Wednesday, 15 October 2025
The Polish Office of Competition and Consumer Protection (UOKiK) has issued a binding commitments decision against Booking.com, requiring the global accommodation platform to improve the clarity of information provided to users and to offer compensation to affected consumers.
The ruling, Decision No. RKR-3/2025, dated 1 August 2025, followed an investigation that found Booking.com had failed to adequately inform users whether accommodation providers were acting as private individuals or as registered businesses. UOKiK also noted shortcomings in the platform’s communication of the fact that consumer protection laws do not apply to contracts concluded with private hosts, as well as in its explanation of the division of responsibilities between Booking.com and property owners.
Under the terms of the decision, consumers who—between 1 January 2023 and up to three months after receiving Booking.com’s individual notice—have submitted or will submit complaints about missing or misleading information may be eligible for redress. Complaints should be submitted via the Booking.com Help Centre, with users encouraged to log in using their booking number and PIN code and to include the reference “UOKiK” or the decision number to help expedite the process.
The consumer benefits will vary depending on a user’s Genius programme level. Those holding level 1 or 2 status will receive a permanent one-level upgrade without having to meet the normal qualification requirements. Consumers who already hold the highest Genius level 3 status will instead receive PLN 40 in Travel Funds credited to their Booking.com Wallet, which can be used within one year for any booking where Wallet payments are accepted. The benefit is a one-off payment per eligible user, regardless of the number of bookings made during the qualifying period. Consumers who no longer have a Booking.com account may still claim the benefit, provided they create a new account within one week of receiving confirmation that compensation has been granted.
The decision also requires Booking.com to make lasting improvements to the transparency of its platform, ensuring that users can easily distinguish between business and private accommodation offers and understand their consumer-law rights. The full text of the ruling and details of the commitments are available on the UOKiK website.
