bidding for travel priceline

Go Green Travel Green

Travel | Sustainability | Living Responsibly

Score Unbeatable Deals with Priceline Bidding: Here’s How!

Priceline bidding has been around forever — it’s actually one of the sites I remember accessing from dial-up AOL back in the late 90’s. And while it’s still a great tool for finding cheap hotel rooms, rental cars, and airline tickets, now there are even more resources available about how to use Priceline for bidding – making it less of a guessing game. I’ve pulled together all the best links and tips for this “Ultimate Guide to Priceline Bidding.” 

Here’s what you should know about Priceline bidding:

If you don’t want to participate in the bidding process, Priceline also offers regular “published fares” just like Travelocity, Orbitz and the rest of them. To purchase regular rooms/tickets/rental cars without the Priceline bidding process click here.

How to Use Priceline Bidding

• Determine your destination and dates.
• Check published fares on Kayak, Orbitz or on Priceline’s main search engine (without Priceline bidding) etc. to get an idea of what prices are common for the class of hotel, rental car, flight you’re considering.
• This prevents you from overbidding.
• Check the winning Priceline bids for top cities for the category you’re looking at.
• These are numbers that Priceline officially distributes based on the Priceline bidding process.
• Place your first bid on Priceline based on these winning prices and the prices you found in step 2 (for regular airfares/hotel/rental car).
• You can always bid higher later, so it’s best to start low.
• A good baseline for starting is at about 50-80% of the listed price.
• At this point Priceline with either accept or reject your bid.
• If Priceline biddgin rejects it, follow some of the Priceline strategies listed below to rebid.

Best Priceline Tips and Strategies

Priceline is almost always great for rental cars, but with hotels and flights you may not get the specifics (like location or flight time) that you’d prefer. Make a “ridiculously low bid” and still get an offer for what may be a good deal. (from Indianapolis Travel Examiner ). Make a backup reservation for hotel/rental cars you can fall back on if Priceline process doesn’t work. (from New York Times, Make Priceline do Your Bidding).

While Priceline makes you wait 24 hours to rebid, you can change the hotel class, zone, or dates to bid sooner. The trick here is that you can “game” the system by adding zones that don’t have hotels in your class (e.g., if you bid on a 4 star hotel, add a city nearby that doesn’t have any 4 star hotels in it).

Details at How to Beat Priceline

Check Priceline’s Airline Statistics for the most popular routes to see savings. (from Airfare Watchdog, Priceline Now Posting Bid Statistics). Be patient. If you have time (months) until your trip, don’t rush the bidding process. (from About.com Priceline Bidding Strategies). Priceline works best for 3 and 4 star hotels, not 2 star hotels and lower. Get around the wait rule by using a different email address and credit card number. (from Mr. G’s Guide to Priceline). Check forums to see what other deals people have gotten with their Priceline. These resources are tremendous and you shouldn’t book with Priceline without first checking them out.

Get the best deals on your dream vacation with Priceline Bidding feature. Choose your ideal hotel, airline, and rental car at the best price, and save up to 60% off published rates. Bid confidently knowing that you’re getting. Save up to 60% on your hotel with Priceline’s Bidding feature. Enter your price and bid on hotels in your desired destination. Get the best deals on top-rated hotels without spending a fortune – Bid Now!

Get the best deals on your next vacation with Priceline’s Name Your Own Price® Bidding. Find the lowest prices on flights, hotels, rental cars, and more – without booking fees or hidden charges. Bid on exclusive hotel offers now and save

Related Posts:

• How to Find Cheap Airline Tickets
• 10 Tips for Using Priceline for Car Rentals to Save Money
• Find Cheap Airline Tickets: Cheat Sheet
• How to change your name on an airline ticket

Winning Priceline Bids: a Name Your Price Hotel Tryout

Mark Kahler

Winning Priceline bids can be elusive and sometimes result in marginal savings. That fact inspired a 13-night "name your price hotel " experiment.

On the trip, I stayed in nine locations during those 13 nights. You can see a detailed breakdown by destination, or you can consider the broader picture of how the experiment played out.

 Priceline Basics

 For those unfamiliar with the Priceline "name your price" bidding methods, consider this very brief tutorial: bidders agree to put up a nightly room rate for unnamed hotels in a certain geographic zone and in a certain level of quality. The quality is measured in star ratings. A one- or two-star hotel offers few amenities beyond a bed and perhaps a breakfast option. Three-, four- and five-star properties are equipped with restaurants, recreational facilities and other luxuries that make a stay more comfortable and more expensive.

You'll only learn the actual name and address of your hotel if the offer is successful. At that moment, your purchase is charged to your credit card and becomes non-refundable. If your plans should change later, the odds of recouping your charge are slim to non-existent. Such are the pros and cons of Priceline.

Those who assume these risks and form sound bidding strategies are sometimes rewarded with nightly room rates that are deeply discounted over the standard (rack) rates. Some fall into common Priceline mistakes and lose money.

The Experiment

Many trips involve spending no more than a night or two in many different places. I took a combination business/vacation trip of this type, and sought winning Priceline bids for 13 of the 20 nights on the road in the western U.S.

The nightly destinations varied greatly in size and location. For example, some of the nights were in the middle of San Francisco , one of the world's best-known and cosmopolitan cities. Another night on the same trip was spent in Clinton, Okla., a small city that is far-removed from major metropolitan areas. 

The idea was to look at a snapshot of how bidding for travel unfolded in this variety of settings during the same two-week period.

The Results

 The total cost of those 13 nights, based on what was posted on each hotel's Web site at the time of my Priceline bid was $1,785 USD, for an average of $137/night.

I paid a total of $1,155, for an average nightly cost of about $89.

That's 35 percent savings, and a dollar savings of $630 ($48/night). This is money that was freed up to pay for other travel-related expenses such as parking, gasoline, entry fees, and more.

Significant savings were gained using Priceline. But it must also be said that some sacrifices were involved.

Remember that although I had a choice of zone in each city, I was not able to choose the exact location of my room. If I had driven into town and surveyed possible hotels, some of the places where I was booked would not have been my first choices. Some rooms were more convenient for visiting the location than others.

But in most cases, I wound up with a comfortable stay near the attraction of interest. In all purchases, I got a reasonably clean room in a safe location.

Priceline allows you to re-bid if your offer is rejected, but you must change your star-level or zone to do so. If you don't make one of those changes, you must wait 24 hours to try again.

Note that your results will vary from mine, perhaps by a wide margin. In fact, you could bid this very sequence of zones and star levels with much different results. The goal here is not to provide bidding help or prove that Priceline is good or bad for travelers. The intent is to show a typical trip, and the variations in savings each night. Some nights were definitely better values than others.

Luxury Link Online Vacation Auctions: Are They a Good Deal?

Best Online Travel Agencies

How to Finesse a Luxury Vacation for a Lot Less

Step-By-Step Budget Tips for a First European Vacation

Tips for Budget Business Travel

How to Visit Munich on a Budget

Strategies for Visiting New York City on a Budget

Priceline's Name-Your-Own-Price Model for Budget Travel

Tulum Travel Guide - Budget and Tulum Travel FAQ

9 Best Travel Apps for a Great American Road Trip

5 Ways to Find the Cheapest Train Travel

How to Enjoy a Quick Layover in London on a Budget

How to Use Yapta's Online Price Tracker

10 Budget Travel Tips for Visiting Venice

Would You Book Your Next Hotel Stay on Instagram?

A Travel Guide for How to Visit Seattle on a Budget

Advertiser Disclosure

Many of the credit card offers that appear on this site are from credit card companies from which we receive financial compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear). However, the credit card information that we publish has been written and evaluated by experts who know these products inside out. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse. This site does not include all credit card companies or all available credit card offers that are on the market. See our advertising policy here where we list advertisers that we work with, and how we make money. You can also review our credit card rating methodology .

A Complete Guide To Booking Travel With Priceline [2024]

David Slotnick

Former Content Contributor

2 Published Articles

Countries Visited: 11 U.S. States Visited:

Keri Stooksbury

Editor-in-Chief

29 Published Articles 3093 Edited Articles

Countries Visited: 45 U.S. States Visited: 28

Director of Operations & Compliance

1 Published Article 1170 Edited Articles

Countries Visited: 10 U.S. States Visited: 20

How To Book a Hotel on Priceline [Step-by-Step]

Trip protection, best price guarantee, price comparisons — hotels, priceline pricebreakers, priceline express deals, how to book a flight on priceline [step-by-step], price comparisons — flights, how to book a rental car on priceline [step-by-step], collision damage protection, price comparisons — rental cars, how to book a bundle + save vacation package on priceline [step-by-step], price comparisons — bundle + save, how to book a cruise on priceline [step-by-step], price comparisons — cruises, priceline app, priceline rewards card, final thoughts.

We may be compensated when you click on product links, such as credit cards, from one or more of our advertising partners. Terms apply to the offers below. See our Advertising Policy for more about our partners, how we make money, and our rating methodology. Opinions and recommendations are ours alone.

You are probably familiar with Priceline, an online travel agency (OTA) you can use to book flights, hotels, rental cars, cruises, and more.

The key thing that differentiates Priceline from its competitors is its opaque  travel booking products. If you’re willing to be flexible with your travel plans (to the point of not knowing which airline you’re flying or what hotel you’re staying at when you make a reservation), you might be able to snag a deep discount.

As part of Booking Holdings Inc. — which includes Booking.com, Agoda, Kayak, Momondo, and other OTAs and metasearch sites — Priceline has also been able to use its combined resources to build its published-rate hotel offerings. Its Name Your Own Price tool has ceased to exist as an option, but low prices are offered through its other opaque tools — Express Deals  and Pricebreakers .

Below, we’ll take a look at the various services offered by Priceline, including how to use it to find the best prices on flights, hotels, rental cars, and more!

Priceline Hotels

Booking a hotel on Priceline is straightforward. Enter your search preferences, pick a hotel, and confirm your reservation, just like with any other OTA like Travelocity or Expedia . Although Priceline has a few extra options to help you find a great rate, there can be some additional terms.

To search for a hotel on Priceline, enter a destination, choose your check-in and check-out dates, and specify the number of rooms you need.

By default, results are organized in recommended  order, determined by a combination of user reviews, general ratings, and price. You can change this to sort results by price or customer rating instead. Semi-opaque Pricebreaker options, in which you’ll get 1 of 3 hotels listed, will also be suggested at the top of the search results. If you have tons of flexibility, check out the Express Deals , completely opaque bookings in which you won’t know the hotel you booked until your reservation is complete.

At the top, you can switch to Map View, or even select from top filters. On the left sidebar, you can adjust filters for amenities, budget, guest rating, neighborhood, and hotel brand. If you have a specific property in mind, you can also search for it by name.

The terms and conditions vary between properties, so make sure to read everything before making a reservation. If your travel plans are concrete, you can usually save money with a prepaid and/or non-refundable rate.

Some properties require payment at the time of booking, while others allow you to pay at check-in. You can see each hotel’s policy on the results page — if a hotel says Pay Later  your card won’t be charged (unless you choose to pay upfront). If the hotel allows you to cancel the reservation without penalty, Priceline highlights that as well.

Hot Tip: Keep in mind that taxes aren’t included in the rate shown on the results page or a specific property’s profile page — you’ll see all additional fees included once you choose a room and rate. When comparing prices between different websites and services, it’s always good to check the total price rather than the initial per room rate.

