20+ Years of Parity Clauses - One Growing Case
Over 15,000 hotels from over 30 countries are seeking compensation for losses caused by Booking.com’s price parity clauses between 2004 and 2024.
They could recover several billion Euros, equal to 30% or more of the total commissions paid by participating hotels to Booking.com since 2004, plus interest.
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2026
Pan-European collective action launched against Booking.com.
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2024
Booking eliminates price parity clauses to comply with the Digital Markets Act.
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2024
The Court of Justice of the European Union finds price parity clauses to violate EU competition law.
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2023
An Amsterdam court refers a case on price parity clauses to the Court of Justice of the European Union.
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2021
The ban on narrow clauses is upheld by the German Supreme Court.
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2019
Litigation against HRS results in a €4 million settlement.
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2015
Germany prohibits “narrow” price parity clauses.
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2013
Germany prohibits “wide” price parity clauses.
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2010
The German hotel industry raises first concerns over price parity clauses.
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2004
Booking.com introduces price parity clauses to its terms and conditions.
SHCA is representing over 15,000 hotels from 30 countries
for an estimated several billion euros in damages.
Impact on Hotels
Booking.com plays a central role in how hotels reach customers across Europe as a Digital Gatekeeper.
Digital Gatekeepers must remove all parity clauses, give users and hotel partners’ strong access to data, and remove measures that might restrict hotel partners’ freedoms.
The European Commission is constantly assessing whether Booking's compliance measures meet DMA requirements and can take action if they do not. This could mean fines of up to 10% of global turnover.
Overview: Pan-European Collective Action Against Booking.com
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Liability
The collective action may result in several billion euros of damages being owed, equivalent to a large portion of parent company Booking Holding’s operating profits.
It highlights the importance of a fair and sustainable relationship between Booking.com and Europe’s hotels, a critical partner to the company’s “connected trip strategy.”