Booking.com, Expedia and other OTA virtual cards (VCC): when you can charge them, how, and what to do if they fail (2026)

Updated: 10 November 2026

If you are paid through Payments by Booking.com or Expedia Collect, part of your money arrives as virtual cards (VCC): one card per booking that you charge on your terminal or gateway. What we already cover in our sign-up and commission guides (one Mastercard per booking, 365 days, 2-3% provider fee) is not repeated here: this guide is about charging. When the card activates, what it holds, what happens with cancellations and no-shows, when it expires and what to check if a charge fails, according to Booking.com's partner help and technical documentation and Expedia Partner Central help (checked on 10 November 2026). This is not financial advice: confirm the terms with your bank and in your extranet. Anything we could not confirm is marked «not confirmed».

The short answer

The essentials:

Booking.com: you cannot charge the VCC before its activation date; you get an email when it activates. By default, one day after check-in (in the US, on the check-in day).
Booking.com: the VCC holds the exact gross booking amount, you can charge it several times until the balance is zero, and you have 365 days after check-out; anything you don't charge is kept by Booking.com.
Expedia: the virtual card (EVC) is charged «at checkout» and deactivates 6 months after check-out. The exact activation rule: not confirmed.
When a charge fails, it is almost always one of four things: not active yet, amount above the balance, expired, or already charged.
The cost of charging is set by your acquirer, not the OTA. Ask for the breakdown in writing.

Booking.com: when it activates and what it holds

According to Booking.com's partner help (article 213317965) and technical documentation:

The activation date depends on whether the booking is refundable. The technical documentation lists seven cases: check-out day, when the booking becomes non-refundable, check-in, one day after check-in, long after check-out, the cancellation date or the booking date.
Charging before arrival is only possible if your property meets Booking.com's requirements; otherwise, one day after check-in (in the US, the same day).
Amount: the exact gross total of the booking. Commission is not deducted: it is invoiced separately. Per-person fees set as «excluded» in the extranet are not on the VCC: you collect them from the guest.
You can make partial charges while the card is active, until the balance is zero. Booking.com sends a weekly summary of VCCs with open balances from the previous week.
If the VCC currency differs from your charging currency, Mastercard converts it at its own exchange rate.
You can switch from VCC to bank transfer in the extranet; not from bank transfer to VCC.

Booking.com: cancellations, no-shows and refunds

What the help and technical documentation say:

If you are owed money after a cancellation, no-show or change, you receive an email with updated VCC details.
If you already charged the card and agree to waive fees, you must refund the amount to the same VCC you charged. If you had not charged it yet, you do nothing.
The technical documentation shows that each pending refund carries an amount, a reason (for example, waived fees) and a due date. Check it in your extranet or channel manager.
Force majeure cancellations: the guest is not charged and Booking.com waives commission.
Deadline: 365 days after check-out to charge; transaction details stay visible for 547 days (18 months).

Expedia: the EVC virtual card

According to Expedia Partner Central help and the official sign-up page:

Expedia describes the option as charging an Expedia Group issued virtual credit card «for payment at checkout».
Where to see it: in Reservations, open the booking > «Payment method», or use the «EVC Lookup» tool (reservation ID or card number + check-in date).
What it shows: number, expiry date and CVV, booking total, activation and transaction dates, status or decline reason, balance and authorisation codes.
Expiry: «EVC deactivates 6 months from check-out date», half the window Booking.com gives.
Not confirmed: the general activation rule, whether several charges are allowed, what happens with cancellations and no-shows, and any costs. Check each booking's activation date in Partner Central before charging.

Other OTAs

What our platform guides record (checked in November 2026):

Agoda: one Mastercard UPC virtual card per booking; you pay the terminal fee and must charge within 150 days of check-out. Agoda e-Card can no longer be chosen from 14 October 2026.
Trip.com: settles by virtual card or bank transfer; correct payment details are required to go online.
For any other OTA, ask in writing: activation date, expiry, whether partial charges are allowed and how a cancellation is refunded.

What charging a VCC costs you

What can be stated:

Booking.com says your payment provider will generally charge between 2% and 3% per transaction, depending on local law and your bank. It is not a Booking.com fee.
Regulation (EU) 2015/751 caps interchange fees at 0.2% for debit and 0.3% for credit, but those caps do not apply to commercial cards (cards issued to businesses for business expenses).
Whether a given OTA VCC counts as a commercial card: not confirmed. No official source we read says so.
The same regulation requires your acquirer to tell you the merchant service charge and the interchange fee separately. Ask for the breakdown of your VCC charges.

If a charge fails: checklist

Before calling support:

Is it active? Check the activation date (Booking.com email, the booking page or «EVC Lookup» at Expedia).
Is the amount above the balance? Charge the balance shown on the booking, not your total with extras: «excluded» extras are collected from the guest.
Already charged or expired? 365 days after check-out at Booking.com; 6 months at Expedia.
Why was it declined? At Booking.com the reason appears on the reservation details about 30 minutes later; at Expedia, in the EVC status or decline reason.
Does your terminal accept card-not-present charges and the VCC currency? Ask your acquirer. Visa and Mastercard rules for this case: not confirmed.
Do not store the CVV or copies of the card, as explained in our card guarantee guide.

What to do this week

Practical tips:

Pull the list of VCCs with open balances (Booking.com weekly summary, Expedia «EVC Lookup») and charge those that are active.
Note each card's expiry: 6 months at Expedia, 365 days at Booking.com, 150 days at Agoda.
Check whether you have pending refunds to a VCC and their due date.
Ask your bank for the fee breakdown of your VCC charges and compare it with guest cards.

How iQuota helps

iQuota connects your property with AI assistants for direct booking, with no commission and payment at the property:

A direct booking has no intermediary virtual card: the guest pays you, on your terms.
We don't promise bookings or that a given AI will show you: it depends on each assistant.

Frequently asked questions

When can I charge a Booking.com virtual card?

Once it activates: it depends on whether the booking is refundable, and you get an email. By default, one day after check-in (in the US, the same day).

Can I charge the VCC in several goes?

At Booking.com yes, while it is active and until the balance is zero. At Expedia: not confirmed.

What if I don't charge the VCC in time?

At Booking.com you have 365 days after check-out; after that Booking.com keeps the money. The Expedia EVC deactivates 6 months after check-out.

A guest cancelled for free and I already charged the VCC. What now?

At Booking.com, refund the amount to the same VCC you charged, before the due date shown.

How much does charging a VCC cost?

Your acquirer sets it. Booking.com mentions a usual 2-3%. The caps in Regulation (EU) 2015/751 do not apply to commercial cards; whether a VCC is one: not confirmed.

Sources

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