Expedia Pay Now or Later- A Thorough Comparison!
Mad about traveling but don’t know about Expedia? There’s no way that’s possible. For your online hotel booking, Expedia has made quite the reputation.
However, you may not know about its famous payment plans: pay now and pay later.
So, what’s the difference between Expedia pay now or later?
The main comparing element between Expedia pay now or later is the cost. The price of hotels varies ever so slightly between pay now or later. Also, you can’t use the Expedia coupon codes in the Expedia pay later payment system. Again, the reservation policy also differs in both payment plans.
Did you think those are the only differences? Not at all. There are plenty of other criteria to compare!
So, let’s move on!
Quick Comparison
You might have already learned many things about Expedia. But it’s never enough to make sure about getting the best deal possible.
Recently, you’ve heard about the pay later method. Now you’re thinking-
“Can you book now and pay later on Expedia?”
Yes! You obviously can do that. However, you have to make sure you’re getting the best price. That’s why it’s important for you to know about the differences between both payment systems.
Here’s a cool little table to tell apart the contrast-
| Subject | Expedia Pay Now | Expedia Pay Later |
| Convenience | More convenient | Less convenient |
| Reservation Responsibility | Expedia’s | Hotel’s |
| Coupon Availability | Applicable | Not applicable |
| Cost | A bit higher | Regular Hotel Price |
For a quick glance of all the differences, take a look at this graph:
These are some of the topics I’ll try to cover in more details. However, there might be other differences too that I may miss. So, try to overlook that and enjoy the rest of the reading with me!
Complete Analysis – Comparing the Individual Points Thoroughly!
Now, it’s time to dive completely into the world of pay later and pay now. However, a mandatory disclaimer before I start off the battle.
By no means, this comparison applies to Avis pay now or later! Because that’s a very different thing.
So, don’t mix these two up for your own benefit. Otherwise, you’ll find yourself completely baffled by differentiating Avis and Expedia.
Source: medium.com
Without further ado, let’s start by comparing the room availability.
Room Availability
Choosing your ideal room on the journey can’t be emphasized enough. The perfect room is enough to make you happy throughout the trip.
So, let’s see if there’s any difference.
Unclimatically, there are no changes in terms of room or hotel availability between the payment methods. You get the same rooms as well as facilities in both pay later or now. However, the services can vary from hotel to hotel.
So, that’s not Expedia’s fault if the service is not up to your expectations!
Convenience
Having a convenient payment option is quite a relief. Because then you won’t have to worry about any hidden fees or charges.
You must be thinking then, “Is it better to pay online or at the hotel?” Let’s find out!
If we are talking in terms of convenience, then it’s better to pay online. Why is that? Because it allows you to focus on the adventure as you’ve already cleared your payment. Moreover, you can use any digital payment method like debit/credit, PayPal, or even Bitcoin!
So, that’s a huge plus for the pay now option. On the other hand, the pay later method does not have such features to utilize cryptocurrencies. It’s not that bad but you know, more options mean more flexibility.
If convenience is your game, then you probably know which one is better for you!
Payment Processing
As the main discussion is about payments, it’s a given that payment processing will come up. So, how does Expedia payment work?
You may think the payment process must be the same as the name suggests. However, there’s more to it than what it actually claims.
While you select both the payment on Expedia’s website, they are not processed by Expedia. If you go for pay now, then you get the usual Expedia payment processing.
So, the transaction is overlooked by Expedia.
On the other hand, the pay later system will be monitored by the hotel authority. Expedia doesn’t have any right in the payment processing. So, you’ll deal with the hotel staff directly.
Don’t you think that’s quite the difference between them? But there’s still a lot to discuss.
Now, let’s look at the coupon option for both methods.
Coupons
Expedia has a practice of sending coupons and codes to their regular users through emails. You get tons of benefits and discounts through the coupons.
Source: dontpayfull.com
But why am I discussing coupons all of a sudden?
The reason is that only one payment supports the coupons! And to your surprise, it’s not Expedia book now pay later! It’s actually the pay now option that reaps the benefit of coupons.
If you think about it then you can guess why is that. Expedia offers coupons in order to attract more travelers to use the pay now feature. That’s the only reason behind such one-sided discounting.
So, if you have tons of coupons to use, you might want to pay upfront. Otherwise, all the coupons will be wasted!
Reservation & Cancellation
Booking your hotel room through Expedia has never been easier. Because they now have tons of options like pay now, pay later, and even installments.
However, is there any difference in booking through different methods?
Actually, there is not any key difference or contrast between the two methods. You can reserve through the website without any hassle.
So, no changes in reserving the rooms.
The same applies to the cancellation process as well. You get free cancellation in both pays now and pay later payment process.
So, again, no need to rack your brains about canceling your reservation.
Pricing & Charges
Finally, the most important topic to cover for Expedia pay now vs pay at hotel. The pricing issue. Many travelers showed their concerns about the different pricing found in the payment methods. So, it’s time to shed light on that.
The pricing on the pay now option tends to be a bit higher than the other. Now, you might think why would Expedia charge higher if I pay upfront?
Well, it’s not that complicated. They just take a few dollars as commission!
You’ll even see it in Expedia book now or pay later terms and conditions. They briefly mention that they don’t charge for the pay later method. But don’t mention that in the pay now feature.
Source: travel.stackexchange.com
The pay later system is free of charge. You can think of it as a non-commissionable rate available at Marriot. They don’t charge any commission on some specific offerings.
So, you don’t have to pay extra if you pay at the hotel!
I hope your confusion about the cost has evaporated now. Thus, it’s time for you to decide which way to go!
So, Which One to Choose?
The moment of truth has finally arrived. It’s now to decide which way to go because you have all the information you need.
So, let’s summarize everything and find out your perfect solution!
First of all, room availability is almost the same for both of the payment options. So, you don’t need to worry too much about that. If we’re talking about convenience, then pay now takes the edge.
Because once you clear your payment, you don’t have to worry about anything else. On top of that, they also allow bitcoin for early payment.
When it comes to pricing, pay later has a clear advantage. It literally charges you less. While it might be only a few dollars, you’re getting the same services.
So, when the cost is your concern, there’s no other way to look at it.
So, which one suits you the most? Yes, there are advantages & disadvantages of Expedia payment methods but you have to choose one.
Otherwise, there are no more adventure trips for you!
FAQs
What are the Expedia Payment Plans?
Expedia now has multiple payment options such as pay now, pay later, and installments. Users can go to the Expedia website and opt for the pay now plan. Or the user can also choose to pay later after arriving at the hotel. Lastly, the users further get the opportunity to pay the fee in installments.
Is it Better to Pay Now or Later on Expedia?
Generally, you’ll have to pay an extra Expedia booking charge if you use pay now. But, the pay later payment does not add any hidden charges. So, you won’t have to pay a bit extra. But pay later option does not include the coupon code application. That is only available at Expedia pay now.
How Does Book Now Pay Later Work?
Book now pay later feature allows the user to reserve hotel rooms without paying upfront. You don’t have to pay any reservation charges until you check in to your hotel. The purchase price is divided into the weekly, and monthly payment systems for travelers’ convenience. So, no more early payments!
Conclusion
That’s everything we had on Expedia pay now or later! We tried to give a detailed idea on both the payment methods.
Now that you know about these things, you’ll be able to make a concise decision.
So, what are you waiting for? Start your journey with your preferred method now!