Select any hotel by clicking Choose your room , which will bring up the hotel’s page to select your room type. You’ll be able to review payment and cancellation terms, guest ratings, and amenities. Scroll further down to select your room type, then click Book.

Toggle the button above the results to see the true  total price, including taxes and fees. This will also be displayed before you checkout.

Enter your personal and payment details, then click Complete Booking .

Before completing your reservation, you’ll be offered the opportunity to add Trip Protection, a travel insurance product offered by Allianz through Priceline.

While adding this protection is a personal choice, it’s important to understand that there may be no need to purchase extra insurance if you have a credit card with travel insurance like trip cancellation insurance or travel accident insurance . in your wallet.

Hot Tip: Check out our guide to credit card insurance for more information about the various protections and benefits offered by different credit cards.

Priceline VIP members that can find a better deal within 24 hours of making their air, hotel, rental car, and cruise reservations can submit a Best Price Guarantee claim to Priceline for the difference.

For Express Deals, Priceline members who find a better price up to midnight before they travel can be refunded 200% of the difference.

To make a claim for a hotel, you’ll need to contact Priceline by phone at 800-PRICELINE (800-774-2354). The representative will check the lower rate to verify it. Note that to qualify, the lower rate must be available to the public and have the same availability.

Hot Tip:  Rates booked through loyalty program discounts are excluded from the Best Price Guarantee, meaning that if there’s a membership discount (even one that’s available to the general public), Priceline may not honor it.

Let’s take a look at some price comparisons to see how Priceline stacks up against other online travel agencies and hotel websites.

We priced out a 3-night stay in a deluxe king suite at the Conrad New York Downtown for 2 adults (refundable rate) and here’s how the prices stacked up.

In this example, Priceline had the cheapest overall rate, with Hilton itself coming in ~$72 more. You would have to weigh the overall cost savings compared to any benefits you may receive from a loyalty program like Hilton Honors since you don’t receive any elite status benefits or earn any hotel points when booking through a third party like Priceline.

Bottom Line: When you book a hotel through a third party like Priceline, you generally won’t be able to collect hotel loyalty points . Also, the property likely won’t honor any elite status you hold. For example, if you hold Hilton Honors Gold elite status, you wouldn’t get a room upgrade or food and beverage credit if you booked through Priceline.

One of Priceline’s opaque products, Pricebreakers gives travelers a heavily discounted price on one of 3 similar hotels. You will be able to see details for the 3 hotels before your purchase, including the shared amenities, location, reviews, and average retail rates. You will be guaranteed to secure a room at one of the 3 properties at the price shown, with the “winning” hotel revealed after confirmation of your purchase.

Pricebreakers is similar to Hotwire’s Hot Rates with the added benefit of narrowing down the possible hotel to one of 3 guaranteed options across various amenities and star ratings. You can also create your own deal at the bottom of the options by selecting 3 amenities and 3 neighborhoods that will help narrow the deals shown to you.

The basic premise of Express Deals is that Priceline can provide a deep discount on a hotel, but it won’t tell you where you’re actually staying until you confirm the reservation. Bookings are prepaid, non-refundable, non-changeable, and non-transferable … so basically, you’re stuck once you make the booking.

From the main Hotels page, you can scroll down until you see an option to Search Express Deals , or you can simply enter the city, the number of rooms, and check-in and check-out dates and filter by Express Deals at the top of the results page.

The results page looks exactly like the standard hotel search results, except that instead of hotel names you’ll only see star ratings. For example, the top result might be “4-Star Hotel.” If you click the What Hotel?  link, you’ll see a map with the hotel’s general location shaded and a list of similar hotels in the area.

Because you can’t even read guest reviews before committing — only an average rating by guests — any hotel booked through Express Deals is a bit of a gamble. You have no way of knowing exactly where you’re staying. If you’re flexible or more easy-going, this means you can get a great deal. Otherwise, it might be worth paying a bit more so you know the details of the hotel before you book.

The good news is that Priceline’s Best Price Guarantee applies, and Priceline members who find a better price up to midnight before they travel can be refunded 200% of the difference.

Bottom Line:  Priceline’s Express Deals feature can help you save up to 60% off a hotel, but you won’t know the actual hotel until you make a non-refundable reservation. If you are flexible, this can be a great deal.

Priceline Flights

Booking flights on Priceline is a straightforward process, similar to any other OTA.

You start by entering details of your trip: the departure and arrival cities, dates, cabin, and the number of people traveling. You can also search for a one-way or multi-stop trip instead of a standard round-trip flight.

If your dates are flexible, you can see variable pricing across the calendar when inputting your search parameters.

By default, results are shown in price order. You can use controls on the left sidebar to filter results by the number of stops, departure or arrival time, total travel duration, and airline. If your travel involves a city with multiple airports, you can also specify which one you’d prefer.

At the top, you can also search by flexible dates to see pricing a day before and after your selected dates.

Once you select any departing flight, you’ll see options for the return flight. Any pricing at +$0.00  will not affect your total price, but you may see cheaper or more expensive options for your return.

Once you have selected your flights you’ll see a confirmation of the departure and return, baggage information, and also have an option to select your seats before continuing to checkout. Enter your passenger and billing details, then review and book.

Using the straightforward flight-search function, prices compare favorably with other tools (though Express Deals may be cheaper, see below).

We searched for the cheapest round-trip flight between Los Angeles (LAX) and Tokyo (NRT) and here’s what we found:

Priceline actually came out as the most expensive in this example. Keep in mind that this won’t always be the case, so it’s good to check prices on a few different websites before you book a flight.

Hot Tip:  When comparing prices on different OTAs, make sure the results you find are valid! In some cases, the cheapest fare you find may no longer be available.

Priceline Rental Cars

Priceline’s rental car tool has access to most major rental agencies, such as Alamo , Avis , Budget , Hertz ,  National , and SIXT .

To search for a rental car, enter the airport or city you’re traveling to and your pickup/drop-off dates and times. You can also specify whether you want a different drop-off location in the same city or a one-way rental.

You can sort and filter your results by a number of different parameters, including car type, location, cancellation policy, rating, and more.

Once you select Choose,  you’ll be able to view the terms and conditions — these vary by the rental company, although many reservations are cancelable.

You will then be prompted to enter your contact and driver information, as well as optional information like adding child seats, loyalty program information, and flight information.

Before confirming your purchase you’ll be offered an option to purchase collision damage protection, an insurance product offered by Allianz through Priceline.

Make sure to check if you have a credit card with car rental insurance , and then use it to make the reservation. This coverage usually requires you to decline coverage from the rental agency and pay for the entire rental with the card.

Hot Tip: Some of our favorite credit cards that offer primary car rental coverage are the Chase Sapphire Preferred ® Card  and  Chase Sapphire Reserve ® .

Let’s take a look at how Priceline’s car rental rates compare to other OTAs and car rental agencies.

Both of these examples are for a week-long rental in Denver including all taxes and fees. The first example compares prices for the cheapest option available, and the second example compares prices for a specific type of vehicle.

As you can see prices are all over the map, with the most expensive coming from individual car rental agencies. Priceline was essentially tied for first place for the cheapest available and tied for second place when it came to the mid-size SUV. While you can absolutely save money by booking a rental car through Priceline, it’s always smart to compare prices on a few different websites before you make a reservation.

Priceline Bundle + Save

Often you’ll need to book both a flight and hotel and maybe even a rental car at the same time. You can do that all in one go by booking a Bundle + Save package from Priceline.

Priceline offers the opportunity to bundle a combination of hotel, flight, and car rental together to assemble a discounted vacation package. Start your search on the homepage by clicking Bundle + Save in the main search area or on the top navigation bar.

You’ll have 4 bundled options to choose from:

• Hotel + Flight
• Hotel + Flight + Car
• Flight + Car
• Hotel + Car

Enter your departure and arrival cities and dates as well as the number of adults and rooms, then click Find Your Trip .

On the left-hand side, you’re able to sort by recommended hotels, hotel name, price, and star and guest rating. You can also filter by amenities, neighborhood, star and guest rating, and hotel name and brand.

Once you select your hotel by clicking Choose your room , the rest of the booking process is just like if you were booking a hotel or flight separately. Note that there are 2 prices displayed for your Priceline vacation package — a per person rate and the total price.

After you select your hotel and begin to select your flights, you’ll see how the various options affect the package price you were initially quoted.

• +$0.00 will not affect your package price
• A positive price would increase your package price
• A negative price would decrease your package price

You’ll get a chance to review your selections fully before checking out, then add the passenger information and payment details before completing your booking.

Hot Tip: Take a peek at our guide to the best credit cards for vacation packages before making your purchase.

Let’s see if this Priceline vacation package will have you on your way to saving $382 as advertised.

This package included  2 round-trip flights from Chicago (ORD) to Cancún (CUN) plus a 7-night stay at Grand Oasis Cancun All Inclusive for a cost of $1,089 per person. The total price for this package is $2,178.

We quoted the individual components of the bundle separately for review:

If paid for separately, the total cost when booking through Priceline would be $2,446, so the actual savings for the Bundle + Save rate is $268 . The savings are a bit shy of the advertised $382, but still a substantial discount nonetheless.

The thing to note is that while you can save money with Bundle + Save vacation packages from Priceline, often the flights included aren’t great. We found many packages with flights that had long overnight connections, which, in addition to being annoying, reduced the vacation by 1 night.

Bottom Line: While you can save money with Priceline Bundle + Save vacation packages, it’s not always as big of savings as advertised. Also, be sure to pay attention to the package details, as many of the ones we found included absolutely terrible flights with overnight connections.

Priceline Cruises

Start your cruise search by selecting Cruises from the top navigation bar or the main search menu, enter your destination, cruise line, departure month, cruise length, and whether you’re under 55 or not, and then click Find Your Cruise . You can fill out minimal information to see a wider variety of search results, like all destinations  or all cruise lines , etc.

You can then sort by featured cruises and departure date, or refine your search further at the top to adjust destination, length, departure date, cruise line, cruise ship, departure port, and additional discounts.

Click View Itinerary to see more details about the cruise. Choose your sailing date and click Select.

Input the number of guests in your party and the ZIP code of your current residence and click Continue. Select your room type by clicking Select. Finally, enter your full guest details and preferred dining time and click Continue.

On the final booking screen, you’ll be able to review your fare, taxes, and fees, as well as special offers like onboard spending credits. You can opt to add travel protection and choose how to pay — deposit-only, payment in full, or monthly payments. When you’ve entered all the required details, click Complete Booking .

Will Priceline save you money when booking a cruise? Let’s take a look.

In this example, we searched the 7-Night Western Caribbean cruise for 2 adults on Ruby Princess in a balcony stateroom.

Priceline had the cheapest price in this example but if you were planning to book shore excursions, the Cruise Direct price could end up saving you money.

Bottom Line: It’s to your advantage to search on a few cruise websites to find the best price and best bonus offers (like onboard credit, free gratuities, or free specialty meals or drinks). 

Priceline VIP

Priceline’s loyalty program is called VIP. Once you join Priceline VIP, you’ll be eligible for various bonuses and perks.

There are 4 levels of status within the Priceline VIP program:

• VIP Member: No minimum requirement
• VIP Blue: Earned after 2 completed trips
• VIP Gold: Earned after 5 completed trips or Priceline Rewards™ Visa ® Cardholders
• VIP Platinum: Earned after 25 completed trips

VIP Gold and Platinum members can share their benefits with family by creating a VIP Family account . This allows up to 3 users to pool their activity and status to gain benefits 3x faster.

