Booking.com Refer a Friend Program terms

Under the Booking.com Refer a Friend Program, customers of Booking.com who made a booking (the “Advocate”) are invited to earn Referral Bonuses by inviting Referees (as described below) to make use of the Booking.com online reservation services. The following Booking.com Refer a Friend Program Terms apply to the Advocate and Referees (together referred to as the “Participants”) participating in the Booking.com Refer a Friend Program.

Booking.com may suspend, terminate or change the terms and requirements of the Booking.com Refer a Friend Program Terms at any time and for any reason. A Referral Bonus already earned in accordance with the Booking.com Refer a Friend Program Terms before such change, suspension or termination, will be honored.

Information about the Referee:

By taking part in the Booking.com Refer a Friend Program, the Referee acknowledges that Booking.com may at its sole discretion, share the Referee’s first name, and status of the Eligible Reservation in the Advocates user account setting to inform the Advocate about the status of the earned Referral Bonus. Booking.com will not share the accommodation name or specific check in/check out dates. If you do not want the Advocate to receive the information about you, please do not finalize the reservation after having clicked on the Referral Link. Your participation in the Booking.com Refer a Friend Program will be stopped.

1. Eligibility

Participants, meaning Advocate and Referee, must be 18 years of age and older. Persons from the states of New Mexico, California, Kansas, Connecticut, Tennessee and Hawaii, staff members of Booking Holdings Inc., and its affiliates, as well as participants (including their representatives and staff members) of the Booking.com Affiliate Partner Program are excluded from participation. Participants must be natural persons.

2. Referral bonus

• A Referral Bonus can be earned as follows:
  • The Advocate shares the referral link as provided on the Booking.com website (the “Referral Link”). The Advocate is not entitled to use the Referral Link in or for paid promotions, including online advertising;
  • A person, receiving the link (the “Referee”), creates an Eligible Reservation through the Booking.com website by clicking on the Referral Link; and
  • The stay of the Referee as part of the Eligible Reservation is confirmed by the booked accommodation to Booking.com; and
  • The Advocate and the Referee have created, within a reasonable time after the stay, a user account and, if the Referral Reward is to be paid out on the user's credit card, have saved a valid credit card in the account settings.
  • Advocates and Referees must at all times be different persons.
• A reservation is considered an "Eligible Reservation" when it has been made by the Referee by clicking on the Referral Link and the total costs of the reservation as made via Booking.com (excluding any costs incurred in addition during the stay directly at the accommodation) is greater than the minimum spend communicated to the Referee. Booking.basic bookings will not be considered eligible. Booking.com will only recognize one Eligible Reservation per Referee to count for a Referral Bonus.
• The Advocate may only earn the Advocate’s Referral Bonus 10 times in total. Each Referee may only make use once of a Referral Link to create an Eligible Reservation, regardless if the Referee received or had access to separate Referral Links from different Advocates. Per credit card, or per unique Wallet, a maximum of 11 Referral Bonuses can be earned (one as Referee, 10 as Advocate).
• The Booking.com Refer a Friend Program can only be used for personal, non commercial purposes.
• Booking.com will, if it has determined in its sole discretion, that Advocate and Referee have complied with and fulfilled the Booking.com Refer a Friend Program Terms, confirm that the Advocate and the Referee have earned the bonus (the “Referral Bonus”) as described in the invitation to participate in the Booking.com Refer a Friend Program. Participants who are meant to receive the Referral Bonus as a credit to the credit card saved in the user account setting for the purpose of the Refer a Friend Program will receive the Bonus automatically. Booking.com may send an email to either the Advocate or the Referee as necessary to remind that the creation of the user account and the storage of a valid credit card is needed to obtain the Referral Bonus. Participants who are meant to receive the Referral Bonus as a credit to the Booking.com “Wallet” will also receive their Referral Bonus automatically.
• A Referral Bonus not redeemed within 14 months after it is communicated as "processing" by Booking.com will automatically expire. The Referral Bonus cannot be transferred, exchanged for any cash or money or sold.
• The Advocate may only earn the Advocate’s Referral Bonus 10 times in total.
• Each Referee may only make use once of a Referral Link, also if the Referee received or had access to separate Referral Links from different Advocates.
• The Participants will be responsible for any taxes or charges, that may be arise due to the earning and payout of the Referral Bonus.
• The calculation of the Referral Bonus is an automatic procedure based on the use of the Referral Links and the creation of Eligible Reservations through the Booking.com online reservation services. Booking.com retains the right to, at its sole discretion, review the compliance with the Booking.com Refer a Friend Program terms.

3. Displaying Referral Links

The Advocate shall not share or publish the Referral Links where there is no reasonable basis for believing that recipients are genuine travelers and appreciate the invitation stated through the Referral Link and not in violation of applicable anti-spam laws. The Advocate shall indemnify and hold Booking.com, its directors, officers, employees, shareholders, agents and successors harmless, from and against any claims that may arise from any unlawful forwarding or sharing of the Referral Link.

4. Anti Bribery

By sharing the Referral Link, creating an Eligible Reservation and in order to be eligible for the Referral Bonus, each Participant agrees and accepts the following anti-bribery terms: You are not a government official. “Government officials” include any government employee; candidate for public office; and any employee of (wholly or partly) government-owned or government-controlled companies, public international organizations and political parties (including any official or representative thereof). Government officials are not eligible for the referral bonus. You shall immediately inform us if you are a government official. In respect of (or as an award for) the referral activities (including the solicitation of new users, accommodations and/or the promotion and marketing of Booking.com) and the Referral Bonus, you shall (i) not directly or indirectly (a) offer, promise or give to any third party (including any governmental official or political party('s official, representative or candidate)), or (b) seek, accept or get promised for itself of for another party, any gift, payment, reward, consideration or benefit of any kind which would or could be construed as bribery or an illegal or corrupt practice, and (ii) comply with all applicable laws governing anti-bribery and corrupt gifts and practices (including the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and the UK Anti-Bribery Act).

5. Miscellaneous

• Booking.com retains the right to investigate the participation in the Booking.com Refer a Friend Program for any fraudulent activities and take any measures to end them. These measures may comprise, that Booking.com at its own discretion cancels an Eligible Reservation. Referral Bonus earned through fraudulent activities or activities in violation of these Booking.com Refer a Friend Program terms will be null and void and repayment may be requested by Booking.com.
• Booking.com may suspend, terminate or change the terms and requirements of the Booking.com Refer a Friend Program Terms at any time and for any reason.
• The original English version of this Agreement may have been translated into other languages. The translated version of this Agreement is a courtesy and office translation only and the Participants cannot derive any rights from the translated version. In the event of a dispute about the contents or interpretation of these terms and conditions of this Agreement or in the event of a conflict, ambiguity, inconsistency or discrepancy between the English version and any other language version of this Agreement, the English language version shall apply and prevail and be conclusive and binding. The English version shall be used in legal proceedings.
• If any provision of these terms is or becomes invalid, unenforceable or non-binding, you shall remain bound by all other provisions hereof. In such event, such invalid provision shall nonetheless be enforced to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, and each participant will at least agree to accept a similar effect as the invalid, unenforceable or non-binding provision, given the contents and purpose of these terms and conditions.
• To the extent permitted by law, these Booking.com Refer a Friend Program Terms shall be exclusively governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Netherlands. Any disputes arising out or in connection with these terms shall exclusively be submitted to and dealt with by the competent court in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
• The Booking.com Refer a Friend Program is organized by Booking.com B.V., Herengracht 597, 1017 CE Amsterdam, The Netherlands.