Can I offer my customers hotel rooms they pay for at the hotel instead of paying me upfront?

Yes, in many cases, but it depends on which hotel suppliers you are connected to and which rates they send. Alongside prepaid rates, a lot of suppliers also offer pay at the property rates, and when they do, those rates arrive through the hotel API already marked as such. Your portal can display that marking so the customer sees, before they confirm, whether they are paying now or paying at check in.

For the customer the flow is simple. They still enter card details, because the hotel or the supplier normally wants a guarantee against the room, but no payment is taken by you at the time of booking. They settle directly with the property, usually in the local currency of the hotel, and their voucher will state that payment is due on arrival. Not every property and not every room type will offer this, and in plenty of cases the prepaid rate is the cheaper of the two. That choice sits with the hotel and the supplier, not with the portal.

On your side it changes how and when you get paid. Because no money passes through you, your earnings come later, either as commission from the supplier or however your agreement with them is set up, and you need to watch no show and late cancellation terms because those costs can still land somewhere. If you would rather always be paid before travel, these rates can be hidden so only prepaid options show, though what you can switch on or off will depend on your plan.

Ask your hotel supplier which of their rate types allow payment at the property and what their no show rules are, then let us know whether you want those rates shown or hidden on your portal.