The free Priceline app ( iOS , Android ) can be used to book, view, and manage your hotels, flights, and rental cars , even when you’re offline.

The app offers exclusive app-only hotel deals as well as Late Night Rates  daily at 9 p.m., showcasing the best hotel deals nearby to help with last-minute check-in.

For people who use Priceline consistently, Barclays offers the Priceline Rewards™ Visa ® Card  that earns rewards on everyday spending and bonus points on everything booked through Priceline.

• 5x points per $1 on Priceline purchases
• 2x points per $1 on gas and restaurant purchases
• 1x point per $1 on all other purchases
• Automatic VIP Gold status

Hot Tip: Because Priceline itself codes as travel,  you can also use a card that offers bonus points for travel purchases, such as the Chase Sapphire Reserve card or the Ink Business Preferred ® Credit Card , both of which earn 3x points per $1 spent on all travel, not just Priceline purchases.

As a standard online travel agency, Priceline performs solidly, and it is roughly on par with other OTAs in terms of selection and pricing. What makes the website stand out is its various opaque pricing tools that sometimes offer steep discounts on flights and hotels … if you’re flexible and willing to commit without knowing all the details.

Before purchasing one of Priceline’s opaque options, make sure that you’re certain about the trip, timing, and any other details you can confirm. Once you make a reservation, there’s no refund or cancellation!

The information regarding the Priceline Rewards™ Visa ® Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer. 

Like this post? Pin it on Pinterest!

Frequently Asked Questions

What is priceline.

Priceline is an online travel agency (OTA) you can use to book flights, hotels, rental cars and more.

Why should I use Priceline?

Priceline is a great way to search and compare flights and hotel rates. It also offers a Best Price Guarantee, so there’s no risk of finding a lower price later and feeling like you missed out.

The bigger reason to use Priceline, though, is that it offers huge discounts on flights and hotels for making an opaque  booking.

What is an opaque booking?

An opaque booking is when you book a flight or hotel at a discount (sometimes a huge one), but you don’t know the exact details of what you’re reserving.

For example, if it’s a flight, you won’t know the exact time of your flights, or what airline you’re flying until you confirm the reservation.

If you’re booking a hotel, you’ll only know the hotel’s star rating, general location, and price until you pay for the reservation.

If you don't like what you've booked on Priceline, can you change it?

Your reservation may be refundable or cancelable depending on what you’ve booked on Priceline and how.

Opaque bookings through Pricebreakers and Express Deals are not refundable, changeable, transferable, or cancelable.

How do I cancel a Priceline hotel reservation?

If the reservation is cancelable or refundable, just call 800-PRICELINE.

If you booked the hotel as an Express Deal or Pricebreaker reservation, the official policy is that it can’t be canceled. However, some people report luck by calling the hotel and asking to cancel it, then contacting Priceline if the hotel is willing.

Was this page helpful?

About David Slotnick

Born and raised in New York, David still remembers his first flight when he was only four years old: a U.S. Airways trip from New York-La Guardia to Palm Beach, Florida. He formed his love of travel around that and other family vacations, including to England at age eight and Namibia when he was 13. During college, a four-country trip around Europe with a friend cemented his passion for seeing the world.

David is currently Senior Aviation Business Reporter and a photographer at The Points Guy.

INSIDERS ONLY: UP PULSE ™

Get the latest travel tips, crucial news, flight & hotel deal alerts...

Plus — expert strategies to maximize your points & miles by joining our (free) newsletter.

We respect your privacy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA. Google's privacy policy and terms of service apply.

Related Posts

UP's Bonus Valuation

This bonus value is an estimated valuation calculated by UP after analyzing redemption options, transfer partners, award availability and how much UP would pay to buy these points.

Looking for the 2024 Reading Log?

Looking for the FREE 2024 Reading Log? Click Here !

Everyday Reading

How to Bid for a Hotel on Priceline

Have you used Priceline Name Your Own Price to bid on Priceline hotels? It’s a great way to save money and stay in a great hotel on a budget. Here’s a step-by-step guide to Priceline hotel bidding!

A long time ago, I wrote a post on another blog about how to use Name Your Own Price to get a cheap hotel room in Priceline .

Three years later, I still love it. In fact, I just used it three week ago when I went down to Atlanta for a blog conference.  Priceline speaks my love language.

Anyway, if you’re preparing for holiday travel (or non-holiday travel), you might be interested in snagging a good deal on a hotel with Priceline .

If you’re unfamiliar with the Priceline Name Your Own Price concept, basically you just tell Priceline what area of a certain city you want to stay in, what star-level hotel you want, and how much you’re willing to pay. And then it matches you with a hotel, making you a non-refundable reservation, and then showing you what hotel you get after you’ve paid.

So here’s my technique (I’m sure there are other ways too, but this. . .the way I do it and the only way I can vouch for because I’ve never done it another way).

Prepare yourself for the fantastic joy of bidding for a hotel on Priceline , and take your heart medication beforehand, because that moment while you’re waiting to find out if your bid has been accepted and what hotel you’ve gotten can be as good as running a marathon. Let’s go.

Priceline Name Your Own Price

Here’s a little guided tour through the whole process. Let’s pretend you are going to go to Chicago for 3 nights over Memorial Day.

First, you’d go Bidding for Travel  (I’ve had other people recommend Better Bidding and Bidless Travel, but I’ve never used either of them, so I can’t say how they compare. And since I’ve never had issues with my current system, I’m not terribly motivated to learn an entire new one).

Scroll down until you find the state your destination city is in and click the link:

Once you’re into your city, choose the hotel list:

And you’ll get a list of all the hotels (by zone and then star level) that Bidding for Travel has had people win Priceline bids for in that city, with links to the hotels websites and what zones they are in:

At the top of this page, there is a long warning, which I’ll repeat here. This list is not going to be hundred percent accurate! Priceline can change the star-rating for a hotel or there may be hotels that are not on the list because no one has ever posted that they’ve won a bid there or the zones may change unexpectedly, etc. This is just to give you a reasonably good idea of what kind of hotels you have a shot at getting in any particular zone or star level. I usually click around and look at the hotels so I know which zones or star levels I’ll be unhappy with and thus which ones to avoid.

Once you have a feel for the hotels in the area, I usually go back to the main list for the city and see what people have been paying for hotels:

The one I’ve circled is for Memorial Day weekend. If you click the link, you’ll notice that the rate on the hotel’s website for those same dates is $409 per night, so $99 is a steal. This also lets you know that if you’re willing to go less than a 4 star, you shouldn’t have too much trouble doing it for well under $100 per night.

Now, it’s time to actually go to Priceline and go to the Name Your Own Price section for hotels:

In the screen that pops up, fill in your information:

and press “Bid Now.”

And now the real Priceline hotel bidding fun starts:

Here’s the main bidding screen. First you need to select which areas of the city you’re willing to stay in. Start with one (so that you have things to add later if your first bid doesn’t get accepted).

Lets say you want to stay downtown. And you only want a 3 1/2 star or nicer hotel.

Select  “Millennium Park” as your area, choose “4-Star Deluxe “for your star level, and put in how much you’re willing to pay per night.

You also need to put in the name of the person the reservation will be in. And then you push “Next.”

You’ll get a screen that lets you review your bid:

Make sure your dates are right and check out the total price, then initial and go to the next screen, where you’ll put in your credit card number

(By the way, here’s a secret tip: if you put in the wrong three-digit CVV code, you get a “get out of jail free” card, where if your bid is accepted, you’ll get an error message saying, “hey, your card didn’t go through.” That way, you get a chance to know if your price was accepted before your card is charged. If you’re suddenly getting cold feet, you can just cancel there. If you’re happy and ready to see the hotel, enter your correct CVV code and then it’ll move forward).

Once that’s done, they’ll look for Priceline hotels for you.

If you get a room, hooray! Success. Brag to everyone you know about what a great deal you got.

If not, it’ll give you an opportunity to rebid, but you’ll have to change something besides your price. You can wait 24 hours and start over. OR. . . you can add zones and star levels.

In this case, you could add 3 1/2 stars as a level you’d be willing to stay at and try again with a slightly higher price.

If it still doesn’t work, add the North Michigan Avenue area and bid again (or you could do these in the opposite order and try adding a zone before you lower your star level).

And then, if you are still unsuccessful, you can start adding zones that don’t have your star level, which basically is a free re-bid (meaning, you don’t have to lower your standards or wait 24 hours).

If you click through the zones, you’ll notice some zones only have really low-star hotels available, like Franklin Park which only goes up to a whopping 2 stars.

This means that if you add that zone to your bid but keep your star level at 3 1/2 stars or higher, you have no chance of getting something in the Franklin Park area because they don’t HAVE any hotels that are 3 1/2 stars or higher. The Hyde Park zone also does not go above 2 stars, so it’d be another free rebid.

Eventually, you’ll get a hotel room. And you’ll rejoice, especially when you look at how much money you’re saving .

Easy enough, yes? Any questions about Priceline hotel bidding? I’m happy to try to answer.

If you liked this post about Priceline hotels, you might also like these posts:

• 8 best activity books for kids for road trips and airplane rides
• Printable Road Trip Bingo Cards
• Road trip tips with little kids

Reader Interactions

November 21, 2013 at 2:36 pm

Hmmm, I was just about to book our Christmas hotel, but I might need to look into this. I am definitely a pay-for-convenience person, but this could be worth the hassle.

November 21, 2013 at 3:15 pm

No! Don't spill the beans about the CVV code! I live in fear of them fixing that little loophole 😉 Also, thebiddingtaveler (brought to you by the same people as better bidding) is the bomb.com.

November 21, 2013 at 4:29 pm

I'm glad that it's worked for you and others, but Priceline is dead to me. Earlier this fall, I received a complimentary upgrade to a higher star level complete with an added resort fee. The additional $20 was charged by the hotel and not Priceline and yes, there's small text somewhere in the Priceline process but I didn't even want that level. Love the loophole!

November 21, 2013 at 6:58 pm

I….I have never even considered doing this. Which somehow embarrasses me…am I too picky about the hotel and it's location!? Am I a hotel snob!? Gah, now I have to THINK about this! 😉

April 1, 2014 at 2:48 pm

I'm thinking about trying this in the DC area for the cherry blossoms next month, oh wait THIS month! Do you know how close to your desired hotel date you can book? Within 24 hours? Also, in your example of the hotel website price for $409 vs the $99 steal price, where did you see the $99 Pirceline quote? Can you see it before you book? And one more thing 🙂 From your experiences, what price point were you shooting for? I wonder if this tool is optimized for a $100-$220 price point or something… If I enter $60 will I get a total total dingy place? Thanks for your ideas!

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Snagging Vacation Deals with Priceline’s Bid Feature

In order to produce the podcast and keep content up free for you, I work with partners so this post may contain affiliate links. Please read my  full disclosure  for more info.

Want to book an awesome vacation on the cheap? Learn the essentials on how to bid like a pro and score a deal on your next vacation!

One of our favorite things to do as a family is travel. Even with little ones in tow, it feels good to take a getaway and break up our routine.

However with raising our kids and working towards financial independence, we really have to be savvy with our trips.

We have a couple of family rules about travel.

• Family trips are debt free. We may put the trip on a credit card (can't stand those holds!), but we schedule a payment as soon as the reservation is made. 
• We save for trips. We like to transfer to our general savings accounts. This helps us with cash flow.
• We hunt for deals before booking our trips. Some work up front means we either save money on the trip costs or we upgrade a bit without spending more. 

