Booking.com Rewards & Wallet Explained: Travel Credits, Cash Credits and Vouchers

Booking.com's Rewards & Wallet is where the credits and vouchers you earn on the platform are kept and spent. There are three kinds that matter: Travel Credits, which you can put towards a future booking but cannot cash out; Cash Credits, which you can spend the same way or transfer to a credit or debit card of certain brands; and vouchers, which apply only to the bookings their own terms name, one voucher per booking. Rewards are typically confirmed after your stay, and Booking.com's FAQ puts the wait at 30 to 60 days after check-out. Every credit has an expiry date, shown in the Wallet.

This guide is built from the Rewards, Credits & Wallet section of Booking.com's Customer Terms of Service (the version dated 15 September 2025) and its Rewards FAQ, both read on 25 October 2026. Individual offers come with their own conditions, so the offer's own terms always decide the details.

What the Wallet is and where to find it

Booking.com defines the Wallet as "a dashboard in your Account that shows your Rewards, Credits and other incentives". It is created automatically when you create a verified account; you will find it in the account menu, and you must be signed in to see it. The Wallet shows your balance and, for each reward, when it was earned, when it was awarded and when it expires. If you hold Cash Credits, it also shows how to transfer them to a card.

Booking.com only pays two things into the Wallet itself: credits and vouchers. Other rewards, such as cashback paid to a credit card, can be tracked there but arrive elsewhere.

Travel Credits, Cash Credits and vouchers compared

The practical difference is flexibility. A Cash Credit is close to money you can take out; a Travel Credit only has value if you book again through Booking.com before it expires.

How you earn rewards

Rewards are campaign-based rather than a standing points scheme. Booking.com's terms give two examples: booking and completing stays with participating properties, or making a certain number of eligible bookings in a given period, and say the amount depends on each promotional campaign. To receive any reward you must have a verified account, be at least 18, meet the offer's own criteria and, for credit-card cashback, hold a valid credit card. An offer's criteria can include an expiry date, app-only codes, specific participating properties, a minimum spend and a maximum reward value.

Unique links and codes

Many rewards arrive as a unique link or code. According to the Rewards FAQ, a link activates the reward when you land on Booking.com, and a code is entered with your payment details on the Final Details page; in the app, some offers ask you to enter the code under 'My coupon codes' first. Your confirmation email then confirms that you will get the reward after your stay, or, for an instant discount, the discount shows in the price breakdown. Rewards cannot be applied to a booking you have already made, and the expiry date of a link or code is given when you receive it.

Three ways a reward is paid

• To your Wallet as credit. Your account email must match the email used for the booking. Booking.com verifies the reward after your trip; the FAQ says it can take 30 to 60 days after check-out, and you get an email when it is added.
• To your card as cashback. Add a card for receiving rewards under 'Settings' in your account. The FAQ lists Visa, Euro/Mastercard and China UnionPay credit cards and Mastercard or Visa debit cards, and says American Express is not supported for receiving rewards. The same 30 to 60 days applies.
• As an instant discount. Choose 'Pay now' and the reward comes off the price at booking. Not every property offers Pay now, so check the Final Details page before you finish.

Spending credits and vouchers

You can use any amount of Travel Credits or Cash Credits towards an eligible booking, and credits and vouchers can be used together. The rules that catch people out:

• If the booking costs less than your balance, the rest stays in the Wallet until it expires.
• If it costs more, you pay the remainder with another payment method. If that payment is not made in time, the booking can be cancelled and the rewards returned to your Wallet with their original terms and expiry dates.
• The earliest-expiring credit is spent first by default, and you cannot choose to spend a later-expiring credit first. You can choose which voucher to use.
• Only one voucher per booking, and the value of several vouchers cannot be combined.
• On a pay-later booking, the Wallet is charged when the booking is confirmed, so the credits are spent immediately; the rest is charged under the booking's own payment policy.

Credits are also converted into your Wallet's default currency, which Booking.com sets from your location, residency or another currency it chooses. Rewards in another currency are converted at Booking.com's Currency Conversion Rate, which its terms describe as currently the WM/Refinitiv Closing Spot Rate.

Combining rewards with Genius

For promotional rewards, the Rewards FAQ is clear: "You can only use one reward per booking. You can, however, combine your reward with Genius discounts and Deals on our website." So a Genius discount and a reward are not either-or. What a Genius discount is worth at each level is set out in Booking.com Genius levels explained, and how it interacts with other on-page deals is in do Booking.com Genius discounts stack. Note the two documents use different words for different things: the FAQ's one-reward rule is about promotional offers, while the terms allow any amount of credits plus one voucher on a booking.

Cancellations, expiry and missing rewards

If you cancel

• If you cancel a booking you paid for, in part or in full, with rewards, the property's cancellation policy decides whether your money and rewards come back. Customer Service can refund any rewards you are entitled to.
• If a reward was issued because you made a booking, any of those rewards still unspent are deleted from your Wallet if that booking is cancelled.
• If you cancel a booking made with an offer, you lose the offer's value and cannot reuse the unique link or code, according to the Rewards FAQ.

The cancellation terms of the booking itself therefore matter twice. Our guide to free cancellation versus non-refundable hotel rates covers how to choose.

Expiry

All credits have an expiration date, shown in the Rewards & Wallet activity of your Wallet, and Booking.com may email or notify you when rewards are about to expire. Lost, stolen or expired rewards are not replaced. If Booking.com ever stops the Wallet service, its terms say rewards that have not expired stay valid for another 12 months.

If a reward has not arrived

Check first that the 30 to 60 days have passed since check-out and, for card cashback, that you have registered a supported card. If it still has not appeared, contact Customer Service with any supporting documents. Booking.com's terms set a hard limit: no more than 12 months after the action you believe qualified you, after which you can no longer claim it.

Rules on misuse and transfers

Rewards cannot be sold, transferred or given to someone else. Booking.com reserves the right to audit Wallet accounts and to cancel, without notice, any reward obtained by fraud or misuse. You are responsible for keeping your account sign-in safe, which also protects the Wallet; that is one more reason to turn on two-factor authentication and to be wary of messages asking you to sign in, which our guide to Booking.com scam messages covers.

Are Booking.com rewards worth chasing?

Treat them as a bonus, not a reason to book. A Travel Credit only pays off if you book through Booking.com again before it expires, and a reward does not make an uncompetitive rate cheap. Compare the total price first, as we set out in how to get the best hotel rate, and if you find the same stay cheaper elsewhere after booking, see how Booking.com's We Price Match works.

Sources

Read on 25 October 2026. Terms and programmes change; check the source before you rely on a detail.

• Booking.com — Customer Terms of Service, updated 15 September 2025 (A14 Rewards, Credits & Wallet; definitions): https://www.booking.com/content/terms.en-gb.html
• Booking.com — Rewards FAQ (how and when rewards are paid, cards accepted, codes and links, combining with Genius): https://www.booking.com/content/incentives-faq.en-gb.html