Is Agoda Safe And Legit? [Plus How To Avoid Potential Issues]

AgodaHotels
Written By Taz Zaidi

Is Agoda Safe And Legit?

*Disclaimer: I’ve personally used Agoda.com to book accommodation around the world. I’ve had many positive experiences using the site (especially through the daily deals page). I wrote this guide to help other travelers, but I can’t guarantee you a positive experience as well. I hope you'll find this guide helpful!

Agoda.com is a popular site to find accommodation.

Still, many users share concerns regarding Agoda’s safety, reliability and trustworthiness - whether that’s regarding booking, payment security or the stay itself.

In this guide, we’ll cover safety and reliability on Agoda.

After providing a brief background of Agoda.com as a company, I’ll cover three common reliability concerns users share, how Agoda enforces its policies, three common safety concerns, and tips to avoid potential issues when finding and booking a place on Agoda.

agoda-safe-legit-thumbnail.jpg

*Agoda.com provides a wide selection of steeply-discounted hotel rooms. To see today’s deals on hotels in any destination, click here.

Why Agoda.com Is A Legit Site

Agoda.com is one of many travel websites owned by Booking Holdings Inc.

Booking Holdings (called Priceline.com Inc. from 1998-2014, The Priceline Group Inc. from 2014-18) owns booking.com, priceline.com, kayak.com, cheapflights.com and rentalcars.com, among others. Publicly traded since 1999, it’s one of the world’s largest travel companies (consistently Fortune 500). In 2022, Booking Holdings generated $17 billion.

Agoda is one of Booking’s largest assets and one of the first it ever acquired (purchased in 2007). Since then, Agoda built a reputation as the place to find discounts on a range of lodging options. Over the years, Agoda added many money-saving features, like AgodaCash, AgodaVIP and Promo Codes to improve customer experience and showcase its best deals to its user base.

With this proven track record, Agoda is clearly a legit company. As of 2023, Agoda employs 6,500+ people across more than 30 countries. Its website and mobile app are available in 39 languages.

Booking Holdings Inc.’s stock history

Booking Holdings Inc.’s stock history

*To see today’s deals on hotels in any destination, click here.

How Reliable Is Agoda?

So Agoda.com is legit, but what about reliability concerns on the customer’s end?

Common reliability concerns include:

  1. Hosts not receiving a reservation notice from Agoda

  2. Overbooking (Agoda or the host over-selling a room)

  3. Hosts not accepting an Agoda booking as valid

Reliability Concern #1:

Hosts Not Receiving A Reservation Notice From Agoda

Agoda sends a confirmation email to both the guest and host when a reservation is made. As a guest, you can access every booking inside your Agoda account.

Your host can access their bookings from within their own account. Agoda will also send a reminder email to you and your host a few days prior to check-in.

Booking Confirmation email

Booking Confirmation email

Reliability Concern #2:

Overbooking (Over-Selling Rooms)

The listings you see on Agoda.com are based on what hosts report as being available. An overbooking can occur if a host forgets to notify Agoda that a room is no longer available, then Agoda unknowingly sells it.

However, hosts typically sync their inventory across all platforms, meaning room availability is updated in real time - so overbooking rarely occurs. If a host says your room is overbooked after arriving, notify Agoda.

Agoda displays how many rooms remain in inventory

Agoda displays how many rooms remain in inventory

Reliability Concern #3:

Hosts Not Accepting An Agoda Booking

Hosts must give Agoda permission to sell their rooms. If your host doesn’t accept an Agoda reservation upon arrival, even after you’ve presented identification (ID or passport for foreigners) and booking proof, report the situation to Agoda immediately.

*To see today’s deals on hotels in any destination, click here.

How Agoda Enforces Its Policies

Agoda mediates issues between guests and hosts. Hosts agree to Agoda’s Policy page conditions when they publish a listing. Guests agree to these conditions and their host’s policies when they book that listing.

If a host is at fault, such as unfairly cancelling a guest’s booking or publishing a misleading listing, Agoda will penalize that host according to its policies. If a guest is at fault, Agoda penalizes the guest based on the policy they agreed to when booking. To learn more about cancellations and refunds on Agoda, click here.

*To see today’s deals on hotels in any destination, click here.

Is It Safe To Book With Agoda?