There are many ways to snag vacation deals. I want to share one of our favorites – bidding.  

Scoring an Awesome and Cheap Vacation

If you've follow me on Twitter , from time to time, you may have seen something like this:

I just got a 3.5 star Hotel in Los Angeles, CA for $50 on Priceline!! Find it here:  http://pcln.com/5aix Thank you @ TheNegotiator !!

(Yeah, I tweet out deals because I'm a money nerd.)

We've been using Priceline for years and have found it to be a relatively easy way to save some cash. 

Ben from Smart Money Life asked a great question about the quality of the hotel you get when you bid on Priceline.

I'd thought it would be great to explain a bit more about the Name Your Own Price feature and tell you how we use it for our vacations.

Bidding on Priceline

I think the biggest bonus to using the bid feature is that you can get a good hotel for about half price compared to the deals I see online.

We tend to choose 3 1/2 star or higher hotels and the bid feature gives us some big savings.

While you can get some solid deals with bidding, there are some cons that you should know and weigh before you use it.

• You don't which hotel you're going to get until after you've booked
• You may not get points for some hotel programs.
• You can only specify a zone for the city you want to stay in.

As you can see, Priceline's bid feature isn't really for everyone. Some travelers are very specific about the hotel they want to stay in or they may want to accumulate some points.

Priceline has all the terms spelled out before you go ahead and make you bid, so please review them to see if this is something that you want.

How We Bid for Hotels on Priceline

We try to be reasonable with bidding and we'd rather pay a little more to get a good hotel than just go for the very cheapest hotel. Here are some ways in which we've successfully named our own price and got a great hotel.

• We focus on 3 1/2 or higher hotels. Since we can't choose the exact hotel, we do this to maximize our chances of getting a solid hotel. You tend to find more savings at the higher star levels.
• We are specific with the city zones. Again, since we don't know what hotel will accept our bid, we choose the neighborhoods and areas we'd love to be in.
• We bid low and slowly increase. How much do you bid? My rule of thumb is to at least go half of Priceline's median price listed. We went lower than that for or hotel bid, just to see if we could get it accepted and we snagged our deal.

If you want to get an idea of successful bids, try Better Bidding .

Search for your city and see if anyone bid for the dates that you're traveling. Be mindful, though, that you may not find the exact dates you're looking for.

It helps to start bidding at least 4 weeks away from your trip since you can only bid once a day and your first bid may not be accepted.

Use Name Your Own Price for Car Rentals and Flights

We've found a great deal on a car rental by basically following the same strategy with starting low and slowly increasing our bids. We snagged a rental car for $13/day.

You can try it yourself here and save some serious money.

I thought that the car rental office would try to tack on more fees, but when we picked up the car we only had taxes and regular fees with it.

They honored the deal and we walked away with an upgrade from an economy to a midsize car.

We manage to save some money on our flights. Priceline asks if you're willing to make adjustments to either the time you leave or the connections you take. By adjusting our schedule, we were able to cut the bill in half.

If you know how to bid, Priceline vacations can give you more bang for your buck.

Your Thoughts on Planning a Vacation

I love reading about tips and advice on traveling well and saving money. Art of Non-Conformity has tons of posts and two good resources that are well worth a look.

If you hunt on the web, you can find some fantastic information on getting great deals on flights and travel .

What about you? Are you planning a vacation soon?

Share this:

• Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)

About Elle Martinez

Elle Martinez helps families at Couple Money achieve financial freedom by sharing tips for reducing debt, increase income, and building net worth. Learn how to live on one income and have fun with the second..

6 comments add your comment

Hi, I’m a new Yakezie member and first time visitor here and thought I’d say hello. I like your priceline tips! I travel a ton and I don’t know why I never thought to use it for a rental car, but I will now!

Another good tip for you that I find works 2/3’s of the time and just worked for me this past weekend in Vegas….when i check into a hotel I slide a $20 under my credit card, chat the clerk up a bit, and ask if they have any nice rooms. You usually don’t have to beat around the bush and they’ll just come out and tell you that they will take care of you. A simple $20 can get you an upgrade worth a hundred or more if you’re staying a few days. This works best in Vegas, but I’ve had success in other big cities as well.

That’s a great deal! I’ve never used Priceline’s negotiation feature because I really didn’t understand it. This helps shed some light. I have a few questions:

– When you negotiate, how long does the bidding period last? (for airline flights) – Is your bid money placed in some sort of escrow account?

My concern is you wait too long trying to negotiate and pass up another deal.

How does that work?

This feature is awesome and people just don’t make enough use of it… Hopefully a few more people will try after reading this article.

Thanks Forest; I hope this post is helpful to some people!

@Car Negotiation Coach: I never considered that when checking in. That’s definitely a tip to try out when we go to Los Angeles. I’ll update here if it worked or not. 🙂

@Lakita: Thanks for asking these great questions. – You can negotiate repeatedly for your airline tickets – If your bid is accepted, you’re immediately billed from your debt/credit card.

One suggestion I’ve read (if you have the cash) is make a regular reservation and still hunt for great bid deal. With regular reservations, many times you can cancel them, while you cannot with Priceline.

That’s not something I do, I just plan ahead and try to get a deal 30-60 days in advances. I use Bing Travel and other sights to see the trends in ticket prices.

I booked a hotel room with Priceline and afterwards when I talked to a represntative I found out that I had to pay additional taxes at the hotel when I got there, also I found out by using Priceline some of the amenities may not be available. The next day I went to the hotel’s website to look at pictures and found the room would cheaper if I went through the hotel. I cancelled the priceline reservation and booked through the hotel, now I don’t have to worry about hidden fees, not being able to use the amenities, and I know my room floor plan.

Priceline does not honor their “Best Price Guarantee”. If you find a cheaper booking price for the same room at the same hotel for the same dates they will only cancel the reservation through them. They are supposed to give the option to cancel and re-book, or to supply the difference of the rooms, and with both these options give you a $50.00 coupon for your next Priceline booking (they will not give you the coupon) although it is stated on their website under terms and conditions under their guarantee. PLEASE BE CAREFUL THEY WILL NOT HONOR THEIR “BEST PRICE GUARANTEE” Their response was to me aws it “just depends”……that was it “it just depends” on what, I don’t know.

Previous Post: Tips on How to Save Money While Moving to a New House

Next Post: How to Build Wealth While Raising a Family

Build up Your Marriage & Wealth

Take our FREE 4 week email course to better manage your money, pay off debt faster, and get closer to financial independence!

• EXPLORE Random Article

How to Use Priceline

Last Updated: October 11, 2022

This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer, Nicole Levine, MFA . Nicole Levine is a Technology Writer and Editor for wikiHow. She has more than 20 years of experience creating technical documentation and leading support teams at major web hosting and software companies. Nicole also holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Portland State University and teaches composition, fiction-writing, and zine-making at various institutions. This article has been viewed 55,828 times.

Like other travel aggregators, Priceline lets you compare airline fares, hotel prices, and car rentals from major companies with one search. But unlike other sites, Priceline also includes the option to name your own price for hotel rooms—the catch is that you won't know which hotel you'll be staying at until your bid is approved. This wikiHow teaches you how to book your travels on Priceline, as well as how to use the Name Your Own Price feature to bid for hotel rooms.

Booking a Trip

• If you have an account with Priceline, you can click the Sign in menu near the top-right corner of the page to sign in now.
• If you're using a phone or tablet and prefer using a mobile app, download the official Priceline app from the App Store (iPhone/iPad) or Play Store (Android). The app looks different than the website, but the functions are similar.

• Select Bundle + Save to search for deals on bundles, such as flights and hotels, flights and rental cars, hotels and rental cars, or all three.

• For example, if you're looking for flights, you'll first need to select whether you're flying Round-trip , One-way , or doing a Multi-destination trip. You'll also need to enter the airport you're flying from, the one you'd like to fly into, the number of passengers, date(s) of travel, and desired cabin class.
• If you selected Bundle + Save and want to book a hotel for only part of your trip, you can check the "I only need a hotel for part of my stay" box.
• When searching for rental cars, you'll need to specify the pickup location, as well as pickup and drop-off times.

• For example, if you're searching for flights and only want to see those that are nonstop (no layovers), select "nonstop" in the "Stops" section and remove the checkmarks from the other options.
• If you're searching for hotels, you can filter the results based on amenities, star ratings, neighborhoods, and more.

• If you decide not to go forward with the reservation you selected, you can click the browser's back button to return to the list.

• For example, if your search includes hotel reservations, you'll see a list of available rooms and upgrades at that property. Click Choose or Book next to a room or upgrade to select it. If the search included another type of reservation, this will immediately take you to the next step of your reservation (e.g., flights or cars).
• If your search included flights, you'll see a list of available fares for the trip from which to choose (there may only be one). You can switch to a different fare by clicking Choose this Fare if available.

• Click the terms and conditions and privacy policy links at the bottom of any reservation to review that information. By booking your reservation, you agree to all of the terms in these documents.
• If you're booking a car, make sure the pickup and drop-off info is correct, and then scroll down to the "Complete Your Booking" section to review the booking conditions. This section specifies what you'll need to have with you to complete the rental, information about additional drivers, age limits, and more.

Naming Your Price for Hotels

• Before bidding, check other sites to find the going rates for hotels in the desired area. Checking for rates on sites like Expedia, Orbitz, and Travelocity can help you figure out a good price to bid for a room.
• Also check forums like BetterBidding.com and BiddingForTravel.com before placing your bid. Priceline users use these forums to share details about their winning and losing bids, including which hotels they were assigned once their bids were accepted.

• When you start typing a city's name, a list of matching results will appear. Click the correct result when it appears.
• To enter your travel dates, click Check in – Check Out to bring up the calendar, click the date of your arrival, and then click the date you'll be checking out. The selected dates will then appear in the "Check in – Check Out" field.
• The default option of 1 Room is selected by default. To book multiple rooms at once, select the desired amount from the "Room" drop-down menu.

• Click the name of the star rating (e.g., 4-Star Deluxe , 2 ½ Star Moderate ) to see examples of hotels that tend to have those ratings.
• If a star rating is grayed-out, it's because there are no available rooms in the selected area(s) that meet that star rating.

• You'll see the median retail price for the selected area(s) next to the "Name Your Own Price" box. Make sure to bid lower than the amount you see here.
• Consider fees and taxes when naming your own price. Your bid amount does not include those added charges—those will be added to the final total.

• If you have a Priceline coupon, click Apply Coupon next to the "Total Charges" line to enter it now.
• In the "We Recommend Trip Protection" area, choose whether to add trip cancellation insurance to your final bid amount. To learn more about this service, click the Plan details and disclosures link to check out the terms.

• If you're logged into Priceline with an existing account, you'll have the option to select an existing billing method. If you already have an account but haven't signed in, click the green Sign in for faster checkout button at the top-right corner of the form to sign in now.
• If you don’t have an account, enter and confirm a new password in the "Register now and save!" box to ensure that one is created after placing your bid.

• If your bid is accepted, your credit card will be automatically charged and you will see your travel details on the screen, including the name and address of the hotel.
• If your bid is rejected, you can place another bid for the same specifications in 24 hours—however, you can rebid right away if you change something in your search, such as the dates, hotel stars, or neighborhood. If the travel dates are non-negotiable, try changing the location and/or hotel star quality.

