October 2024 booking fee adjustment
Last updated: August 7, 2025
Note: This page previously stated the effective date of the booking fee adjustment as October 4, 2024. This has been updated to display the correct effective date of October 3, 2024.
As part of our commitment to providing top-tier services and helping your business grow, FareHarbor has implemented a new booking fee structure for direct bookings, effective October 3, 2024.
We understand that changes like these may raise questions, so we’ve created this page of frequently asked questions (FAQs) to provide clarity on how the booking fee will work, who it applies to, and what actions, if any, you may need to take. Explore the questions below to find the answers you need, and don’t hesitate to reach out to our Support team if you have further inquiries.
Frequently asked questions
Why is FareHarbor implementing a booking fee for direct bookings?
We’ve made this adjustment to ensure we can continue to provide industry-leading products and services that help our clients grow. This fee supports ongoing improvements that benefit all FareHarbor users.
When does the new booking fee go into effect?
The new booking fee of 6% for businesses processing below the required direct transaction volume will apply starting October 3, 2024.
Who will be affected by the 6% booking fee?
The 6% fee applies to businesses with annual online direct transaction volumes below $35,000 USD (trailing 12 months) and is paid by your customers. The fee is assessed annually in October and only businesses that have been live on FareHarbor for 12 months or more as of October 1 are affected by the fee. If your business exceeds the $35,000 USD amount, no changes will be made to your current pricing model.
Additional notes:
- Businesses that use an FH Site may be eligible for exclusion from the fee. Please reach out to your Account Management team to learn more.
- From June 4, 2025, this 6% fee to the end consumer also applies to all new NORAM users of Dock’s Staff mode. If you are an existing NORAM client prior to this date, there is no change to your Staff mode fees.
What transactions are included in the booking fee?
The booking fee applies to all direct bookings, whether they are made online or offline through the FareHarbor Dashboard, Dock Staff* mode, or payment links.
*For Dock Staff mode bookings, if you pay the booking fee, you won’t be paying the 0.5% additional processing fee.
Are any bookings excluded from the new fee?
Bookings made through indirect channels like affiliates and OTAs are excluded from the booking fee.
How will the booking fee be applied to offline bookings?
The booking fee is added automatically for offline bookings made using FareHarbor payment methods (for example, through the Dashboard or Dock Staff mode), just as it is for online bookings. If bookings are made outside of FareHarbor (such as via cash, check, and external POS), you’ll collect the fee at the time of booking.
How will the fees collected for offline bookings be paid to FareHarbor?
Fees will be collected via direct debit from the billing method added in Settings > Bank and Payments > Billing. If you have not yet added a preferred billing method, please do so. If no billing method is added, FareHarbor will collect the funds from your future payouts.
Timing of collection:
- Fees collected outside of FareHarbor during October, November, and December 2024 will be debited in January 2025.
- From February 2025 onward, fees collected outside of FareHarbor will be debited on a monthly basis (e.g., fees collected during January 2025 will be debited in the first week of February 2025).
- Once the debits for the payment requests are initiated monthly, they will be visible in the Bank Debits report (Payouts & Refunds > Bank Debits) along with any other bank debits.
Note: If the 6% fee for bookings via Dock Staff mode is paid in cash, you can keep the 6% fee. However, cash payments for bookings made through the Dashboard (direct bookings) will still be invoiced by FareHarbor.
Where can I see the fees to be collected?
A payment request from FareHarbor will be available for each completed month via the Payment Processing Documents report, starting in January 2025. To find this report go to Reports > Payment Processing Documents and generate the report.
Note: A payment request will appear for any completed month that has more than $0 USD (or local currency equivalent) in booking fees collected via cash or other external payment methods.
Will the booking fee apply to all payment methods?
Yes, the booking fee applies to all payment methods provided by FareHarbor. This fee is automatically added to the activity price, and no further action is required from you.
How often will my eligibility for this fee be reviewed?
Eligibility for the fee will be reviewed annually, with the next evaluation scheduled for October 1, 2025.
Do I need to manually adjust prices for my activities?
No, FareHarbor will update the total price of your activities to include the booking fee automatically.
What should I do if I don’t have a billing method set up?
You can visit our Billing methods help page for detailed instructions on setting up and managing your billing method in the Dashboard.
For businesses based in the United States, the money will be debited from the bank account currently set up for payouts. An alternate debit or credit card can be designated for debiting as needed.
Fees collected outside of FareHarbor during October, November, and December 2024 will be debited in January 2025. From February 2025 onward, fees collected outside of FareHarbor will be debited on a monthly basis. (For example, fees collected during the month of January 2025 will be debited in the first week of February 2025.)
How will the booking fee be collected for offline payments like cash or checks?
For offline payments made outside of FareHarbor, you will collect the booking fee, and a payment request from FareHarbor will be available for each completed month via the Payment Processing Documents report, starting in January 2025.
(Note: A payment request will populate for any completed month that saw more than $0 USD, or local currency, in booking fees collected via cash or other external payment method.)
Where can I find more information on setting up or managing my billing method?
You can visit our Billing methods help page for detailed instructions on setting up and managing your billing method in the Dashboard.
Who can I contact if I have more questions about this update?
If you have any additional questions, our dedicated Support team is here to assist you. Please reach out through the contact information provided in your Dashboard.
Will this fee apply to bookings I make through third-party channels like affiliates or OTAs?
Bookings made through indirect channels such as affiliates and OTAs are not subject to this booking fee.
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Dock Staff mode pricing updates
Effective from April 1, 2025, for new EMEA clients and from June 4, 2025, for new NORAM clients, a 6% booking fee is charged to the end customer instead of the 0.5% charged to the client.
- Existing NORAM and EMEA clients prior to the corresponding cutoff date are not affected by the change.
- APAC clients remain on the 0.5% fee model (paid by the client).
Fee exclusion eligibility
Clients are excluded from the direct booking fee if:
- Their annual direct transaction volume is above $35,000 USD (trailing 12 months), or
- They use or purchase a paid FH Site.
Payment requests
Payment requests for completed months will be available via the Dashboard under the Payment processing documents report, starting December 16, 2024. See below for more details.
Note: A bill will populate for any completed month that saw more than $0 USD, or local currency, in booking fees collected via cash or other external payment method.
- Payment requests for October and November 2024 will be available via the Dashboard starting December 16, 2024.
- A payment request for December 2024 will be available via the Dashboard starting January 3, 2024.