What the figures mean
Blended rate is commission measured across your whole business rather than per channel. It is the number worth tracking, because it moves when your channel mix moves — not only when a contract changes. A property at 70% OTA on an 18% rate is really paying 12.6% on everything it sells.
The shift figure is the honest version of the direct-booking argument. Nobody leaves the OTAs; they are the discovery channel, and for a property nobody has heard of yet the commission is rent worth paying. But moving a few points of mix, quarter by quarter, compounds into a real number — usually a member of staff's salary before it becomes anything more dramatic.
Frequently asked questions
What commission rate should I enter?
The one in your own contract. Commonly somewhere in the 15–20% range, varying by platform,
market and agreement; Airbnb charges a host service fee instead. If you are enrolled in
preferred-partner or visibility programmes, your effective rate is higher than the base.
Should I use share of revenue or share of bookings?
Revenue. OTA stays are often longer or at different rates than direct ones, so counting
bookings gives you the wrong mix.
Are direct bookings really free?
They cost less, not nothing — payment processing, marketing, and any perk you gave for
booking direct. What they do not cost is a percentage of the stay.
How much of my business should be direct?
There is no correct ratio. Measure the split now and try to move it a few points by the
same month next year.