Direct bookings vs Turo: a simple way to compare what you really keep

October 6, 2026 · 2 min read · The FleetWise team · Direct bookingsTuropricing

Many hosts wonder if they should take bookings directly instead of only listing on a marketplace. The honest answer is that it depends on your numbers, not on a slogan. Here is a simple way to compare them.

This is general information, not financial, tax or legal advice.

Start with what you keep per rental day

For each channel, work out the same thing: what is left after every cost that belongs to that channel.

Marketplace channel

1. Trip price
2. minus marketplace fee (the percentage depends on the plan you chose)
3. minus the protection or insurance cost you carry or pay for
4. = what you keep

Direct channel

1. Rental price
2. minus card processing (in the US, standard card payments through Stripe are commonly about 2.9% plus 30 cents; check your current rate)
3. minus the insurance you provide or the cover you sell to the renter
4. minus the cost of getting the guest (ads, referrals, repeat-customer discounts)
5. = what you keep

Do not forget the things that are easy to miss

• Demand. A marketplace brings guests. Direct bookings only work if you have a way to reach them: repeat renters, referrals, local searches, social media.
• Insurance. On a marketplace the platform arranges coverage for the rental period. On your own site you must make sure every rental is properly covered, either through your own commercial policy or through cover sold at checkout. Confirm this with your broker before taking a single direct booking.
• Trust and disputes. Verification, a signed agreement and a clear deposit and cancellation policy protect you.
• Taxes and local rules. Rental surcharges, sales tax and licensing rules differ by state. Ask a local professional.

A quick formula

Direct is worth it for a given car when:

(rental price × (1 − card fee %) − 0.30 − insurance − guest acquisition) > (trip price × (1 − marketplace fee %) − protection cost)

Plug in your real numbers for a typical 3-day rental. Many hosts find a hybrid works best: keep the marketplace for discovery and move loyal repeat guests to direct.

Make the direct experience easy

Guests expect to see availability, pick dates, sign an agreement and pay in a few taps. A booking page that does this, with payments going straight to your own Stripe account, removes most of the friction.

Track both channels in one place

Whatever mix you choose, compare channels using the same books. FleetWise includes a direct booking site and shows profit per car and per channel, so you can see where each dollar really comes from.