Summary: Priceline is a legit online travel agency for finding discount rates for travel-related purchases such as airline tickets and hotel stays. However, this company has mixed reviews across various review sites, with some sites rating it as high as 4/5 stars and others giving it as low as 1/5 stars. Though it is a safe booking site, you should consider the reviews before using its service.

When looking for the best travel deals, Priceline might be the site you need. They offer cheap deals and deep discounts that you, as a consumer, would not necessarily find when booking directly with a hotel. Navigating the site is relatively easy; it has search tools and a help center.

Priceline claims it makes booking hotels online easy and affordable, and time-saving. But is this service really reliable? Is it worth it? Keep reading to find out.

Priceline Homepage
Source: Priceline.com

Table of Contents

  1. Priceline Company Information
  2. What is Priceline?
  3. Is Priceline safe to book on, or is it a scam?
  4. How reliable is Priceline? Is Priceline trustworthy?
  5. Priceline Pros and Cons
  6. How does Priceline make money?
  7. Best Priceline Alternatives
  8. FAQs

Priceline Company Information

Official Website:
https://www.priceline.com
Headquarters location:
800 Connecticut Ave, Norwalk, CT 06854, United States
Founded:
1997
Industry:
Travel Bookings Online
Founder:
Jay S. Walker
Contact
877-477-5807, https://help.priceline.com/
Trust Score:High
Social Media:Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube
Priceline Company Information

What is Priceline?

Priceline is an online booking tool for travelers wanting to book hotels, flights, car rentals, holiday packages, cruises, and more. Priceline has a reputation as a worldwide booking site, established in 1997 and online since 1998. It has grown to offer more than just hotels worldwide, from cruises to discount deals on car rentals and flights, including apartment and housing rentals.

The company’s easy-to-use booking system searches for hotel listings and lists options for customers. Priceline has grown as an online travel booking company in the last 23 years and continues to be a strong market for online consumers looking for the best travel deals.

Priceline offers memberships and discounts as they continue to expand as an online booking agent for users. You should check out the Priceline app, as it offers much more discounts and deals than on the website; you can find special offers, immediate one-time deals, and easy booking on the app.

The company also has a Priceline VIP Rewards Visa Card, which gives you a $100 statement credit if you spend $1,000 on purchases in the first 90 days after the account opening.

Is Priceline safe to book on, or is it a scam?

The Better Business Bureau rated Priceline as a relatively safe travel booking site. Priceline offers online membership, secure payments, and a privacy policy that consumers can trust. In addition, the website contains no viruses or malware, so you can safely book your flights and rentals.

Online payment options also include a secure Paypal transaction or direct charge to your bank or Visa card, or even cryptocurrency. Priceline also offers a payment plan option on hotel bookings.

Priceline offers a secure Privacy Policy, and the website is owned and operated by Priceline.com LLC (“Priceline”). As with any booking system, Priceline needs to share some of your information with hotels, flights, and car rental companies. Priceline may also share your data and information with affiliates and subsidiary companies. Customers can unsubscribe to any of Priceline’s email offers at any time.

How reliable is Priceline? Is Priceline trustworthy?

Priceline has a Refund Policy based on the arrangement with their affiliates; hence, Priceline cannot override hotel policy, car rental policy, and flight policies. Therefore, Priceline does not guarantee those little extras; it is up to the customer to check the hotel policy.

Many customers complained about the lack of customer support. Customers complained about poor responses to calls and lengthy wait times for refunds. Priceline is a hotel booking agent; hence, customers need to look at hotel policy when booking with Priceline. When booking flights, be aware that Priceline has a one-time flight booking fee that is not refundable.

Priceline stresses there are no hidden fees when booking online, meaning Priceline doesn’t include certain fees when booking. But please check with the hotel for extra fees for pets and additional guests. Is Priceline a scam? No, it isn’t.

Priceline Pros and Cons

Priceline VIP Rewards
Source: Priceline.com

The Pros

  • Many deals and discounts are available
  • Intuitive UI and an easy-to-use app
  • VIP Rewards program
  • Priceline Price breaker

The Cons

  • Customer Service isn’t always reliable
  • Issues with getting refunds

How does Priceline make money?

Priceline makes money as a third-party referral company for travelers to find the best deals on hotels, flights, rental cars, and cruises by partnering with other businesses worldwide. It is like a friend telling you where you can get the best deal on your next holiday package. The company makes money from travel commissions, customer processing fees, and Global Distribution System reservation booking fees.

Best Alternatives

Priceline offers significant benefits to users, especially for those looking for discounted prices on flights and rentals. However, if you are not satisfied with their services, or you are worried about some negative reviews you may have seen, then you should check out the following Priceline alternatives:

  • Hotwire.com
  • Agoda
  • Travelocity.com
  • Kayak.com
  • Trivago
  • Booking.com
  • Trip Advisor
  • Orbitz.com
  • Expedia

FAQs

How do I book while I am on the go?

The answer is the Priceline App. With the Priceline app, you can comfortably and conveniently book from your hand-held device. A bonus is that the app contains some in-app offers that cannot be found on the website. However, do note that Priceline’s Express Deals are locked in once you purchase, as there are no refunds or exchanges on express deals for road trips or last-minute bookings.

Does Priceline have an affiliate program?

You can become a ‘Partner’ with Priceline.com if you are a business affiliate. In addition, you can earn a commission with Priceline’s affiliate program.

If you need extra data storage, you can partner with the company referral program and use the company Cloud service to store data.

How do I become a Priceline member?

Sign up for Priceline’s VIP status to unlock more perks. With Priceline, VIP membership is free. The more trips you book with Priceline, the more the value of your VIP status upgrades. So if you are already booking with Priceline, the rewards are instant as your VIP status increases automatically. If you hold a Priceline Visa card, your member status is automatically Gold member status. The highest level is a “Platinum” member. To be a platinum member, you must have booked 25 trips.

Does Priceline have extra hidden offers or deals I need to know about?

You can sign up with your email on Priceline.com for coupons, and by adding Priceline to your social media profiles, you can access special deals that are not on their website. In addition, Priceline is on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for savvy travel posts. They offer interactive customer contests and discounts, and posting photos of your travel experiences can increase valuable opportunities for travel rewards.

What is Priceline’s cancellation policy?

Priceline determines cancellation of bookings through the hotel policy. Priceline also offers a no-cancellation fee offer. If you are a member, log in to “My Trips” and read the cancellation policy; if satisfied, click “Cancel.” A second option is to call customer care or text 33296- Once you cancel, you will get an email confirmation. Priceline advises that before booking, you should look at the hotel cancellation policy, which is available while booking online and on your itinerary.

What are the ratings for Priceline as a booking company?

Priceline has mixed ratings across various review sites. On TrustPilot, the company has a 4.0/5 stars rating from 90,099 reviews, while on Sitejabber, it has a poor rating of 1.65/5 stars from 2,337 reviews. Priceline is a BBB-accredited business, which is a plus for the company, and it has a 4.2/5 stars rating on Influenster from 9,899 reviews.

The company also has a poor 2.0/5 stars rating on both Consumer Affairs and Yelp. These mixed reviews are quite concerning, and you should consider them before using Priceline.

Reference Links:

Read More: