Some organisations choose to show a clear booking fee, while others prefer to fold those costs into their prices. Both approaches are supported by Hivelink — and both have their advantages.

So how do you decide which route is right for your business?

Pricing isn’t just about numbers — it’s about psychology and trust.

A 2023 Ipsos study on payment surcharges found that when businesses itemised additional fees at checkout, they experienced an average 10% drop in transaction volume as some customers changed their purchasing behaviour.¹

At the same time, research from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School into “partitioned pricing” — where costs are split into a base price and extra fees — found that transparency is key.² When fees are clearly displayed and explained (rather than revealed late in the process), customers are more accepting, perceiving them as part of a fair and open transaction rather than a hidden cost.

Similarly, a Federal Reserve Bank paper on payment surcharges observed that while explicit fees may discourage impulse purchases, they also create space for merchants to signal honesty — provided those fees represent genuine cost recovery, not extra margin.³

Closer to home, the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has repeatedly highlighted “drip pricing” — where unavoidable fees are revealed late in the checkout process — as a driver of consumer frustration and distrust.⁴ Transparency, the CMA says, isn’t just ethical; it’s good business.

Within Hivelink, the booking fee decision is entirely yours. The system allows you to decide whether to Charge a booking fee at all, and If Yes, select how to apply it:

Importantly, Hivelink calculates and displays the booking fee in real time as customers build their order — meaning there are no hidden extras and no unpleasant surprises at checkout.

Many providers choose to show a booking fee line-item because it clearly separates service costs from the value of the activity itself.

The takeaway? Charging a booking fee works best when customers already trust your brand and when you can frame the fee as a genuine cost recovery, not an add-on.

Bundling platform and processing costs into your base prices can create a simpler, cleaner experience.

Bundling works best when simplicity and trust outweigh fine-grained cost recovery — especially for providers serving first-time customers or marketing to wider audiences.

Choosing between the two approaches often comes down to your audience, brand position, and the value of transparency within your pricing story.

Here’s a quick decision guide to help you weigh your options:

There’s no universal right answer — only what fits your business model and your customers’ expectations.

What matters most is that your pricing feels fair and transparent. Research consistently shows that customers accept fees when they understand why they exist and see them presented clearly.

With Hivelink, you have full flexibility to choose — and to adjust if your strategy changes. Whether you prefer to pass fees on or absorb them, the system ensures they’re calculated accurately and displayed openly, helping you maintain trust with every transaction.

The key is deciding whether your customers prefer to see the detail — or the simplicity.