Buyer Guide
Booking vs. Allotment: What Is the Difference?
Two terms that sound similar but mark different stages of a purchase.
Booking
A booking is a reservation — you pay a token or booking amount to hold a specific unit or plot while the formal paperwork is prepared. A booking is generally not a completed sale on its own: it is an intent to buy, made concrete by a payment, but the terms that govern what happens next (refund conditions, deductions, deadlines) come from the booking agreement itself, not from the act of paying alone.
Allotment
Allotment is the step after booking where the builder or society formally assigns a specific unit, flat, or plot to you — usually recorded in an allotment letter. An allotment letter is a stronger document than a booking receipt: it typically confirms the exact unit, its specifications, and the payment plan, and it is often one of the documents referenced later at registration and in the ownership document checklist.
Why the distinction matters
A booking can usually be cancelled more easily than an allotment, though the exact refund and cancellation terms depend entirely on what your booking agreement or allotment letter actually says — not on either term by itself. Before paying any amount, ask specifically: is this a booking or an allotment, what document will I receive, and what are the written cancellation terms for that specific document?
This page explains general terminology used across the Indian real estate market. It is not legal advice and does not describe the specific terms of any particular builder, project, or state's rules — always read your own booking agreement or allotment letter, and see Booking and Cancellation Checklist and Independent Legal Review Recommendation in the full Buyer Guide.