Check24 under pressure: millions in fines for "hiding figures" – and the industry is boiling over

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A comparison portal thrives on trust: click, complete, done. But now Check24 is in the spotlight—not because of a new super deal, but because of missing business figures. The Federal Office of Justice (BfJ) has initiated administrative fine proceedings against Check24 and several subsidiaries. The core of the accusation: deals that should have been public were not published for several years. And suddenly it's no longer just about prices, but about transparency – in other words, about who is actually strong in the market. reisevor9.de reports on the case.

The trigger: missing contracts – and that costs a lot of money

According to information from the specialist portal FVW, the BfJ has imposed administrative fines because annual financial statements and consolidated financial statements for several financial years were allegedly not disclosed. According to a spokeswoman, the total amount involved is around four million euros. The parent company bears the largest share of this, with 2.88 million euros reportedly imposed on Check24 GmbH. This is not a symbolic slap on the wrist, but a clear message: those who withhold figures must pay.

Why travel in particular strikes such a nerve

The whole issue is being hotly debated in the travel industry. For years, there has been speculation about how big Check24 actually is in the tourism business. According to the report, industry experts now estimate its brokered sales at around eight billion euros. In addition, there is another figure in the mix: tour operator revenue of almost one billion euros. Such orders of magnitude are relevant because they help set the tone in the market—in terms of advertising, conditions, and the question of who can exert pressure on smaller providers.

There is another point of contention: Check24 is repeatedly accused of being particularly aggressive in its use of cashback in the travel sector and of keeping profits there relatively low – not necessarily out of "kindness," but because other business areas (such as insurance) could be significantly more profitable. Some also suspect that the travel business is being used to collect contacts and data that will later generate money elsewhere. Without insight into current figures, this can hardly be proven or disproven.

Travel agencies demand clarity instead of vagueness

The Association of Independent Travel Agencies (VUSR) has been criticizing the situation for some time. It states that the last figures were published on March 31, 2017, and that nothing comparable has been released since then. VUSR director Marija Linnhoff has already publicly criticized the lack of transparency surrounding this development. She links this directly to fair competition. Her statement hits home because it is so simple: "Whether this competition is fair can only be assessed if all relevant market participants disclose the figures required by law in a transparent manner."

The critical commentary at the end

Four million euros is a lot of money—but the crucial question is whether it really hurts a major player. If a lack of transparency is ultimately just "priced in," the effect remains limited: small providers fight with their cards on the table, while large ones play in the shadows. If you want a market where performance wins and not just budget, you have to ensure that lack of transparency is not a viable business model. Otherwise, comparison will ultimately turn into obfuscation.

Sources: fvw.de, reisevor9.de