Quick correction before anything else: MakeMyTrip and Goibibo aren’t two platforms competing for your listing — they’re the same company. MakeMyTrip acquired Goibibo years ago, and today they run on the same backend, the same commission structure, and often the same account manager. That’s a useful thing to understand clearly, not a criticism of either brand — it just changes how you should think about listing on “both.”
Why this platform matters so much for Indian hosts
Before getting into commission specifics, it’s worth being clear about why MakeMyTrip/Goibibo (operating together as the Go-MMT group) is genuinely one of the most important channels available to an Indian homestay host. This isn’t a marginal platform to tolerate — it’s the market leader for a reason:
- It commands the largest share of India’s domestic online hotel and homestay bookings, with tens of millions of monthly visitors actively searching for stays
- It dominates domestic Indian traveler search specifically — families, couples, and group travelers planning trips within India, which is a different (and often more consistent) audience than Airbnb’s more internationally-weighted guest base
- Settlement is genuinely fast by Indian OTA standards: hosts are typically paid within 48-72 hours of guest checkout, which is meaningfully better cash flow than platforms holding funds for 15-45 days
- The platform has invested heavily in mobile booking, UPI and digital wallet integration, and channel manager connectivity, making it relatively straightforward for hosts to plug in
- It runs a zero-commission program for same-day and next-day distressed inventory, which is a genuine tool for filling rooms that would otherwise go empty
- Beyond leisure travel, the MyBiz corporate platform and MyPartner travel-agent network open up booking sources many homestays wouldn’t otherwise reach on their own
For a homestay targeting Indian domestic tourists — which describes most boutique properties in hill stations, backwaters, and heritage destinations — this channel often delivers real, reliable volume that’s genuinely hard to replicate elsewhere.
One platform, two storefronts
With that context in place: Goibibo functions as a second, more value-conscious storefront under the same parent company as MakeMyTrip — a different shopfront window on the same underlying business and inventory. Listing on “both” doesn’t create two independent negotiating relationships; it’s one commercial relationship distributed across two consumer-facing brands (plus redBus for intercity travel, under the same group). This is a normal, common structure in travel distribution — plenty of large travel companies operate multiple consumer brands from one backend — and it’s worth knowing simply so you set expectations correctly, not because it’s a downside.
What the platform charges, and why it varies
Commission on the platform varies more than many hosts expect, and the variation itself reflects real, understandable business factors:
- Standalone independent properties (most homestays fall here) commonly see commission in the roughly 22-40% range
- Chain or branded properties with more negotiating scale and volume often secure lower rates, commonly 15-25%
- Hosts can opt into additional visibility investment (roughly 3-5% more) in exchange for preferred placement, higher search ranking, or inclusion in loyalty and promotional programs
This tiered structure is standard practice across most OTAs globally, not unique to MakeMyTrip/Goibibo — platforms with larger, more sophisticated demand-generation invest that cost into acquiring and ranking properties, and larger operators with more volume naturally have more leverage to negotiate down. It’s the same dynamic that shows up in wholesale relationships across most industries: scale earns better terms.
A cost detail worth planning around: GST on commission
One detail worth knowing clearly, simply so it’s budgeted for accurately: GST (currently 18%) applies to the commission itself, not just to your booking value — this is a standard tax treatment under Indian law for OTA commissions generally, not a charge specific to MakeMyTrip/Goibibo. So if your negotiated commission is 20% of a booking, the full deduction includes that 20% plus 18% GST calculated on the commission amount. This is worth knowing not because it’s hidden or unusual, but because it’s easy to mentally budget only for the headline commission number and be surprised by the actual payout.
A worked example
Take a homestay charging ₹6,000/night, doing 15 room-nights a month through the platform:
- Gross booking revenue: ₹90,000
- Commission at 25%: ₹22,500
- 18% GST on that commission: ₹4,050
- Host payout: ₹63,450
Knowing this breakdown in advance — rather than being surprised by it after your first settlement — makes it much easier to price your rooms and plan cash flow accurately for this channel specifically.
Getting the most from this channel
A few practical ways hosts make this platform work well for them, rather than just accepting the default terms:
- Track your actual effective commission over a few months, since the visibility-boost option can meaningfully change your real cost versus the headline rate
- Use the zero-commission distressed inventory tool deliberately for near-date empty rooms, rather than leaving them unbooked
- Treat MyBiz and MyPartner as genuine additional demand sources if your property suits corporate or group travel, not just the standard leisure listing
- Negotiate rate as your volume grows — hosts with a consistent booking history and strong reviews do have room to discuss better terms with their account manager over time
Where this fits in a balanced channel mix
None of this suggests avoiding MakeMyTrip/Goibibo — for many Indian homestays, it’s a genuinely strong, high-volume channel that reaches an audience Airbnb doesn’t reach as effectively. The most useful takeaway is simply clarity: understand it as one relationship (not two), plan for GST-on-commission as a real and predictable cost, and balance this channel against a direct-booking presence so you’re not solely dependent on any single platform’s terms.
Frequently asked questions
Can I get a better rate by emphasizing I’m listed on Goibibo instead of MakeMyTrip? No — since they share the same commission structure and account relationship, there’s no separate rate to negotiate between the two. But your account manager can discuss better terms as your volume and review history grow, regardless of which storefront a guest arrives through.
Is the 18% GST on commission unique to MakeMyTrip/Goibibo? No — GST applies broadly to OTA commissions in India as standard tax treatment, not a charge specific to this platform. It’s worth understanding how each OTA you use discloses and structures it.
Does listing on MakeMyTrip/Goibibo hurt my Airbnb visibility? No — these are independent booking channels, and running both isn’t restricted the way exclusivity agreements sometimes work with certain platforms.
Is the 15-40% commission range unusually wide? It reflects real factors — property type, visibility investment, and negotiating scale — rather than inconsistency. It’s worth tracking your own actual effective rate over a few months rather than assuming either end of the range applies to you by default.
Rukiye Zara helps Indian homestay hosts track true channel costs — commission, GST, and visibility fees included — across every platform they use, while building a direct-booking channel alongside them.
