Booking.com Fallback

Since 28 September 2026, Booking.com no longer shares guests’ phone numbers with partners. When a guest books through Booking.com, the reservation reaches your system without a phone number, so your WhatsApp and SMS Guest Journey Campaigns cannot reach them.

With the Booking.com fallback, these guests receive the same campaign message in their Booking.com messages instead, in the Booking.com app and website, where they already talk to you about their booking.

How it works

Booking.com gives every guest a private Booking.com email address (for example, mjose.452890@guest.booking.com). A message sent to that address appears in the guest’s Booking.com messages.

When you turn on the fallback for a campaign:

• The campaign runs as usual.
• Guests with a phone number receive the WhatsApp or SMS message, exactly as before.
• Booking.com guests without a phone number receive the same message in their Booking.com messages.
• The message is converted to plain text automatically.
• Each send is recorded in the campaign’s sent messages, so you can see which guests received it.

Nothing changes until you turn the fallback on for a campaign.

Before you start: approve the HiJiffy sender in your Booking.com Extranet

We strongly recommend completing this step before your first campaign with the fallback is sent.

Booking.com lets properties restrict which email addresses can send messages to their guests. If this restriction applies to your property, messages from addresses that are not approved may not be delivered, and neither you nor HiJiffy will receive an error. Messages blocked before you approve the sender are not resent automatically.

You only need to do this once. The sender address is the same for every property: noreply@hijiffymail.com. It is used only between HiJiffy and Booking.com, and is never shown to your guests or your team.

Who: your Booking.com Extranet administrator. HiJiffy cannot complete this step for you. You may be asked for two-factor authentication.

Steps:

1. In the Booking.com Extranet, go to Property → Messaging preferences.
   
2. Open the Security settings tab.
   
   
3. Under Your email addresses, click Add email address.
   
   
4. Enter noreply@hijiffymail.com and click Add email address.
   
   
5. Check that you see the confirmation that noreply@hijiffymail.com is now able to send messages to guests.
   
   

Important before you add the address

Once this list contains any address, only the addresses on the list can message your guests. If your team, your PMS (property management system) or other tools already email guests from other addresses, add those addresses too, or their messages will stop reaching guests.

Also make sure Block all email communication is switched off. This setting blocks every sender, including approved ones.

Turn on the Booking.com fallback for a campaign

1. Go to Campaigns Manager → Messaging and open or create a Guest Journey Messaging campaign.
2. In step 1, Configurations, turn on Enable Booking.com fallback (just above Enable SMS fallback).
3. Continue setting up the campaign as usual.

Good to know:

• The toggle is off by default. Turn it on for each campaign where you want it.
• If you create a campaign for several properties at once, the setting applies to all of them. If you edit a campaign, it applies only to that campaign.
• The fallback is available for Guest Journey Messaging campaigns only. It does not apply to Booking Recovery or One-Time Broadcast campaigns.

What your guests receive

Guests receive your campaign text as a plain-text Booking.com message, with their details filled in.

• Plain text only. Booking.com messages do not support buttons or formatting. Link buttons become a line at the end of the message (for example, Check in online: https://…). Quick-reply and phone buttons are removed.
• From your property. The message appears under your property’s name in Booking.com messages. The first line reads “Information about your reservation”.
• Created automatically. The Booking.com version is generated from your campaign message. There is no separate preview or editing.
• Email copy. Booking.com also forwards the message to the guest’s own email, and adds its own header, footer, and notices (for example, a reminder about sharing personal information).

In the guest's Booking.com messages

The email copy Booking.com sends to the guest

Where to see sent messages

• Campaigns Manager: in the campaign’s sent messages.
• Console inbox: if you use the Booking.com messaging integration, the message also appears in the reservation’s conversation as “External Booking.com message · Email message”, next to your other Booking.com messages.

Tips for writing your message

• Reservation messages only. Booking.com does not allow promotional content through its messaging. Use the fallback for pre-arrival information, online check-in, arrival details, and your guest guide.
• Write with plain text in mind. Put important actions in a link button or a link in the text, as quick replies will not appear.
• Ask guests to contact your reception rather than to reply to the message.

FAQs

Does anything change for guests who have a phone number?
No. They keep receiving WhatsApp or SMS.

Will guests receive the message twice?
No. A guest receives either the WhatsApp or SMS message, or the Booking.com message. The campaign’s usual sending limits apply.

Does it work with SMS campaigns?
Yes. The SMS text is sent as it is.

Do I need a new approval for my WhatsApp template?
No. The campaign needs to be approved and active, as usual.

A guest did not receive the message. What should I check?

• noreply@hijiffymail.com is approved in your Booking.com Extranet, and Block all email communication is off.
• Enable Booking.com fallback is on for the campaign.
• The reservation has no phone number.
• The guest’s email ends in @guest.booking.com.
• The campaign is active and the reservation matches its trigger.

If all of these are true, contact our Support team with the campaign name and the Booking.com reservation number.