Expert Q&A

• Travel prices change frequently, so always check prices for a baseline figure on the same day you intend to bid on Priceline. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• Check out the deals on Priceline.com's homepage before searching. You'll occasionally find goodies like coupons, special discounted flight rates, and marked-down vacation packages here. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• Travel and accommodations purchased through the Priceline "Name Your Own Price" tool cannot be transferred, canceled or changed. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/roadwarriorvoices/2018/03/26/priceline-ends-name-your-own-price-deals-rental-cars/457678002/
• ↑ https://www.priceline.com/help-page/submenu/81/411/how-do-i-use-the-name-your-own-price-service

About this article

1. Select a reservation type. 2. Enter the details of your trip. 3. Click Find Your Deal . 4. Refine your search results. 5. Click Choose on a search result. 6. Make your selections. 7. Review the trip details. 8. Confirm your payment. Did this summary help you? Yes No

Did this article help you?

• About wikiHow
• Terms of Use
• Privacy Policy
• Do Not Sell or Share My Info
• Not Selling Info

Trip Planning // Getaways

How Does Priceline Work?

Rolling the dice: bidding for the best travel rates.

Spontaneous travelers usually leave their itineraries open for whatever mood strikes them ­– for instance, a day in Paris intended for exploring the Louvre may suddenly involve nothing more than sunning along the banks of the Seine. Priceline caters to these types of impulsive travelers, as the website offers low rates on such travel features as hotels, flights and car rentals, particularly for those with flexible schedules. Explore Priceline’s various methods for travel booking, including its famed bidding process.

Q: What does bidding mean on Priceline?

A: Before you attempt to book a hotel room or car rental on Priceline, you can determine how much you’re willing to spend for such services. The site then allows you to name your price, or make a bid based on your destination and travel dates. There’s no guarantee your bid will be accepted, nor does your bid amount include taxes or third-party fees, such as hotel parking or car insurance.

• How Old Do I Have to Be to Rent a Hotel Room?
• Tips for Using Cellphones on Cruise Ships
• Can You Rent a Car With Cash?

Q: How does the bidding process work?

A: Priceline accepts bids only for hotel and car bookings. For hotel bookings, start by choosing the city, neighborhood and the minimum hotel rating you require. Priceline reveals the average rates for your requested area and dates. Review those rates, determine how much you’d like to spend in comparison, provide a major credit card and enter your bid. It’s basically the same process when renting a car, except you’ll have to include your pick-up location and desired car type before submitting your bid. Keep in mind, however, there is no guarantee a specific hotel or car will be available.

If your bid is accepted, Priceline matches you with a rate closest to your bid and immediately charges your credit card. You’ll receive a confirmation email providing you with details, such as the name of your hotel or car rental agency. Your credit card is charged only if your bid is accepted. Priceline chooses from an array of chain and independent hotels and major car rental agencies.

Q: What are the other methods for booking on Priceline?

A: Priceline provides traditional booking methods for flights, car rentals and hotels. Just enter the dates and destination of your travel plans, and you’ll receive a list of rates along with the complete names of the various airlines, car rental agencies and hotels that will be under consideration for your bid.

For even more discounted hotel bookings, use the Express Deals option, in which you’ll see a hotel’s rate, rating, general location and a list of amenities, but the name is concealed until you confirm the booking.

Q: What are Priceline’s policies on cancellations and price guarantees?

A: All sales are final, non-refundable and non-exchangeable when using Priceline’s Name Your Own Price or Express Deals service. You can cancel or request a refund for bookings made using the standard method, depending on the airline, hotel or car rental agency’s policies.

Priceline’s rates are guaranteed, so if you find a lower price for the same itinerary, you’re eligible to receive a full refund for the difference; bookings made via Express Deals receive double the difference.

Q: What are some tips for getting the best deal?

A: First and foremost, try not to submit bids way below the average rates. If your first offer is rejected and your travel plans are flexible, try changing your requested neighborhood, dates, hotel rating or car type. You are, however, allowed to resubmit an identical offer after a predetermined time frame. Rates may decrease as the date approaches, so feel free to try again.

More Travel Content

• How to Change a Flight
• How to Get Cheap Cruises
• Does Carnival Cruises Have Free Wi-Fi?
• How Much Does a Cruise Ship Cost and How to Get the Best Deal
• The Chicago Tribune: Priceline's New Opaque Option
• Skift: Priceline Kills Name Your Own Price for Flights

About the Author

Leah Rendon

Related Articles

• How to Cancel a Carnival Cruise Without Penalty

Home | Travel Destinations | Lifestyle | Readers' Choice Awards A division of USA TODAY | Weekly Deals . Copyright © 2014  www.10best.com. All rights reserved. Users of this site agree to the Terms of Service, Privacy Notice/Your California Privacy Rights, and Ad Choices

Home » Online Shopping » Flights / Hotels » Priceline Course » How to Bid on Priceline Car Rentals

How to Bid on Priceline Car Rentals

Are you looking for ways to save money on booking a car rental for your next trip? Priceline’s “Name Your Own Price” car rental bidding system can help you save money renting a vehicle.

Just a heads-up that some of the services we’re reviewing here have affiliate partnerships with us, so we may earn a commission if you visit one of them and buy something. You can read more about how this works at https://techboomers.com/how-to-support-techboomers .

In this article, we’ll walk you through the process of how to bid on Priceline car rentals, and give you some tips for rental car bidding.

How does Priceline bidding work for car rentals?

Priceline’s “Name Your Own Price” system for rental cars allows you to select a pick-up/drop-off city or airport, pick-up and drop-off dates and times, and class of car. Then, you get to submit a price that you’re willing to pay for your car. If your price is accepted, Priceline will book your rental for you.

Note that as a trade-off for getting to pick your own price (which will usually be lower than published rental rates), you can’t pick the company that rents you the car. Some travel booking websites have similar restrictions, such as the “Unpublished Rates” program for hotels on Expedia.com .  Hotwire.com has a booking system what works in the same way.

To bid on Priceline rental cars:

Go to www.priceline.com , and then click Cars .

Click Start Your Rental Cars Bid Now .

Enter your pick-up/drop-off point, pick-up and drop-off dates and times, preferred car class, and desired price.

Enter your driver information, billing address, and credit card details.

Confirm your bid.

If those instructions were a little too quick for you, don’t worry – read our more detailed step-by-step instructions with pictures below.

Detailed instructions for car rental bidding

1. go to the “cars” section on priceline..

Open your web browser and go to www.priceline.com . In the menu across the top of the screen, click Cars .

2. Start bidding on a car rental.

Scroll down to the “Name Your Own Price” section and click Start Your Rental Cars Bid Now .

3. Indicate your pickup and drop-off information.

In the same way as if you were booking a car rental normally through Priceline, you must enter your pick-up/drop-off point (can be a city or airport), pick-up and drop-off dates and times, and class of car. Then click in the box labelled “Name Your Own Price” and type in the price that you wish to pay for your car rental. Then click Bid Now .

4. Enter your driver information and billing details.

To complete your bid, the first step is to enter your driver information (as it appears on your driver’s license) and billing address (as it appears on your credit card statement).

Under the “Driver Information” section, click in the respective boxes and type in or select:

• Your first name
• Your middle initial (optional)
• Your last name
• Your age range (you may be declined or incur extra charges if under 25)

Next, under the “Billing Address” section, click in the respective boxes and type in or select:

• Your street address
• The country in which you live
• The city or town in which you live
• The state, province, or territory in which you live
• Your mailing code
• Your home phone number
• Your work phone number (optional)
• Your email address
• A copy of your email address

5. Enter your credit card information to pay for your rental car booking.

Next, it’s time to enter your credit card details. 

Scroll down to the “Enter Your Credit Card” section, click in the respective boxes, and type in or select:

• Your credit card number
• The month that your credit card expires
• The year that your credit card expires
• Your credit card’s security code (click What’s This? for help finding it)

You must also click one of the buttons below this information to choose whether you will be paying for the security deposit on your rental car with a credit card or a debit card. (If you choose “Debit Card,” you will have to choose whether you have proof of round-trip airline travel or are renting locally).

6. Confirm and submit your Priceline car rental bid.

At the bottom of the “Important Information” section, click in the box labelled “Initial Here” and type in your initials. Then click Buy My Rental Car Now to submit your bid.

You might get a response right away; if not, check your email inbox. If your price is accepted, your rental car will be booked, and you can print out your confirmation information (which is a good idea, as you may need it when you check in to the hotel).

If your price is not accepted, you will be notified by Priceline that your bid was not accepted. You can re-bid at the same price (or a different price), but you must change one parameter of your booking (such as pick-up/drop-off area, pick-up/drop-off dates or times, preferred car class, etc.).

4 Tips for Bidding on Priceline Car Rentals

1. do your own research on the average cost of rental cars within the area you’re looking to rent..

Though Priceline may give you a guideline on the average price of a rental car in the pick-up/drop-off area that you select, you may want to shop around yourself. Try searching for rental cars on Priceline (or other travel booking websites, such as Travelocity) using your booking criteria as if you were going to book them normally. This will allow you to see the actual rates that hotels for the area(s) in which you wish to stay are charging, so you can make a better estimate of a bid that might get through.

2. Try to make sure your bid for the cost of the rental car is not unreasonably low.

Compared to bidding on hotels with Priceline, you really want to go for a reasonable price when bidding on car rentals, as opposed to going for the lowest possible price. This is because you will never be given the chance to immediately retry your bid with the same parameters, but a higher price. If your price is too low, you will have to change one of your booking parameters if you want to immediately re-bid. Otherwise, you must wait 24 hours, and then start the process over again.

3. Make sure that the dates and area you’re looking to book within are correct.

When you book through Priceline’s “Name Your Own Price” rental car bidding system, you won’t be able to easily make changes to your booking, or cancel it if your plans happen to change. Before you submit your bid, make sure you have all the correct information entered.

4. Try to be patient when waiting to have a bid accepted.

It may take you a little while to have a bid for a rental car booking accepted if you’re trying to spend as little as possible. If you can stick it out, it’ll be worth it in the end if you’re able to get a great deal on a car rental for your trip.

That’s our guide to bidding on hotel bookings through Priceline.com!

More Great Related Articles

How To Delete Your Airbnb Account

How to Delete Your TripAdvisor Account

Best 9 Sites Like TripAdvisor

15 eBay Bidding Tips: How to Win Auctions and Save Money Doing It

• Credit cards
• View all credit cards
• Banking guide
• Loans guide
• Insurance guide
• Personal finance
• View all personal finance
• Small business
• Small business guide
• View all taxes

You’re our first priority. Every time.

We believe everyone should be able to make financial decisions with confidence. And while our site doesn’t feature every company or financial product available on the market, we’re proud that the guidance we offer, the information we provide and the tools we create are objective, independent, straightforward — and free.

So how do we make money? Our partners compensate us. This may influence which products we review and write about (and where those products appear on the site), but it in no way affects our recommendations or advice, which are grounded in thousands of hours of research. Our partners cannot pay us to guarantee favorable reviews of their products or services. Here is a list of our partners .

Priceline: Everything You Need To Know

Many or all of the products featured here are from our partners who compensate us. This influences which products we write about and where and how the product appears on a page. However, this does not influence our evaluations. Our opinions are our own. Here is a list of our partners and here's how we make money .

Table of Contents

How does Priceline work?

Priceline deals, priceline vip loyalty program, the best credit cards for priceline bookings, canceling travel booked on priceline.

