FAQ
Guest-facing answers for bidding, cancellations, refunds, and payment on Stayffer. For cancellations and refunds, see Cancellations & Refunds. For payment and account questions, see Payment, Confirmation & Account.
Quick reference
- Bids per user per property: 3 bids max
- Card required to bid: No — card only entered at checkout after the bid is accepted
- Bid cooldown: 2 hours of no bids on the property must elapse before bidding reopens
- After cooldown expires: Guest can either bid again or book at the listed price
- Cancellation model: Set by each property — shown before booking and on your confirmation
- Free cancellation window: Typically 24–72 hours before check-in (varies by property)
- Non-refundable rates: No refund at any time
- Refund processing: 5–10 business days to original payment method
Making an offer
Instead of paying the hotel's listed price, you can submit an offer for what you'd like to pay for a room. Bidding is card-free — no payment details are required and nothing is held on your card. The hotel can accept, reject, or counter your offer. If your offer is accepted, you'll be taken to a checkout screen to enter your card details and confirm the booking.
You can place up to 3 bids per property. Each new bid should improve on your previous offer. For example: you bid $120 → rejected, then $135 → rejected, then $150 → rejected. You've now used all 3 bids on that property and a cooldown begins.
The property enters a 2-hour cooldown. During the cooldown you cannot place any new bids on that property. Once the full 2 hours have elapsed with no bids submitted on the property, bidding reopens.
Your options during a cooldown:
- Wait it out. After 2 hours of no bids on the property, you can start bidding again.
- Book at the listed price. The hotel's published rate is always available — you can skip the wait and book instantly.
- Bid on a different property. The 3-bid limit is per property, not per account.
The cooldown is a rolling 2-hour no-bid window on the property. The clock starts from the last bid placed on that property (by any user). As long as 2 full hours pass without any new bid activity, bidding reopens for you.
Yes. The hotel's listed price is available at any time, whether or not you're in a bid cooldown. Booking at the listed price confirms your room immediately.
No. Bidding on Stayffer is card-free. You don't enter any payment details to submit an offer, and nothing is authorized, held, or charged while your bid is pending.
Only after your bid is accepted and you complete the checkout screen. Here's the full flow:
- Submit bid. No card required. Nothing is charged or held.
- Bid accepted. You get a notification and are routed to the checkout screen.
- Enter card details. Payment is captured on this screen.
- Booking confirmed. Your card is charged at the accepted bid price and a confirmation email is sent.
For listed-price bookings, your card is charged at the time of booking as usual.
Accepted bids hold the room only for a limited checkout window. If you don't enter your card details and complete payment within that window, the accepted bid expires and the room is released. You'll need to bid again (subject to the 3-bid limit and 2-hour cooldown) or book at the listed price.
You can withdraw a pending bid any time before the hotel responds — since no card is on file, there's nothing to release. Once a bid is accepted and you complete checkout, standard cancellation terms apply (see Cancellations & Refunds).