How to charge guests for WiFi (and whether you should)

Guest WiFi is one of the few amenities where operators genuinely debate whether to charge or give it away for free. The right answer depends on your venue type, your guests, and your commercial model.

Here's a clear-eyed look at the different approaches.

Option 1: Free WiFi (no login required)

The simplest approach, put the password on a chalkboard and let guests connect. No friction, no data capture, no revenue.

Best for: Cafés, pubs and restaurants where WiFi is a hygiene factor that keeps guests in their seats longer. The revenue benefit is indirect, dwell time and spend, not WiFi fees.

The downside: No data capture means no marketing value. No control means potential abuse (people sitting all day on one coffee). No identity means no legal trail if the network is misused.

Option 2: Free WiFi with social login (social WiFi)

Guests get free WiFi but log in via email or social media. You get the data; they get the connection. Read our full social WiFi explainer for detail on this model.

Best for: Any venue that wants marketing value from their WiFi without charging. Particularly powerful for pubs, restaurants, cafés, B&Bs and holiday parks.

The revenue model: Indirect, you're building a customer database for email marketing and review generation, which drives repeat visits and bookings.

Option 3: Daily pass (paid WiFi)

Guests pay a small daily fee, typically £2–£5, to access the WiFi. Payment is processed through the captive portal, usually by credit card or PayPal.

Best for: Holiday parks and marinas with high-demand seasons, where guests are staying 1–7 nights and will genuinely use the WiFi heavily. Also works for premium glamping where it's positioned as a luxury inclusion.

The revenue potential: WiFi pass revenue varies considerably by park type, season length and uptake rate. It rarely rivals pitch fee income, but for high-occupancy sites it contributes meaningfully towards network running costs.

The risk: Guests who feel nickel-and-dimed will leave reviews saying so. Positioning matters. "Quality managed WiFi" is different from "we charge for everything."

Option 4: Weekly or seasonal pass

A weekly pass at £8–£12 or a full-season pass at £50–£80 removes the daily friction. Particularly popular with long-stay berth-holders at marinas and seasonal pitch holders at parks.

Best for: Sites with a significant proportion of long-stay or seasonal guests who want reliable connectivity for work, streaming and family communication.

Option 5: Included in the pitch/berth fee

WiFi is bundled into the accommodation price and marketed as a feature, not a separate charge. This is the direction the market is moving, and it's arguably the strongest positioning for premium sites.

Best for: Sites competing on quality where WiFi is a premium differentiator. "WiFi included" in a listing is a booking driver; "WiFi available for £3/day" is a deterrent for some guests.

Under the free-install model we offer, the WiFi is funded by guest passes, meaning the park doesn't pay for installation but guests do pay for access. This hybrid approach keeps the economics working without requiring capital investment from the operator.

What are competitors doing?

The trend in UK holiday parks is firmly towards included WiFi, particularly in the static and lodge accommodation sector. Touring guests are more accepting of pay-per-day models, partly because they're often using mobile data anyway and only want WiFi as a backup.

Marinas still commonly charge for WiFi, with weekly and monthly passes being the most common model. Berth-holders who live aboard or stay for extended periods expect to pay for a service they use heavily.