Priceline.com is an online travel agency known for its discount rates on travel purchases including hotels, airfare, rental cars and cruises — oh, and maybe those William Shatner ads.

Priceline claims that it saves customers more than $1 billion every year through its many deal campaigns, which include Express Deals, Tonight-Only Deals and Pricebreakers. Priceline VIP loyalty members can get even more discounts.

But have Priceline deals really gone where no man (or online travel agency) has gone before? Here’s what you need to know about booking with and saving money through Priceline.

Priceline is a part of the world’s largest travel company, Booking Holdings, which also operates other big travel players including Kayak, Rentalcars.com and OpenTable.

Accessible via priceline.com or its mobile app, Priceline delivers personalized recommendations for travelers, including nontraditional accommodations like private homes, boats and yurts. Travelers can bundle lodging, flights and rental cars together in one transaction — and often for a deal.

» Learn more: Pros and cons of booking hotels with Priceline

You enter in your dates and destination, and Priceline lists flights, hotels, and rental cars that can get you there. As an OTA, Priceline facilitates the booking. Meanwhile, the actual travel services are provided by someone else — whether it’s a massive hotel chain or a small, family-owned bed and breakfast.

Priceline offers fairly robust booking tools, especially for travelers who like to book all their trip components — flight, hotel and rental car — in one go, rather than separately.

Priceline’s Trip Builder platform lets users bundle those purchases together into one transaction, while also unlocking privately negotiated rates that are otherwise unavailable. Priceline claims its bundled deals save travelers an average of $240 per transaction.

And the Trip Builder tool is fairly flexible. Bundling features on other websites can be limiting. Sometimes, they force you to book a flight (even if you would have preferred a road trip), or don’t allow for stopovers in multiple cities.

In contrast, Trip Builder accounts for individual travel circumstances and removes many restrictions found elsewhere. Your trip can include a mix of stays between private homes and hotels. You can also opt to bundle a trip that doesn’t involve a flight.

» Learn more: Plan your next redemption with our airline points tool

Priceline's most famous deal, Name Your Own Price, has been retired. The Name Your Own Price deal was a bidding tool where you could negotiate hotel rates up to 60% off retail, and airfare up to 40% off retail rates.

There are still plenty of other Priceline promos to be had.

Express Deals

Express Deals launched in 2012 with a promise to offer the same savings as bidding, but with an instant-booking component. Perhaps the most standout aspect of Express Deals: You don’t know the actual name of the hotel or flight when you book, but it could save you as much as 50%.

With the flight version of the Express Deals function, you won’t receive your exact departure and arrival times until after you purchase tickets. Instead, you’re given only an approximate arrival or departure time, such as in the early morning.

Ahead of booking hotels through Express Deals, you get some information, such as star rating, customer rating, the neighborhood and the amenities. The actual hotel is revealed only once the booking is made.

There are a few tricks for how to uncover the identity of your Priceline hotels before purchasing. But ultimately, it can often turn out to be exactly what it’s advertised as — a mystery until after you buy.

Pricebreakers

If you like having a somewhat better idea of the hotel you’ll get but still like the gamble, turn to the Pricebreakers deal, which launched in 2020. Consider it a bit of hotel roulette, but this time, you get one of three known options.

With Pricebreakers, three separate (but similar) hotels are displayed, each listed under a single price. Upon booking that Pricebreakers deal, you’ll get a reservation for one of those specific hotels — though the exact one is chosen by Priceline.

Priceline promises that every hotel booked through Pricebreakers has a customer rating above 7 out of 10 and is offered at up to half off published rates you can find elsewhere.

» Learn more: The quick-start guide to points and miles travel

Tonight-Only Deals

Available only through its app, the Tonight-Only Deals promotion offers last-minute hotel deals in most major cities including Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Honolulu, Houston, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, Phoenix, San Antonio, San Diego and San Francisco.

With Tonight-Only Deals, Priceline’s app displays 3-star and 4-star hotel rooms that can be booked for check-in that same night (with a maximum four-night stay) at discounts of up to 35% off published prices found elsewhere. Room reservations can be instantly booked up until 11 p.m. local time, or until they sell out.

Recurring annual sales

Like many travel booking sites, Priceline also runs periodic sales during certain times of year. Cyber Monday and Black Friday are big deal-nabbing opportunities on Priceline.

For example, during the 2021 Black Friday weekend, 2,000 lucky customers received a coupon code that offered 99% off Express Deal hotels. For everyone else, Priceline sent out Black Friday coupons for up to an additional 30% off of Express Deals on top of everyday savings of up to 60% off.

All those deals aren’t the only way you can save when booking with Priceline. Priceline VIP is the OTA’s loyalty program that includes access to extra discounts, coupons, premium customer service and more.

There are four tiers of elite status in the Priceline VIP program: Member, Blue, Gold and Platinum. Joining the program is free — you just have to create an account with Priceline.

Here’s how to earn Priceline elite status, and what each tier entails:

Unlike other elite status programs, there are no special seat upgrades or free goodies like Champagne in your hotel room with Priceline VIP. But for no-frills travelers who value saving money over amenities, the discounts might be the most valuable perk anyway. Properties eligible for VIP discounts are designated by a Priceline VIP logo in the search results.

Look for this Priceline VIP logo on listings to indicate extra discounts for members.

Something that sets Priceline VIP apart from other loyalty programs is that your Priceline elite status does not expire. Instead, you keep your same tier level from year to year until you advance.

To reach the next level, though, you’ll have to have completed new qualifying trips after Jan. 1 of that year (so trips completed in previous years do not count toward earning elite status).

» Learn more: How do hotel points work?

You can earn bonus points and perks when booking with certain travel credit cards that pair well with online travel agencies , like Expedia, Hotels.com or Priceline. Here are the best cards specifically for Priceline users:

Priceline VIP Rewards™ Visa® Card

While not necessarily the best credit card to use for general everyday spending, the Priceline VIP Rewards™ Visa® Card is one of the best cards to use for purchases on Priceline itself. It earns 5 points for every $1 spent on purchases, bookings and reservations made at Priceline. It also earns 2 points on restaurant and gas purchases, and 1 point for everything else.

Priceline points are worth 1 cent, so you’re looking at a 5% return for all your Priceline purchases on this card. What’s also nice is that you can redeem your rewards as statement credits, so you’re not necessarily suckered into earning points in a loyalty program you might not regularly use.

Other benefits of card ownership include automatic Priceline VIP Gold status. And if you spend $10,000 on the card within each card membership year, you’re eligible to receive a statement credit for the $100 Global Entry application fee or the $78 TSA PreCheck application fee .

Considering the Priceline VIP Rewards™ Visa® Card has a $0 annual fee, it’s hard to be too harsh on this card. Plus, the extra benefits can be quite a money-saver.

» Learn more: Things to know about the Priceline VIP Rewards™ Visa® Card

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

This card is convenient not just for spending on Priceline, but all sorts of travel purchases.

For all your non-Priceline bookings, use this card to earn 5 points per dollar on travel booked through Chase. You’ll also earn 3 points per dollar on dining at restaurants, streaming services and online grocery purchases; 2 points per dollar on other travel spending (including online travel websites like Expedia); and 1 point per dollar spent on everything else.

The card, which has an annual fee of $95 , also features an introductory offer: Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.

» Learn more: Review of the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

Priceline has an abundance of deals, particularly for travelers who are flexible about where they stay and when they travel. But for all the delights of booking on Priceline, there are pitfalls too — and cancellations rank among the biggest.

Many of the deepest discounts cannot be changed or canceled, period. That includes Express Deals (the deals where the full itinerary is revealed only after you book), which are non-changeable and nonrefundable.

For other bookings outside of Priceline’s mystery deals, change and cancellation policies vary. Often, whether your travel can be refunded is up to the provider’s policy, not Priceline’s. A basic economy flight might not qualify for a refund, but an upgraded ticket might.

And in some cases, you might be able to change your reservation — but only for a fee. Again, fees vary by provider, but can be reviewed within your online itinerary.

How to cancel a Priceline booking

If your reservation is eligible for cancellation, you can use Priceline’s self-service cancellation tool. From a logged-in Priceline account, click the My Trips button and select View/Cancel Itinerary next to the reservation you want to cancel.

Be sure to read the individual policy for each cancellation, as they can vary in terms of how much money you’ll actually get back.

You can also cancel flights by calling Priceline’s Customer Care number at 800-774-2354.

How to contact Priceline

Use the Priceline Help Center for help with situations like changing and canceling your trip, getting a refund or filing a complaint. If you’re unable to get help from Priceline’s self-service tools, there are a few other ways to get in touch with support:

Text Priceline’s customer care team at 33296.

Launch Priceline’s chatbot on the Help Center .

Call and speak to a human. Priceline’s general contact number is 877-477-5807.

How to maximize your rewards

You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are our picks for the best travel credit cards of 2024 , including those best for:

Flexibility, point transfers and a large bonus: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

No annual fee: Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card

Flat-rate travel rewards: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

Bonus travel rewards and high-end perks: Chase Sapphire Reserve®

Luxury perks: The Platinum Card® from American Express

Business travelers: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

on Chase's website

1x-5x 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases.

60,000 Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.

1.5%-6.5% Enjoy 6.5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel; 4.5% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and 3% on all other purchases (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year). After your first year or $20,000 spent, enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel, 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and unlimited 1.5% cash back on all other purchases.

$300 Earn an additional 1.5% cash back on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) - worth up to $300 cash back!

on Capital One's website

2x-5x Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day. Earn 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options.

75,000 Enjoy a one-time bonus of 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel.

• Remember me Not recommended on shared computers

Forgot your password?

Forums - Priceline Coupons, Hotwire Hotels Revealed, Hotel Lists, Bidding Help

• Start new topic

Forum General Information

How does this board work.

-getting started, why we are here, rules and policies

• Waikoloa Hawaii 4* Hotels
• By AaronJB , January 4, 2018

Questions and Suggestions

-general questions and board suggestions... for specific advice on how to bid/buy in a given area, post at the appropriate State forum (scroll down)

• Need help identifying - hotel not found by better bidding
• By thereuare , March 9

Read this BEFORE you post

-new to the board, please read to make worthwhile for everyone

• Number of persons in hotel room
• By thereuare , February 1, 2022

Off Topic: Run of House

-hotels use the term 'run of house' for rooms that aren't assigned until check-in, so it seemed appropriate as this forum will be for anything that doesn't fit into another category, unrelated travel talk, or anything else that is on your mind

• Heading says Suite hotel but...
• By thereuare , November 19, 2018

Help Support BetterBidding

-sponsor links to use for travel and everyday purchases which will help support BetterBidding

• No Current or active Hotwire codes?
• By Lioness_76 , June 4, 2018

Priceline and Hotwire Tips and Tricks

Hotwire tips.

tips for bidding on Hotwire (feel free to add your own)

• By thereuare , February 28

Priceline Tips

tips for bidding on Priceline (feel free to add your own)

• Preferred Express Hotel Means?
• By thereuare , October 27, 2022

Hotels - United States Priceline and Hotwire Winning Bids

Alabama / alaska / arizona / arkansas.

