How should I use promo codes for my vacation rental?

A promo code is useful for a vacation rental when it targets a specific audience (past guests, newsletter subscribers, local partners) and a specific period (low season, dates that are hard to sell). Used badly, it teaches guests to wait for a discount and cuts your margin on nights you would have sold anyway. GDA Kraft Booking, the booking plugin published by Global Digital Agency, lets you offer promo codes on your direct bookings; this article gives a method for deciding when, to whom and how much.

What is a promo code?

A promo code is a word or string of characters that the guest enters when booking to get a discount. Unlike a length-of-stay discount (including a tier from 7 nights used as a weekly price), which applies automatically to everyone who meets the condition (see Long-stay discount and weekly rate), a promo code is only granted to those who know it. That is what makes it a targeting tool.

When does a promo code make sense?

Conversely, a promo code displayed permanently on the home page is no longer a code: it is a disguised price cut. In that case, lower the rate for the season concerned instead (see How do I set my prices?).

How much should I give?

Work out the discount from what a direct booking earns you, not from a round number. A fictional example for a €700 stay:

The 15.5% rate corresponds to the “host-only” fee that Airbnb applies in the European Economic Area from 13 October 2026, according to the trade press; check the rate that applies to your listing in the Airbnb Help Centre. For Booking.com, the commission depends on your contract: see your extranet or the Partner Hub.

On online payments on your site, the GDA Kraft Booking service fee is 0.9%, reduced to 0.45% until 30 June 2027, shown to the payer; Stripe's processing fees come on top (Stripe pricing). In this example, a 10% code on a direct booking still leaves you more than a booking on the platform. A discount larger than the commission gap only makes sense to fill nights that would otherwise stay empty.

Which rules should I set myself?

1. One goal per code: a loyalty code is not a low-season code. That way you will know what works.
2. A limited period: a code with no end date gets passed around and ends up on coupon sites.
3. A targeted period: a code is only valid between its "Start UTC" and "End UTC" dates, which refer to when the booking is made, not to the stay dates. To target periods you struggle to fill, share the code just before them and write the stay dates concerned in your terms.
4. A readable name: avoid codes that are too easy to guess for large discounts.
5. Controlled distribution: email to past guests, a card slipped into the welcome book, a message to partners.

Codes are created in Kraft Booking › Promotions › "Create a promotion": "Accommodation" (one accommodation or all), "Code", type "Percentage" or "Fixed amount", "Discount", "Start UTC" and "End UTC", "Quota (empty = unlimited)", "Minimum basket" and the "Active" box, then "Create code". Then make a test booking to see the resulting price: the guest enters the code in the booking form.

Which pitfalls should I avoid?

• Unplanned stacking: a promo code added to a length-of-stay discount can bring a long stay down very low. Test the combinations before sharing the code.
• Discounting the fees: in GDA Kraft Booking, a code applies to the price of the stay and to services (cleaning, extras), but not to taxes. If you do not want to reduce fees that correspond to real costs, prefer a "Fixed amount" calculated on the price of the nights only.
• Inconsistency between channels: your contracts with the platforms may contain clauses about displayed prices. Re-read them before publicly advertising a lower price on your site.
• Vague promises: “20% off” with no dates or conditions leads to complaints. Write the conditions wherever you share the code.
• Habit: if you send a code every month, your loyal guests will stop buying at the normal price.

How do I measure the effect of a code?

For each code, note at the end of the period: number of bookings, nights sold, total discount given, and nights that would probably have sold without a code. The number of uses of each code is shown in Kraft Booking › Promotions; bookings and revenue for the period can be seen in Kraft Booking › Bookings and in Kraft Console (/gestion/), included in the edition downloaded from your customer area. Then compare with your usual occupancy rate for the same period (see Occupancy rate, ADR and RevPAR).

Frequently asked questions

Is a promo code only for direct bookings?

Yes, in GDA Kraft Booking the code applies to bookings made on your site. Promotions on the platforms are managed in their own tools.

Should I display promo codes on my site?

There is no need. A code is more effective when it is passed on to a chosen audience; if it is meant for everyone, lowering the season's rate is simpler and clearer.

What discount should I give a loyal guest?

There is no universal right figure. Start from the gap between what a direct booking and a platform booking earn you, and stay below it for dates that sell well.

Is the service fee calculated after the discount?

Yes. The service fee is calculated on the stay total after the code has been deducted, and only for an online payment. Make a test booking to see the exact breakdown shown to the guest before sharing a code.