How Wayfare Travel Works: Your Simple Path to Savings
Ready to turn your travels into cash back? At Wayfare Travel, we've designed a straightforward process. This guide breaks down each of the six simple stages – from signing up to getting paid – so you can confidently book with your favorite hotel partners, secure your hotel loyalty benefits, and earn significant Roaming Rewards. Let's walk through how easy it is to start saving!
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Our Simple Concept: How You Earn Cash Back
Wayfare Travel makes booking your favorite hotel brands even more rewarding. We don’t ask you to use a new booking platform. We don’t ask you to use a new booking platform. Instead, by using our Wayfare Booking ID when you book directly with these hotel partners, they pay us a commission. We then pass a large portion of that (usually 50-90%) back to you as cash back – all while you continue to earn your direct booking benefits and hotel loyalty points. (For other travel needs like activities or car rentals, explore our Blog and Resources for helpful links and deals!)
Follow These 6 Simple Steps to Roaming Rewards
Step 1: Create your Free Wayfare Travel Account
Join Wayfare Travel in minutes – it’s free! Your account gives you immediate access to your Member Dashboard, which includes our Wayfare Booking ID (your key for hotel rewards), links to our hotel partner information, and helpful Scribe booking guides.
Important for Easy Rewards: For seamless tracking, ensure the Full Name & Email on your Wayfare account match your travel booking details.
Step 2: Select a Hotel Partner & Prepare for Savings
Next, decide where you want to stay and which of our great hotel partners you’ll use! Head to your Wayfare Member Dashboard to find our Wayfare Booking ID (your 8-digit key to savings!). Then, visit our Partners Page to select your preferred hotel brand (like Hilton, Hyatt, IHG, Marriott, etc.) and open its dedicated Scribe Booking Guide. These guides visually show you exactly where to use our Wayfare Booking ID on the hotel’s own website or app to earn your Roaming Rewards.
Step 3: Book as Usual, Directly with our Partners
You’re now ready to make your booking directly on your chosen hotel partner’s website or app!
Go to their official site/app and during their booking process, remember to enter our Wayfare Booking ID*in the designated field (our Scribe guides on the Partners Page show you exactly where!). This method ensures you earn your hotel loyalty points and direct booking perks, in addition to Roaming Rewards on eligible cash-paid rates. (Stays booked fully with points typically don’t qualify for Wayfare rewards).
Since your booking is direct with the hotel, you’ll manage any changes, view details, or handle pre-arrival requests straight through their website or app, just like you normally would.
You’ll complete your entire booking, including payment, directly with the hotel partner using their secure systems.
Wayfare Travel does not see, store, or process your payment details, nor do we access the full specifics of your travel itinerary shared with the partner. Your booking is a direct and private transaction. We simply provide the means (our Wayfare Booking ID) for that booking to become eligible for roaming rewards.
Your confirmation will come directly from the travel partner.
Step 4: Travel & Enjoy Your Adventure!
This is the best part – go and enjoy the trip you’ve planned! Whether it’s relaxing on a beach, exploring a new city, or attending that important business meeting, make the most of your experience. Your Wayfare Roaming Rewards are processed after your travel is fully completed and verified by our hotel partners, so the next step towards your cash back begins once your adventure concludes.
Step 5: Behind the Scenes: Tracking & Processing Your Reward
After your trip, our hotel partners verify your booking with us (this can take 30-90 days for them to process commissions). We then match it to your account, calculate your full Roaming Reward, and queue it for payout.
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- Hotel Partner Verification:
Our hotel partner first verifies your completed booking, confirming that you traveled and payment was made. - Commission Processing to Wayfare Travel:
Next, our hotel partner processes and pays a commission to Wayfare Travel for facilitating your booking. Please note: This step from our partners typically takes 30 to 90 days after your travel ends, depending on their individual payment cycles. We appreciate your patience during this period! - Reward Matching by Wayfare:
When Wayfare Travel receives the commission report from our hotel partner (which usually includes traveler names and/or emails), our system matches this information to your registered Wayfare Travel account. (This is why using a consistent name and email for your Wayfare Travel account and your travel bookings is so helpful!) - Your Reward is Calculated:
We then calculate your Roaming Reward. This is based on the net commission amount we received from our partner and our stated Roaming Reward rate for that specific hotel partner (which is 50-90% of the net commission we receive). - Queued for Payout:
Your approved Roaming Reward is then queued and will be included in the next scheduled quarterly payout.
Handling Discrepancies: Occasionally, a reward might not track automatically due to minor discrepancies in booking information. If you believe a reward is missing after allowing for the full processing time (90+ days post-travel), please use the ‘Missing a Reward?’ feature in your Member Dashboard to submit details for our review. We hold unmatched commissions in reserve to help resolve such cases.
Step 6: Your Cash Back Arrives!
The moment you’ve been waiting for! Wayfare Travel pays out all your approved Roaming Rewards quarterly on January 15th, April 15th, July 15th, and October 15th.