• Priceline / Hotwire Hotel Lists and Tips for Alabama / Alaska / Arizona / Arkansas
• Hotwire Hotels - Alabama / Alaska / Arizona / Arkansas
• Priceline Hotels - Alabama / Alaska / Arizona / Arkansas
• 2.5* Anchorage (Anchorage Intl Airport ANC) La Quinta Inn & Suites Anchorage Airport
• By jordansbulls , February 6, 2022
• Priceline / Hotwire Hotel Lists and Tips for California
• Hotwire Hotels - California (all other cities)
• Priceline Hotels - California (all other cities)
• Hotwire Hotels - LOS ANGELES
• Priceline Hotels - LOS ANGELES
• Hotwire Hotels - ORANGE COUNTY
• Priceline Hotels - ORANGE COUNTY
• Hotwire Hotels - SAN FRANCISCO
• Priceline Hotels - SAN FRANCISCO
• 4.5* San Francisco (Union Square East) Westin St. Francis
• By thereuare , February 15
• Priceline / Hotwire Hotel Lists and Tips for Colorado
• Hotwire Hotels - Colorado
• Priceline Hotels - Colorado
• 2.5* Denver (Westminster - Broomfield) Comfort Suites Broomfield-Boulder/Interlocken
• By thereuare , July 24, 2021

Connecticut

• Priceline / Hotwire Hotel Lists and Tips for Connecticut
• Hotwire Hotels - Connecticut
• Priceline Hotels - Connecticut
• 3* Stamford (Milford - Orange) Hyatt Place Milford
• By thereuare , May 29, 2020
• Priceline / Hotwire Hotel Lists and Tips for Delaware
• Hotwire Hotels - Delaware
• Priceline Hotels - Delaware
• Help Identify 2.5* in Rehoboth/Dewey/Lewes 5/18/18 to 5/20/18
• By thereuare , May 11, 2018
• Priceline / Hotwire Hotel Lists and Tips for Florida
• Hotwire Hotels - Florida
• Priceline Hotels - Florida
• Orlando, Florida
• By thereuare , July 1, 2023
• Priceline / Hotwire Hotel Lists and Tips for Georgia
• Hotwire Hotels - Georgia
• Priceline Hotels - Georgia
• 3* Atlanta (Atlanta Galleria - SunTrust Braves Stadium ) Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Atlanta Galleria/Ballpark, GA
• By thereuare , April 22, 2022
• Priceline / Hotwire Hotel Lists and Tips for Hawaii
• Hotwire Hotels - Hawaii
• Priceline Hotels - Hawaii
• Identify 4.5* Hotel Waikiki Marina Ala Moana area
• By thereuare , October 22, 2023

Idaho / Indiana / Iowa

• Priceline / Hotwire Hotel Lists and Tips for Idaho / Indiana / Iowa
• Hotwire Hotels - Idaho / Indiana / Iowa
• Priceline Hotels - Idaho / Indiana / Iowa
• 3.5* Indianapolis (Indianapolis Airport (IND)) Crowne Plaza Hotel Indianapolis Airport
• By thereuare , May 3, 2022
• Priceline / Hotwire Hotel Lists and Tips for Illinois
• Hotwire Hotels - Illinois
• Priceline Hotels - Illinois
• 4.5* Chicago (Millennium Park) Swissotel Chicago
• By thereuare , August 21, 2023
• Priceline / Hotwire Hotel Lists and Tips for Kansas
• Hotwire Hotels - Kansas
• Priceline Hotels - Kansas
• 3* Wichita (Wichita East) Holiday Inn - Wichita, KS
• By thereuare , August 7, 2019
• Priceline / Hotwire Hotel Lists and Tips for Kentucky
• Hotwire Hotels - Kentucky
• Priceline Hotels - Kentucky
• 3* Lexington (Lexington - Lexington North) SpringHill Suites by Marriott Lexington Near The University Of Kentucky
• By thereuare , January 15, 2021
• Priceline / Hotwire Hotel Lists and Tips for Louisiana
• Hotwire Hotels - Louisiana
• Priceline Hotels - Louisiana
• 3.5* New Orleans (French Quarter - Bourbon Street) Hotel Mazarin
• By thereuare , February 5, 2022
• Priceline / Hotwire Hotel Lists and Tips for Maine
• Hotwire Hotels - Maine
• Priceline Hotels - Maine
• Please Help ID 4* Portland South - Portland Intl Jetport (PWM)
• Priceline / Hotwire Hotel Lists and Tips for Maryland
• Hotwire Hotels - Maryland
• Priceline Hotels - Maryland
• 2.5* Maryland - DC Suburbs (Germantown) Holiday Inn Express And Suites Germantown
• By thereuare , February 27, 2020

Massachusetts

• Priceline / Hotwire Hotel Lists and Tips for Massachusetts
• Hotwire Hotels - Massachusetts
• Priceline Hotels - Massachusetts
• 3* Boston (Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) - Chelsea - Revere) Four Points By Sheraton Boston Logan Airport
• By thereuare , August 30, 2021
• Priceline / Hotwire Hotel Lists and Tips for Michigan
• Hotwire Hotels - Michigan
• Priceline Hotels - Michigan
• 4* Detroit (Downtown Detroit) The Westin Book Cadillac Detroit
• By thereuare , December 25, 2019
• Priceline / Hotwire Hotel Lists and Tips for Minnesota
• Hotwire Hotels - Minnesota
• Priceline Hotels - Minnesota
• 4.5* Minneapolis - St. Paul (Downtown Minneapolis) Rand Tower, Minneapolis, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel
• By thereuare , November 9, 2022

Mississippi

• Priceline / Hotwire Hotel Lists and Tips for Mississippi
• Hotwire Hotels - Mississippi
• Priceline Hotels - Mississippi
• 3.5* Natchez Magnolia Bluffs Casino Hotel, Bw Premier Collection
• By thereuare , May 22, 2018
• Priceline / Hotwire Hotel Lists and Tips for Missouri
• Hotwire Hotels - Missouri
• Priceline Hotels - Missouri
• 3.5* St. Louis (Downtown Saint Louis) Hotel Indigo St. Louis - Downtown
• By thereuare , August 10, 2021

Montana / Nebraska / New Hampshire / New Mexico

• Priceline / Hotwire Hotel Lists and Tips for Montana / Nebraska / New Hampshire / New Mexico
• Hotwire Hotels - Montana / Nebraska / New Hampshire / New Mexico
• Priceline Hotels - Montana / Nebraska / New Hampshire / New Mexico
• 3* Omaha (Central Omaha - Ralston) Comfort Inn & Suites
• By thereuare , September 5, 2021
• Priceline / Hotwire Hotel Lists and Tips for Nevada
• Hotwire Hotels - Nevada
• Priceline Hotels - Nevada
• 4.5* Las Vegas (The Strip - Northwest) The Mirage
• By thereuare , September 15, 2023
• Priceline / Hotwire Hotel Lists and Tips for New Jersey
• Hotwire Hotels - New Jersey
• Priceline Hotels - New Jersey
• 4* Atlantic City (North Beach - Steel Pier Boardwalk) Ocean Resort Casino
• By thereuare , Monday at 05:09 PM
• Priceline / Hotwire Hotel Lists and Tips for New York
• Hotwire Hotels - New York
• Priceline Hotels - New York
• 4* New York (Madison Square Garden / Midtown West) Fairfield Inn & Suites New York Midtown Manhattan/Penn Station
• By thereuare , December 7, 2023

North Carolina

• Priceline / Hotwire Hotel Lists and Tips for North Carolina
• Hotwire Hotels - North Carolina
• Priceline Hotels - North Carolina
• 4* Asheville (Downtown Asheville) Hotel Indigo Asheville Downtown
• By thereuare , August 14, 2019

North Dakota

• Priceline / Hotwire Hotel Lists and Tips for North Dakota
• Hotwire Hotels - North Dakota
• Priceline Hotels - North Dakota
• 3* Fargo (West Fargo) Four Points By Sheraton Fargo
• By thereuare , June 18, 2019
• Priceline / Hotwire Hotel Lists and Tips for Ohio
• Hotwire Hotels - Ohio
• Priceline Hotels - Ohio
• 3.5* Cincinnati (Blue Ash) Embassy Suites Hotel Cincinnati - Northeast - Blue Ash
• By thereuare , June 1, 2021

Oklahoma / Oregon

• Priceline / Hotwire Hotel Lists and Tips for Oklahoma / Oregon
• Hotwire Hotels - Oklahoma / Oregon
• Priceline Hotels - Oklahoma / Oregon
• 3.5* Tulsa (Woodland Hills) Renaissance Tulsa Hotel and Convention Center
• By thereuare , July 26, 2019

Pennsylvania

• Priceline / Hotwire Hotel Lists and Tips for Pennsylvania
• Hotwire Hotels - Pennsylvania
• Priceline Hotels - Pennsylvania
• 4* Philadelphia (Center City West - Rittenhouse Square) Club Quarters, Philadelphia
• By thereuare , February 8, 2022

Rhode Island

• Priceline / Hotwire Hotel Lists and Tips for Rhode Island
• Hotwire Hotels - Rhode Island
• Priceline Hotels - Rhode Island
• 4* Providence - Newport (Downtown Providence) Hotel Providence
• By John Dublin , June 15, 2018

South Carolina

• Priceline / Hotwire Hotel Lists and Tips for South Carolina
• Hotwire Hotels - South Carolina
• Priceline Hotels - South Carolina
• 3* Charleston (Charleston Riverview - Ashley River) Springhill Suites by Marriott Charleston Downtown/Riverview
• By thereuare , June 14, 2023

South Dakota

• Priceline / Hotwire Hotel Lists and Tips for South Dakota
• Hotwire Hotels - South Dakota
• Priceline Hotels - South Dakota
• 3* Rapid City Staybridge Suites Rapid City - Rushmore
• By thereuare , August 5, 2022
• Priceline / Hotwire Hotel Lists and Tips for Tennessee
• Hotwire Hotels - Tennessee
• Priceline Hotels - Tennessee
• 3* Chattanooga (Downtown Chattanooga) Chattanooga Choo Choo
• By thereuare , March 2, 2021
• Priceline / Hotwire Hotel Lists and Tips for Texas
• Hotwire Hotels - Texas
• Priceline Hotels - Texas
• Hotel Help In Dallas
• By thereuare , August 19, 2022

Utah / Vermont

• Priceline / Hotwire Hotel Lists and Tips for Utah / Vermont
• Hotwire Hotels - Utah / Vermont
• Priceline Hotels - Utah / Vermont
• 4.5* Park City (Canyons Village) Westgate Park City Resort & Spa
• Priceline / Hotwire Hotel Lists and Tips for Virginia
• Hotwire Hotels - Virginia
• Priceline Hotels - Virginia
• Richmond VA 12/7 help please
• By thereuare , December 18, 2019

Washington, DC

• Priceline / Hotwire Hotel Lists and Tips for Washington, DC
• Hotwire Hotels - Washington, DC
• Priceline Hotels - Washington, DC
• shuttle between IAD and Reagan National airports
• By Stephanien , February 7

Washington (state)

• Priceline / Hotwire Hotel Lists and Tips for Washington (state)
• Hotwire Hotels - Washington (state)
• Priceline Hotels - Washington (state)
• 4* Seattle (Downtown - Convention Center - Capitol Hill) Motif Seattle, a Destination by Hyatt Hotel
• By thereuare , April 1, 2022

West Virginia / Wisconsin / Wyoming

• Priceline / Hotwire Hotel Lists and Tips for West Virginia / Wisconsin / Wyoming
• Hotwire Hotels - West Virginia / Wisconsin / Wyoming
• Priceline Hotels - West Virginia / Wisconsin / Wyoming
• 3.5* Milwaukee (Brookfield) Doubletree Milwaukee Brookfield
• By MrCodeDude , June 16, 2020

