Commission vs Per-Agent Pricing: Which Booking Model Saves You Money?
Some platforms take 6% of every booking. Others charge $26 to $215 per agent per month. BookingFlow charges just 1.2-1.9% to customers, with AI included.
The Three Pricing Models
When you compare booking software for escape rooms, you are really comparing three fundamentally different pricing approaches:
FareHarbor: Commission-based. They take roughly 6% of every booking. Charged to your customers, not you.
Peek Pro: Per-agent pricing. You pay $26 to $215 per month for each staff member who needs access.
BookingFlow: Flat-rate. One price, unlimited bookings, unlimited users.
Let's break down what each of these actually costs in practice.
FareHarbor: The 6% Problem
FareHarbor is one of the most popular booking platforms for tours and activities. The big selling point is that there is no monthly fee. You only pay when you get bookings.
The catch: that fee is roughly 6% of every booking, charged to your customers.
Let's do the math for an escape room doing 200 bookings per month at $180 average:
- Revenue per month: $36,000
- FareHarbor fees (6%): $2,160
- Annual fees: $25,920
Your customers are paying nearly $26,000 per year in FareHarbor fees.
Now, FareHarbor will tell you this is "commission-based pricing" and "only pay for what you use." But here is the reality: at any meaningful scale, 6% commission is significantly more expensive than a monthly subscription with lower percentage fees.
Peek Pro: The Per-Agent Cost
Peek Pro takes a different approach. They charge based on how many "agents" (staff members) need access to the system.
Their pricing tiers:
- Starter: $26/month per agent
- Growth: $99/month per agent
- Professional: $215/month per agent
For a small escape room with 3 staff members who need system access:
Starter plan:
- 3 agents × $26 = $78/month
- Annual cost: $936
Growth plan:
- 3 agents × $99 = $297/month
- Annual cost: $3,564
Professional plan:
- 3 agents × $215 = $645/month
- Annual cost: $7,740
That is just for 3 users. If you have 5 staff members, multiply everything by 5/3.
The per-agent model makes sense for very small operations with one or two people. It becomes expensive fast as you grow or need to give more people access.
BookingFlow: Flat-Rate Pricing
BookingFlow is simple. One flat monthly rate. Unlimited bookings. Unlimited staff users. No commission. No per-agent fees.
On Pro and Business plans, bookings are unlimited. A small service fee (1.2-1.9%) is charged to the customer at checkout. You pay $0 in transaction fees.
For an escape room doing 200 bookings per month:
- BookingFlow: $0-$99/mo + 1.2-1.9% customer fee
- FareHarbor customer fees: $2,160/month ($25,920/year)
- Peek Pro (Growth, 3 agents): $297/month ($3,564/year)
The Three-Way Feature Comparison
Let's compare what you actually get with each platform:
| Feature | FareHarbor | Peek Pro | BookingFlow |
|---------|-----------|----------|-------------|
| Monthly base cost | $0 | $78-$645+ | $0-$99 |
| Commission/booking fees | ~6% to customers | None | 1.2-1.9% to customers |
| User/agent limit | Unlimited | Pay per agent | Unlimited |
| AI chatbot | No | No | Included |
| AI voice agent | No | No | Included |
| Mobile optimization | Good | Good | Excellent |
| Setup complexity | Moderate | Moderate | Low |
| Best for | <50 bookings/mo | Small teams | Growing venues |
What FareHarbor Does Well
FareHarbor has been around since 2012 and has built a solid platform. They have some genuine strengths:
No upfront cost. You can start using FareHarbor without paying anything monthly. This is appealing for brand new businesses with limited cash flow.
Distribution network. FareHarbor integrates with major OTAs (online travel agencies) like TripAdvisor, Expedia, and Viator. If you get a lot of bookings through these channels, FareHarbor makes management easier.
Comprehensive features. They have built out features for complex operations: multi-day tours, equipment rentals, add-ons, and package deals.
Reliable infrastructure. FareHarbor is owned by Booking.com (acquired in 2018). They are not going anywhere, and the system is rock-solid.
The problem is not that FareHarbor is bad software. The problem is the pricing model. 6% commission is expensive at scale, and it is charged to your customers, which creates friction at checkout.