So, Agoda is a legit company that enforces its policies on hosts and guests, but what about safety concerns from the guest’s perspective?

Common customer safety concerns include:

  1. Payment Safety (card details, personal information)

  2. Guest Safety At The Property

  3. Booking Scams And Fraud

Safety Concern #1:

Payment Safety (Card Details, Personal Information)

Of course, nobody wants to worry about the security of their card details when transacting online. Agoda operates via the merchant model and agency model.

Through the merchant model, a guest pays Agoda for their booking, then Agoda forwards a percentage of that total payment to the host. Agoda charges guests’ cards directly, without passing card details onto hosts.

Through the agency model, Agoda acts like a broker between guests and hosts. Instead of charging guests directly, Agoda collects and passes card details to the host, who charges the full payment total. Hosts pays Agoda a percentage of the guest’s total. To learn more about how payments work on Agoda, click here.

Agoda encrypts, secures and protects your card details

Agoda encrypts, secures and protects your card details

Concern #2:

Guest Safety At The Property

Safety can be a concern in any accommodation type.

If you’re new to Agoda.com and want to be safe while booking, I recommend sticking to listings with many reviews (30+) and outstanding review rating (8.5+). Also, read the listing’s full description and reviews from the past 6 months.

Agoda doesn’t prohibit hosts from listing in any local area. If neighborhood safety is a concern, research the neighborhoods beforehand. Filter by neighborhood and proximity to attractions by using the “Location” filter below the search bar. If you ever feel unsafe at a property, you can contact Agoda.

Listing with high a review count (30+) and outstanding rating (8.5+)

A listing with many reviews (30+) and high rating (8.5+)

Concern #3:

Booking Scams And Fraud

Agoda.com has systems to prevent scams and fraud.

These systems are designed to help protect vulnerable customers. As an example, Agoda holds onto a host’s first payout for 30 days after their first guest checks out. Payment is only delivered if the stay goes well.

Hosts must also provide documentation and photos proving association to the property they list (prior to approval). Agoda reserves the right to ban hosts, no matter how many positive reviews they’ve earned.

*To see today’s deals on hotels in any destination, click here.

How To Avoid Potential Issues When Booking On Agoda

There’s always the potential for an unforeseen issue to occur when booking online rather than in-person or via recommendations. With countless transactions, properties joining daily, and the travel industry being highly competitive, it’s easy to understand why.

Still, there are simple measures to take to minimize the risk of a negative occurrence while traveling. Here are a few tips to follow when booking on Agoda:

When searching for a listing:

  • Establish your destination, dates and budget prior to searching

  • Use Agoda’s search filters to narrow results based on your criteria

Only consider listings with:

  • Recent, positive reviews from satisfied guests

  • Clear photos showing the room and property entrance

Selecting a room and finalizing your booking:

  • You’ll notice many appealing rooms on Agoda.com, but some are remotely located. Make sure you book near where you’ll spend time after arriving. All listings have an interactive map that display its distance to local landmarks.

  • Read the listing’s full description. Make sure its amenities fit what you want, whether that’s breakfast, laundry or parking. A full description shows the host put effort into creating their listing.

  • Read the cancellation policy and double-check the price prior to booking the stay.

  • Booking Confirmation email should arrive within 10 minutes from when you reserve.

*To see today’s deals on hotels in any destination, click here.

Conclusion

Hopefully you found this guide helpful.

We covered Agoda.com’s background as a company, 3 reliability concerns users share, how Agoda enforces its policies, 3 safety concerns, and how to avoid issues when booking a place on Agoda. To learn more about Agoda, explore our other guides below.

Enjoy your travels!

Find Your Discounted Hotel On Agoda

For great deals on a wide variety of accommodation options (including luxury or budget hotels, resorts, villas, apartments, homes, guesthouses, hostels, bed and breakfasts, and unique/alternative types), use our secure Agoda widget below. Just input your destination and dates, then browse the results!

To go directly to Agoda.com, click here.

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Taz Zaidi [Author]
Taz Zaidi [Author]

Taz Zaidi is an American travel writer and the founder/creator of TRVLGUIDES.com. Connect with him on Instagram (@tazzaidi) or on his personal website, at tazzaidi.com.

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Taz Zaidi
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