Hotels - International Winning Bids for Priceline / Hotwire

• Priceline / Hotwire Hotel Lists and Tips for Canada
• Hotwire Hotels - Canada
• Priceline Hotels - Canada
• Help with Niagara Falls Ontario, Canada
• By a2m , September 26, 2022
• Priceline / Hotwire Hotel Lists and Tips for Mexico
• Hotwire Hotels - Mexico
• Priceline Hotels - Mexico
• 5* Playa del Carmen (Playa del Secreto - Playa Paraiso) Iberostar Grand Paraiso Adults Only - All Inclusive
• By thereuare , February 25, 2021

Puerto Rico and other Caribbean Islands

• Priceline / Hotwire Hotel Lists and Tips for Puerto Rico and other Caribbean Islands
• Hotwire Hotels - Puerto Rico and other Caribbean Islands
• Priceline Hotels - Puerto Rico and other Caribbean Islands
• 4.5 star all Inclusive Punta cana
• By thereuare , May 25, 2021

Other Countries

• Priceline / Hotwire Hotel Lists and Tips for Other Countries
• Hotwire Hotels - Other Countries
• Priceline Hotels - Other Countries

-we will add specific countries as they are posted

• 3* Nimes Hotel 17-18 Oct
• By thereuare , September 20, 2023

Priceline and Hotwire Car Rentals

• Hotwire Car Rental States A-M
• Priceline Car Rental States A-M

-categorized by State of Rental Location

• Priceline Express Deal?
• By thereuare , August 13, 2021

States N-Z and International

• Hotwire Car Rental States N-Z and International
• Priceline Car Rental States N-Z and International
• Priceline Car Rentals
• By thereuare , August 20, 2019

Other Deals

• MainStay Suites Denver International Airport
• By thereuare , July 24, 2023
• Priceline air/hotel package for $4 more than airfare alone.
• By thereuare , September 29, 2022
• LAS rental car
• By BlakeDan , January 30, 2023

NON-travel related

-but it was such a good deal i had to share

• Cruise help
• By bigenna , July 29, 2012

Hotel Reviews

-how was your stay?

• IL Chicago Congress Plaza Hotel
• By jordansbulls , June 23, 2018

• Existing user? Sign In
• New Content
• All Activity
• Hotel Lists

REVEAL HOTELS

• Hotels Revealed (all hotels combined)
• Hotwire Revealed
• Priceline Revealed
• Priceline PriceBreakers Revealed
• Hotel Decoder
• Priceline Coupons
• Hotwire Coupons
• QUICK QUOTE
• Priceline NYOP
• Easy Navigation
• Interactive Hotel List
• Hotel Lists by City
• Create New...

• Vacation Rentals
• Restaurants
• Things to do
• Things to Do
• Travel Stories
• Rental Cars
• Add a Place
• Travel Forum
• Travelers' Choice
• Help Center

What has happened to bidding on "PRICELINE"? - Air Travel Forum

• Tripadvisor Forums    
• Air Travel Forums

What has happened to bidding on "PRICELINE"?

• United States Forums
• Europe Forums
• Canada Forums
• Asia Forums
• Central America Forums
• Africa Forums
• Caribbean Forums
• Mexico Forums
• South Pacific Forums
• South America Forums
• Middle East Forums
• Honeymoons and Romance
• Business Travel
• Train Travel
• Traveling With Disabilities
• Tripadvisor Support
• Solo Travel
• Bargain Travel
• Timeshares / Vacation Rentals
• Air Travel forum

I used to like bidding for the lowest fares, using Priceline, but I have been frustrated this past month with nothing working like it used to. It's as if they are abandoning the whole 'bid for travel' part of the website and trying to just be like any other travel site, I certainly don't see the supposed 40% cheaper rates they claim. How come all the choices you have for trying to reduce the fare are not being given anymore, things like "more than 1 connection"; "flying on a non jet aircraft" etc. .

Has anyone else had the same experiences, and are there any other bid for travel websites or is there any way around Priceline newfound hoggish business practices?Thanks

Sounds to me like the bidding for travel days are over - no longer a profitable business model since capacity cuts have filled up those formerly empty seats. Progress marches on!

The bidding for travel days are not over. Rather, Priceline operates in 2 modes and to get to the "name your own price" part of their website it is necessary on the first screen to click on the "bid now" link rather than input your trip parameters at the top of the page and click "search now". They certainly don't make this obvious to the casual user, but that is what one needs to do.

Check MrJohnMD's thread on the Amsterdam/Netherlands forum. People seem to be getting GREAT deals on Priceline on 4* hotels in Amsterdam.

I recently bid on Priceline and got a 4* hotel for $65 in Wilmington, DE. On my first try! I probably could have got it for a little less if I started lower.

As to other websites: I got the Holiday Inn in West Chester, PA for $45 on Hotwire. Both these reservations were for travel in mid April.

"Name Your Own Price" is still alive and well at Priceline - you just have to click on the link.

There's something a bit addictive about that whole thing - I'm totally hooked, and have been for years. I love playing the game, hoping for the best, and finding out what hotel is in store for me. 9 times out of 10, it's been a fabulous experience.

I won't agree to going at weird hours with connections on separate airlines that you may or may not make.

Well I use PL NAME YOUR OWN PRICE to get the best deal, heck if I had to fly at 4am thats fine, I am not rich and can handle being treated as such.

I would like to know how much people have saved by bidding on Priceline?

I just saved $200 by checking prices on a Saturday instead of a weekday on the Delta web site.

This topic has been closed to new posts due to inactivity.

• Qantas changes London route 4:57 am
• edream Review 4:31 am
• SAS kids' meal 3:39 am
• Iceland based Play Airlines 3:01 am
• Ryanair return trip booked only need return flight 2:03 am
• BA business class A380 or 777 12:22 am
• Baggage Drop 11:32 pm
• Stressed! 11:07 pm
• Just Get Out of Town (JGOOT) 10:45 pm
• Is SeatGuru no longer being actively maintained? 10:17 pm
• A flight change still in the 24hr cancellation window 8:17 pm
• Vueling exit row and bags 8:11 pm
• Hand luggage fees in multi-leg flight with Vueling 7:43 pm
• Two flights booked separately with the same airline? 7:32 pm
• ++++ ESTA (USA) and eTA (Canada) requirements for visa-exempt foreign nationals ++++
• ++++ TIPS - PLANNING YOUR FLIGHTS +++++++
• Buy now or later? What's with these screwy ticket prices?
• Around-the-world (RTW) tickets
• All you need to know about OPEN JAW tickets
• Beware of cheap business class tickets (sold by 3rd parties)
• ++++ TIPS - PREPARING TO FLY +++++++++
• TIPS - How to prepare for Long Haul Flights
• TIPS - Being Prepared for Cancellations and Long Delays
• TIPS - How to survive being stuck at an airport
• Flights delays and cancellations resources
• How do I effectively communicate with an airline?
• Airline, Airport, and Travel Abbreviations
• Air Travel Queries: accessibility,wedding dresses,travelling with children.
• Connecting Flights at London Heathrow Airport
• TUI Airways (formerly Thomson) Dreamliner - Movies and Seating Information
• ++++ COVID-19 CORONAVIRUS INFORMATION ++++
• Covid-19 Coronavirus Information for Air Travel

Bidding for Travel

Posted on June 11, 2013 by HDR Team

Bidding for travel has gained popularity in the United States and Canada over the last few years, and for very good reason.  Travellers can save money on products such as hotels, car rentals and airline tickets.  The biggest savings, however, are to be had on hotels, but bidding for travel also has some risks associated with it.  It is important to understand these risk before booking your travel on bidding sites such as Priceline, Hotwire, Expedia, and some of the other bidding sites:

• Reservations are non-refundable, and non-cancellable.  When you book on a bidding site, you are taking a big chance that you will not need to cancel, and if you do, you could be out of pocket big bucks.
• You usually do not know what hotel brand you will receive.  This is known as “opaque” bidding, because you cannot see who you are booking with.  In the case of hotels, you usually know the hotel rating and general vicinity but not the exact hotel.  Many people are disappointed with the result of bidding when they find out they received, say, the Holiday Inn when they were expecting Four Seasons.
• Amenities and Bed Choices are not guaranteed:  With some bidding sites, you may not get a particular type of bed or certain hotel amenities.

Bidding on Priceline Hotels

They also have something called Express Deals where there is no bidding required.  You still do not know the name of your hotel until after you make your non-refundable purchase, but the Price is displayed for you.  Here’s a tip:  Use this as the maximum bid amount when you are actually bidding for travel.  This is a new service offered by Priceline and travellers seem to like it.

Bidding on Hotwire

Another popular travel bidding site is Hotwire.  Technically, there is not actually any bidding required on Hotwire, but it is common to lump the collection of opaque travel booking sites into the same category, known as bidding sites.  Hotwire works much the same way as Priceline Express Deals.  You get to see the hotel area, amenities and price, but the name of the hotel is not revealed until after you buy.  Much less risky, but the savings are not usually as significant either.

There is a way to actually reveal the name of your Hotwire hotel before bidding .  The Hotwire and Priceline forum  has thousands of Hotwire and Priceline customers posting their winning bid details, including the name of their hotel.  The hotel lists can help narrow down the hotel that you are likely to get, and in many cases you can figure out your hotel before bidding.

Other Bidding Sites

• Travelocity Top Secret Hotels:   This service was launched a few years ago, but has only had lukewarm reviews.  Here is my own review of Travelocity Top Secret going back a few years ago when the service was first launched.  I was not too kind in my review, and I do not know if they have improved their product offering since the article was first written.
• Expedia Unpublished Rates:  This works along the same lines as Hotwire and in fact, is “powered by” Hotwire.  In other words, its the same as Hotwire.  If you are interested in giving this service a try, you probably will not find it to be much different the the service that powers it — Hotwire.  As for taking the risk out of bidding by trying to reveal your hotel, just use the Hotwire hotel lists since they are the same.

Better Bidding For Travel

It is most important to remember that while bidding for travel can save you money, it also has some risks.  These risk can be mitigated, especially with a bit of research.  The top resources for traveller wanting to become better at bidding on their travel are:

• Priceline and Hotwire hotel lists :  An amazing collection of hotels known to be on these sites, helping you reveal your hotel before bidding.
• Bidding Discussion Forum :  An online community where thousands of travellers ask questions and help each other book travel on bidding sites.
• Priceline Strategies :  A collection of article that cover how to get the absolute lowest price on hotels using Priceline Name Your Own Price.

Begin Your Search

Post Your Wins

Priceline tips.

• Priceline For Beginners
• Learn To Rebid Instantly

Hotel Lists

• Winning Bids

Hotwire Tips

• Hotwire For Beginners
• How To Reveal Hotwire Hotels

Bidding for travel? These resources might help.

Priceline Help

New to Priceline's Name Your Own Price (NYOP) method of bidding on hotel rooms? Before you bid, take find out how it works and learn the secret to rebidding without waiting.

Hotwire Q&A

Questions about booking your hotel on Hotwire? Our travel experts answer the most common questions asked by travelers when booking hotels on Hotwire.

Hotwire Q & A

Rebid Instantly

Learn how to rebid on Priceline without waiting 24 hours. By getting free rebids, this better bidding strategy lets you start off low and work your way up in price.

Learn To Rebid

Hotwire & Priceline hotel lists help travelers reveal the name of their hotel before booking. Hotel lists were created by fellow travelers who posted their winning bids.