Priceline

Overview

Priceline is one of the original online travel pioneers, founded in 1997 and famous for its Name Your Own Price model. Today it operates as the North America-focused consumer brand of parent Booking Holdings (which was itself called Priceline Group until 2018).

Business Model

Priceline sells flights, hotels, rental cars, cruises and packages through both transparent retail listings and its trademark opaque-pricing products. Express Deals offer steep hotel discounts where travelers see the price and key amenities but the exact hotel name is revealed only after booking. The brand operates a merchant model on much of its accommodation inventory.

Market Position

Priceline is one of the leading OTAs in the United States and Canada, where it competes primarily with Expedia, Hotels.com and Booking.com. While Booking.com is the dominant brand globally for the parent group, Priceline retains strong recognition in its core North American market and a loyal value-conscious customer base.

Key Facts

Priceline shares technology, supply and platform infrastructure with Booking.com but maintains a distinct brand voice, marketing strategy and loyalty program (VIP). The original Name Your Own Price product was retired in 2016 in favor of Express Deals, which have proven more compatible with mobile-first booking behavior.