About Agoda
Agoda is an online travel agency founded in 2005 and wholly owned by Booking Holdings (NASDAQ: BKNG), the same group as Booking.com, Kayak, and Priceline. It lists over 3.5 million properties including hotels, resorts, apartments, villas, and vacation homes across more than 190 countries, with particular depth in Thailand, Japan, Singapore, Indonesia, and other Asia-Pacific destinations. Flights, airport transfers, and activities can also be booked through the platform. Prices are displayed in your local currency, but Agoda charges in a separate currency selected at checkout: if the two differ, a 5% surcharge is added to the transaction. This fee is not prominently highlighted during browsing and is worth checking before confirming a booking. Payment is accepted by Visa, Mastercard, American Express, JCB, Discover, UnionPay, PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Alipay. Three payment timing modes are available: Pay Now (charged immediately), Book Now Pay Later (charged closer to check-in, with fewer properties offering this option), and Pay at the Hotel (charged on arrival). Account registration requires an email address and mobile phone number verified by SMS.
What are alternatives for Agoda
Pros of using Agoda
- Deep inventory in Asia-Pacific: broader hotel selection in Thailand, Japan, Singapore, and Indonesia than most Western OTAs
- Three payment timing options (Pay Now, Book Now Pay Later, Pay at the Hotel) give flexibility over when your card is charged
- Accepts PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Alipay in addition to major credit cards
- AgodaCash loyalty credit earned on eligible stays, redeemable against future bookings
- Competitive pricing for budget and mid-range properties across Southeast Asia
Cons of using Agoda
- Trustpilot score: 2.5/5 from 50,000+ reviews, rated "Poor": primary complaints are refund refusals and slow customer service resolution
- 5% currency surcharge applies when the display currency differs from the charge currency, disclosed only at the payment step
- Book Now Pay Later options cover fewer properties than Pay Now; the amount charged may differ from the displayed price if exchange rates shift
- Dispute resolution consistently favours the property over the guest in user-reported cases
- No dedicated phone support in most European markets; customer service is primarily chat-based