What Peek Pro Does Well
Peek Pro (owned by Booking.com as of 2017) is another mature platform with real strengths:
Point of sale (POS) system. Peek has robust in-person booking and payment capabilities. If you do a lot of walk-in business, their POS features are comprehensive.
Waivers and documents. Built-in digital waiver management with e-signatures. Customers can sign waivers on a tablet when they arrive.
Reporting and analytics. Deep reporting capabilities for revenue tracking, customer behavior, and operational metrics.
Inventory management. If you sell retail items or have equipment to track, Peek handles this natively.
For escape rooms, some of these features are useful (waivers, POS), but many are overkill. You do not need inventory management for t-shirts. You need a booking system that makes it easy for customers to book rooms.
The AI Advantage (One More Time)
Neither FareHarbor nor Peek Pro offers any AI capabilities. None.
BookingFlow includes:
- AI chatbot: Answers customer questions 24/7. "What is your hardest room?" "Do you have anything available Saturday for 8 people?" "What is your cancellation policy?" The bot handles it all.
- Voice agent: Picks up phone calls, checks availability, and completes bookings over the phone. No missed calls. No voicemail.
These are not $50/month add-ons. They are included in the platform.
For an escape room, AI support means:
- Fewer missed bookings (after-hours inquiries get answered immediately)
- Less staff time spent on repetitive questions
- Higher conversion rates (customers get instant answers instead of waiting)
FareHarbor and Peek Pro require you to either hire staff to handle these inquiries or accept that some customers will leave without booking.
Setup and Ease of Use
FareHarbor: Moderate setup complexity. The interface is functional but busy. Lots of options and settings, which is great for complex operations but can be overwhelming for a simple escape room setup.
Peek Pro: Similar to FareHarbor in complexity. The POS features add another layer of configuration. Expect to spend several hours getting everything set up.
BookingFlow: Designed for simplicity. Add your rooms, set your schedule, connect Stripe, and you are live. Most escape rooms are up and running in under an hour.
Mobile Booking Experience
All three platforms work on mobile, but there are differences:
FareHarbor: Good mobile experience. The booking flow is functional, though it feels slightly dated in design.
Peek Pro: Solid mobile booking. The interface is clean and most interactions are touch-optimized.
BookingFlow: Built mobile-first from the ground up. Every interaction is designed for a phone screen. Larger buttons, fewer steps, faster checkout.
Given that 70%+ of escape room bookings come from mobile devices, this matters more than it might seem.
When FareHarbor Makes Sense
FareHarbor is a good choice if:
- You are brand new with very few bookings (under 30/month)
- You need zero upfront costs and can accept commission fees
- You rely heavily on OTA distribution channels
- You run complex multi-day tours with lots of variables
For established escape rooms doing 100+ bookings per month, the commission fees are too expensive.
When Peek Pro Makes Sense
Peek Pro works well if:
- You have a very small team (1-2 people) and can stay on the Starter plan
- You need robust POS features for in-person sales
- You sell retail items or have inventory to manage
- You want deep integration between online and in-person bookings
For escape rooms with 3+ staff members, the per-agent pricing gets expensive quickly.
When BookingFlow Makes Sense
BookingFlow is the best fit if:
- You are doing (or plan to do) 50+ bookings per month
- You want AI chatbot and voice agent support included
- You do not want to pay commission or per-agent fees
- You value a modern, simple interface over complex legacy features
- You want software that does not penalize growth
For most escape rooms in 2026, this is the right choice.
The Bottom Line
FareHarbor and Peek Pro are both mature, capable platforms. They have been around for over a decade and have real strengths.
But both were built in a different era with different assumptions about pricing and features.
FareHarbor's commission model made sense when online booking was new and uncertain. In 2026, charging 6% of every booking (to your customers) is expensive and creates friction.
Peek Pro's per-agent pricing makes sense for very small teams. As soon as you need to give access to 3-4 staff members, you are paying hundreds of dollars per month for basic access.
BookingFlow was built for 2026. Flat-rate pricing that does not penalize growth. AI support included. Modern interface designed for how customers actually book entertainment today.
If you are starting fresh, the choice is straightforward. If you are on FareHarbor or Peek Pro and the costs are adding up, it might be time to make the switch.
