[Expired] $85 back on a $256 hotel booking (more for new users)

Booking.com is out with a great new incentive to get €75 (about $85 today) back on a booking of €225 or more (about $256 today). If you previously participated in the $40 back on $80 promo, you may still be eligible. Terms indicate that you can participate in a maximum of three cash incentive campaigns per year (including refer-a-friend). If eligible, this looks like a great bonus.

The Deal

• €75 back on a hotel booking of €225 or more (about $85 back on $256 based on today’s exchange rate)
• Valid for existing customers — but remember you can participate in a maximum of three of these campaigns per year
• Direct link to promotion here

Key Terms

• You must leave a guest review after your completed stay
• To obtain the reward as a credit to their credit card, the Participant has, within a reasonable time after the stay, either created a user account and saved a valid credit card in the account settings or provided a valid credit card on the provided digital form. American Express is not currently an accepted credit card.
• Booking.com will only recognize one Eligible Reservation per Participant, per campaign to count for an Incentive Bonus. Participants may only receive Incentive Bonuses from a maximum of 3 different campaigns per year, including Refer-a-Friend campaigns.
• Valid one time only per user.
• Not available for residents of Hawaii or New Mexico
• Link to full terms

Quick Thoughts

This is a nice discount on your stay. While the percentage is not as high as the previous $40-back-on-$80 deal, the higher dollar value will appeal to many. The key to keep in mind is that Booking.com allows you to participate in a maximum of three campaigns per year, including refer-a-friend. If you participated in the previous promotion and signed up through a referral, that would be two campaigns and I would expect you to be eligible for this one. However, if you both received a referral bonus for signing up and received a bonus from referring someone else, I’m not sure if those actions count as separate campaigns.

For those who are eligible, this is a nice discount. If you are new to Booking.com, you may be able to stack this for a bit more savings by first signing up through a referral link — which would give you $25 back on your first booking of $50 or more. Here would be your process if you are new to Booking.com (the referral will not work for existing customers):

1. Use a referral link to sign up for Booking.com to get $25 back on your first booking of $50 or more. Book the first night of your planned stay. You would need to make this booking first as it is only eligible on your first booking.
2. Enter booking.com again via this current promotion for €75 back on €225 and book the remaining nights of your trip.

You should then be able to combine the reservations at check-in and keep the same room for your entire stay (provided you booked the same room type). In the end, you should get about $110 back – a pretty significant savings. Note that in order to get your money back you need to add an eligible credit card to your Booking.com profile. As noted in the key terms, an Amex will not work. That is how you will get your money, so be sure to save a card to your profile. If you are new and are looking for a referral link, feel free to use mine with my thanks, or check the comments for referrals from other readers.

Be sure to shop around and make sure that you are getting the best rate from Booking.com. Assuming you are, this is a nice promo to save a few bucks. Remember that bookings through third-party agencies usually receive no elite benefits, no elite status credit, and no points. Consider the value of those things to you versus the discount if booking at a chain property – though I suspect the dollar amount here may be enough to tip the scales in favor of this promo.

H/T: Flyertalk via The Gate

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