Each payout includes rewards for which we received and processed the final commission from our hotel partners during the preceding calendar quarter (e.g., commissions processed by us between October 1st – December 31st are paid on January 15th).
You can choose your preferred payout method – Check, ACH Direct Deposit, PayPal, or Venmo – in your Account Settings on your Member Dashboard.
Need your savings sooner? We also offer the option to request payouts more frequently than quarterly for a small processing fee (2.50% of the reward amount or a $5.00 minimum). You may receive an email notification when your payout is on its way!”
Maximize Your Roaming Rewards: Key Tips for Success
Keep Your Details Consistent for Easy Matching
For the smoothest reward matching, ensure the Full Name and Email Address on your Wayfare Travel account match those used for your travel bookings. This minimizes the need for manual claims.
Master Hotel Bookings with Our Guides
For direct hotel bookings with our Wayfare Booking ID, our Scribe guides (on the Partners page) are essential. They offer clear visual steps on where to enter the ID on major hotel brand sites/apps and confirm which of their Hotel Brands are covered.
About Your Roaming Reward Calculation & Eligible Amounts
The Roaming Reward percentages displayed on our Partners page are estimates based on typical commissions we receive (of which we share 50-90% with you). The final cash back amount is calculated on the net commissionable value of your completed travel, as determined by the partner. For hotels, this is usually the pre-tax room rate and typically excludes incidentals like food & beverage, spa, or parking. (See our FAQs for more on this).
Important Note on Hotel Award Stays & Co-Pays: Roaming Rewards for hotel stays apply to eligible cash-paid rates. Stays booked entirely using hotel loyalty points or free night certificates generally do not generate a commission for Wayfare Travel and therefore do not qualify for Roaming Rewards. If your booking combines points and cash, rewards typically apply only to the cash-paid portion, if it’s commissionable.
A Note on Reward Processing Times
As detailed in Step 5 of our process, after your travel is complete, it takes time for our hotel partners to verify your booking and process their commission payment to us (typically 30-90 days). Your Roaming Reward can only be calculated and queued for payout after we receive this confirmed commission. We appreciate your understanding!
Visual Guides: Using Our Wayfare Booking ID with Top Hotels
Our Scribe guides provide clear, visual instructions for earning Roaming Rewards with these top hotel chains:
For guides to all our hotel partners, and to explore activity and car rental partners:
Have More Questions or Prefer to Talk it Through?
Understanding a new service can be easier with a personal touch. If you’d like a quick walkthrough or have specific questions, schedule a free 15 or 30-minute call with our team!
- Get your specific questions answered
- Understand how Wayfare best fits your travel habits.
- Receive a personal overview of the process.
We’re happy to help you start saving!
Still Have Questions About How It Works?
How do I know my booking tracked correctly after using the Wayfare Booking ID or affiliate link?
For direct hotel bookings using our Wayfare Booking ID, the tracking is handled by the hotel partner based on the ID you entered. You’ll receive your standard booking confirmation directly from them. For affiliate link bookings (activities, cars, OTA hotels), ensure you click our link immediately before booking and complete your purchase in that session; there isn’t usually an immediate confirmation from Wayfare that it tracked. In both cases, reward eligibility is confirmed after your travel is completed and our partner reports the commission to us (allow 90+ days). If you don’t see an expected reward after this period, please use the ‘Missing a Reward?’ feature in your Member Dashboard.
What happens if I cancel or change a booking I made using Wayfare Travel?
If a booking is fully cancelled and Wayfare Travel doesn’t receive a commission from the partner, no Roaming Reward can be paid. If you modify a booking, your Roaming Reward will generally be based on the final commissionable value of the completed travel, provided it still qualifies and results in a commission to us. Always check the partner’s specific cancellation/modification policies too.
Why does the payout take 30-90 days after my travel before it's even processed by Wayfare for the quarterly payout?
This 30-90 day period is the standard timeframe our travel partners (hotels, activity providers, etc.) need to verify your completed trip, process their accounts, and then pay the resulting commission to Wayfare Travel. We can only calculate and queue your Roaming Reward for the next quarterly payout once we have received that confirmed commission.
Will I still earn my hotel loyalty points when booking hotels with Wayfare Travel?
Absolutely! That’s a key benefit. When you book direct hotels using our Wayfare Booking ID, you earn ALL your usual hotel loyalty points and status benefits (like Hilton Honors, Marriott Bonvoy etc.) directly from the hotel, PLUS you earn your Wayfare Roaming Reward from us.
What if the name or email on my Wayfare account is different from my travel booking?
For the easiest automatic reward matching, we strongly recommend using the same full name and email for both. If they differ, your reward might require manual matching. If an expected reward doesn’t appear after 90+ days post-travel, please use the ‘Missing a Reward?’ feature in your Member Dashboard and provide your booking details.
Have More Questions?
Your Journey to Savings Starts Here!
Now that you know how simple it is to use Wayfare Travel, create your free account and start making your next trip more rewarding.