 22999/2024). It can order a fix within a deadline and fine EUR 1,000 to 10,000 if not complied with.
Across the EU fines vary widely: minimums from EUR 26 to 900,000 and maximums from EUR 1,448 to 5 million, according to the European Court of Auditors (2025). The EU network of consumer authorities (CPC) acted against Apple in 2024 over limiting access and payments by country. We found no official actions against hotels.

10-minute check

Open your website as if you were in another country and check it neither blocks nor redirects without asking.
If you have country or language versions, add a visible selector and allow booking on any of them.
In your booking engine, change the guest's country and check the price stays the same.
Look for "resident" or "local" rates on your website and channels and check whether they depend on where the guest lives.
If you accept a card brand, accept it whatever the issuing country.

How iQuota helps

With iQuota you publish your prices and terms for AI assistants, and guests book and pay the property directly. We advise publishing the same terms for any EU customer and reviewing any residence-based rate first.

Want an official booking page AI can read and a connector with your real prices, commission-free? The first 30 hotels join free until 30 June 2027.

See the Founding Hotels programme

Frequently asked questions

Can I charge guests from my country less than guests from another EU country?

Not because they live in another EU country: Article 4(1)(c) of Regulation 2018/302 bans it, and recital 25 names hotel accommodation.

Can I have an English website with different prices?

Yes, according to the Commission, as long as any EU customer can access it and book on the same terms and you do not redirect them without consent.

Can I refuse a card issued in another country?

Not if you accept that card brand and category (Art. 5(1)).

Sources

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