Activate Portage — Free booking software for Canadian campgrounds

Portage.

Step 1 of 5 · Your listing

Guests are already finding you on Northern Stay. Let's make it official.

Your own listing pageYour location, site types, rates, and a booking form. Built from your existing website.

Free foreverNo monthly bill. No commission from you. Not a trial.

Portage.

Step 2 of 5 · The fee

You pay nothing. Enter your rate and see exactly what your guest pays.

Your nightly rate

$

Nights

Province

Portage by Northern Stay · Booking summary · Your Property

3 nights × $60.00

$180.00

Portage by Northern Stay service fee (5.9%)

$10.62

HST (13% — Ontario)ⓘTax applies to the full accommodation amount and is collected and remitted by Portage by Northern Stay under Canada's platform economy rules (CRA, July 2021). Already GST/HST registered? Contact us and we'll apply your number.

$23.40

Guest total

$214.02

Credit card processing (~2.9% + $0.30)

-$5.52

You receive

$174.48

CC processing estimate based on standard card rates (~2.9% + $0.30). Actual may vary by card type.

You set $60/night. Guest pays $214.02 total. After CC processing you receive approximately $174.48.

Portage.

Step 3 of 5 · How we compare

How we compare.

Portage.

Airbnb

Hipcamp

Campspot

Monthly fee

$0

Quote only

Host fee

$0

15.5%*

15%**

10%+***

Guest fee

5.9%

Removed*

Varies

Case manager

Yes

No

Cancellations

We handle

Their rules

You handle

Canadian

Yes

No

Bad reviews

You decide

Goes live

← swipe to compare →

How the review process works

Got a bad review? You hear about it before anyone else does. You have 72 hours to reach out to the guest and sort it out. Think the review is unfair? Dispute it — it stays hidden while we talk to both sides. Nothing goes public until it’s resolved.

Sources & fee notes

* Airbnb (Oct 2025): 15.5% host-only fee, guest service fee removed.

** Hipcamp: 15% commission (12.5% with PMS), $3 minimum per booking.

*** Campspot: 10% marketplace + transaction fees (~12.5% total). Software pricing requires a sales call.

All fees subject to change — verify directly with each platform.

Portage.

Step 4 of 5 · What you get

We run the system. You run your campground.

Full booking systemCalendar, availability, payments, confirmations.

Dedicated case managerOne person who knows your property. Not a rotation.

Cancellations & chargebacksWe apply your policy and handle the bank paperwork.

Real phone supportA person picks up. No queue, no bot.

Auto-renewing seasonalsSet once. Returning campers come back without you lifting a finger.

Free tier, forever10 monthly fee-waivers for walk-ins, phone bookings, and your regulars.

Portage.

Step 5 of 5 · Your info

Tell us about your property and we will build your listing.

We will email you a draft of your listing within one business day.

Property name *

Your name *

Province *

Your email * (booking notifications come here)

Phone optional

Your website optional

How do guests book with you now? optional

How you get paid

Guest pays online. You set up your own banking in the Portage portal after approval. Money lands by direct deposit — no delays, no held funds.

Operator Agreement

Review and confirm before submitting

By checking the boxes below and clicking submit, you are digitally signing the Northern Stay Operator Agreement. A copy will be emailed to you.

I authorize Northern Stay to build, host, and publish a listing page for my property on northernstay.com and related platforms. I grant Northern Stay permission to use my property's name, photos, and description in marketing — including social media, paid advertising, email campaigns, and SEO content. I understand that Portage collects guest payments on my behalf and remits my full nightly rate. I will set up my banking in the Portage portal to receive payouts. I agree to respond to booking notifications within 24 hours and to maintain accurate availability on the Portage calendar. I confirm I have the authority to list this property and I agree to the Northern Stay Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.

Your digital signature (name, email, timestamp, and IP address) will be recorded and stored. A copy of this agreement will be emailed to you.

Request received.

We will email a draft of your listing to you within one business day.

What happens next

We build a draft of your Northern Stay page and email it to you

You tell us what to fix. We fix it.

You approve it and it goes live

Guests find your page, book, and pay online. You get a notification for each booking.

Manage everything from your Portage by Northern Stay account

Payouts go to your bank account by direct deposit. We collect your banking details securely after approval.

Questions? Email us at admin@northernstay.com

Join Portage

Guests are already finding you on Northern Stay. Let's make it official.

You pay nothing. Enter your rate and see exactly what your guest pays.

How we compare.

We run the system. You run your campground.

Tell us about your property and we will build your listing.

Request received.

What happens next