Get paid for non-refundable hotel reservations you can’t use

  | 
Team Clark is adamant that we will never write content influenced by or paid for by an advertiser. To support our work, we do make money from some links to companies and deals on our site. Learn more about our guarantee here.

Ever lost money on a non-refundable hotel reservation? Now there’s a way you may be able to get some of your money back!

Read more: Why you might have to start tipping your Uber driver

These sites will help you recoup your losses

Picture this: You book a non-refundable hotel room and then you get sick, or your plans change or something else comes up that prevents you from using your reservation.

In the past, you would lose the money you paid for that room. (Priceline and Hotwire do sell you a cheap insurance policy for about $5 a night to deal with accident and illness.)

But losing all your money may no longer be the problem it once was. That’s because there’s a secondary marketplace for the resale of non-refundable hotel rooms. RoomerTravel and Cancelon are two of the big players in this field.

For a buyer, these services are completely FREE to use. You get to buy an existing reservation that somebody else can’t use at a discount of up to 45% off.

If you’re a seller, RoomerTravel charges a 15% fee, while Cancelon charges 10%. Both services will interface with the hotel to ensure that the name on the reservation and the credit card info get changed. (In addition, most payment transfer options like PayPal will result in another small fee to the seller.)

Unlike booking on a mystery site such as Priceline, you know exactly where you’re staying upfront with sites like RoomerTravel and Cancelon.

Meanwhile, sites like Tingo and Trivago offer another option to save money on a hotel room. Both sites will book a hotel room for you and then continually re-shop your rate. If a better deal pops up on your same room, they’ll automatically re-book you at the new lower rate and refund the difference to your credit card.

Read more: 10 things to know about getting the cheapest summer airfare

This post was last modified on May 9, 2019 2:20 pm

Recent Posts

Free Mobile Passport Control App Saves You Time in Airport Customs

If you plan to take an international flight or cruise anytime soon, there's one free…

12 hours ago

Where Should I Set Up My Health Savings Account (HSA)?

Pop quiz: What's money expert Clark Howard's favorite tax-advantaged retirement tool? If you guessed Roth…

18 hours ago

YouTube TV Unveils Limited-Time Offer for 2024 NFL Sunday Ticket

Are you considering subscribing to NFL Sunday Ticket for the upcoming season? Now may be…

1 day ago

Clark Warns Major Changes To Credit Card Rewards Are Coming Soon

Did you know major changes are coming for the way credit card processing fees are…

2 days ago

Costco Car Insurance: 5 Things To Know Before You Get a Policy

There’s a lot to love about Costco. The company has deals on just about every…

3 days ago

Clark’s Advice on Becoming a Travel Agent

Money expert Clark Howard started a travel agency in his mid-20s and grew it into…

3 days ago