A Host’s Guide to Airbnb Payment Methods

Airbnb payment methods are designed with convenience in mind. Airbnb tries its best to accommodate preferred Airbnb payment options per country, and will usually give hosts and travelers more than one option to choose from. Airbnb is in the convenience business.

No matter where in the world you are based, Airbnb has payment plans and options that can work for you. Whether you want to use a credit or debit card, you’ll be able to add a new payment method before the checkout page or on the drop-down menu.

If you’re new to Airbnb payments and need to set up your payment methods, or are curious about how the payment method works, here is all you need to know.

Which Payment Methods Are Accepted on Airbnb?

While Airbnb offers widely-accepted payment options across multiple countries, it also has some niche options that specific countries prefer.

Let’s take a closer look at the most common methods available in most countries and some country-specific options also offered on the Airbnb booking platform.

Widely accepted payment options

The following payment options are available in most countries:

• Visa, MasterCard, Amex, JCB, and debit cards that can be processed as a credit or debit card
• Google Pay and Apple Pay
• PayPal 

Airbnb payment options for certain countries (listed below)

Along with Google Pay, Apple Pay, and other popular Airbnb options, the following methods are available only in certain countries:

1. Brazil

• Aura
• Elo
• Hipercard

2. China

• Alipay
• WeChat Pay

3. India

• PayU

4. Italy

• Postepay

5. Germany

• Sofort Überweisung

6. The Netherlands

• iDEAL

7. The United States

• Discover

Whatever your booking subtotal is, the total booking cost will be charged automatically from your specified pay method. All the details, including the property’s cancellation policy and nightly rate, should be included in your booking confirmation and payment confirmation email.

How Do Payments Work On Airbnb?

The Airbnb payment process is designed to be as simple and convenient as possible for both hosts and guests. 

When making their booking, your guests will need to provide Airbnb with their payment details and select any of the different methods available, whether that be debit card, credit card, PayPal account, or another available option.

You can also open up new cards that don’t require a security deposit (and get one with no annual fee if desired) — low-interest-rate cards that offer rewards points and cash back are another way to pay for rental services.

Then, guests may pay a portion or the full booking amount when their reservation is made, depending on the length of their stay and if they have opted for a payment plan.

Regardless of when guests pay, hosts will only receive their money 24 hours after guests check-in.

How Do Payment Plans Affect Hosts?

An Airbnb payment plan is a new method introduced by the platform as a way for guests to travel now and pay later. This is in contrast to the normal system where an Airbnb guest has to pay early, in full.

Guests who meet the eligibility criteria are able to pay part of their booking amount once the reservation is confirmed, and the second payment at a later date. This second payment date will be stated so you’ll know when to expect it. Airbnb will automatically charge any final payment from their payment account before check-in.

Because the total amount will still be paid before guests check in, the payment plan does not significantly impact hosts. Remember, hosts will only receive the money for a booking 24 hours after check-in.

The requirements for guests to be eligible for the payment plan:

• Guests need to pay with a credit card, debit card, PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay, or Airbnb credit.
• Individuals can’t pay with the Indian Rupee (INR) currency or, in some cases, the Brazilian Real (BRL).
• The total booking value should be at least $50 USD, including taxes and fees, excluding any credits or coupons.
• The reservation should be at least 14 days in the future.
• The reservation can’t be a long-term stay of 28 nights or more
• It can’t be an Airbnb for Work reservation.

How Do I Add A Default Payment Method and Payment Details For Payouts to My Airbnb Account?

If you haven’t yet set up your default payment method for host payouts, need to change the details of your existing payment method, or add a new payment method, you can do so on your Airbnb account settings by following these steps:

1. Click on Account – Payments & Payouts – Payouts
2. Select Add Payout Method and choose your country to see which payment methods you have available
3. Choose your preferred payout method. You are able to choose more than one method at a time, in which case, you can select one to make your default
4. Once you’ve added your payment method click Continue
5. Airbnb will request some additional information, click Next after you have done so.

How Do Airbnb Hosts Get Paid From Airbnb?

Once your transcation is ready to be processed, Airbnb will release it either by bank transfer, to your PayPal account, or another payment method of your choice.

When Do I Receive Payments For My Bookings?

As mentioned above, hosts will receive the booking value 24 hours after a guest has checked in. This is to ensure that everything goes as planned for both parties before a host is paid.

Automate and streamline your payments and payment settings with vacation rental software

If you’re looking for an easier way to manage your payment settings and payouts as an Airbnb host, you may want to consider vacation rental software. With software tools like iGMS, you have access to a wide range of features to help you manage your transcation processing activities efficiently.

iGMS offers:

• Safe payment collection with Stripe
• Invoice management
• Seamless integrations with Airbnb and other top OTAs to manage your different payment methods from one convenient platform

Streamline Your Payments

Does Airbnb Accept Cash?

Unfortunately, Airbnb does not accept cash. In fact, hosts accepting offline and cash payments are a violation of Airbnb’s terms of service and Airbnb encourages guests to report this if hosts request offline or cash payments.

The reason for this strict rule is that an offline or cash payment method is not as safe as those offered on the platform, making it difficult for Airbnb to protect your hosts’ and guests’ information. This puts you at risk of fraud, scams, and other security breaches.

If Airbnb discovers that you are asking your guests to pay offline or with cash, it could result in your Airbnb account being removed from the site.

Does Airbnb Accept Cryptocurrency?

Unfortunately, Airbnb does not accept cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin as payment for an Airbnb booking at the moment. However, Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky tweeted in January 2022 that Airbnb consumers are eager for cryptocurrency to be added to Airbnb. Maybe in the future.

Does Airbnb Accept Paypal?

Many hosts have been wondering whether Airbnb accepts Paypal and they’ll be happy to know that Airbnb does accept Paypal as a payment method for Airbnb guests paying for reservations. You can use Paypal as a payment method on the Airbnb website or the Airbnb app.

Pay with Klarna

Hosts in the USA and Canada are now able to pay for their Airbnb reservations with Klarna, which is a repayment scheme. Airbnb are currently offering two Klarna repayment plans: Pay in 4 installments or pay monthly. Airbnb are aiming to introduce the Klarna scheme to the rest of the world in stages throughout 2023 and 2024.

External services provide great help for vacation rental hosts and, at iGMS, you can enjoy the following features:

• Managing multiple accounts and listings on the top OTAs from a single interface
• Synchronizing reservations across multiple platforms to eliminate the risk of double bookings
• Organizing messages into a single feed with a unified inbox
• Improving communication with automated templates and triggered messaging
• Creating and coordinating cleaning tasks with live tracking to completion
• Creating your own direct booking website
• Managing direct bookings using a direct booking management toolkit
• Processing payments securely via integration with Stripe.
• Creating essential reports on your business results within minutes
• Adjusting your pricing in a smart way through integrations with PriceLabs, DPGO, and Wheelhouse
• Automating the process of guest reviews

About the Author
Callan Riddles is the Content and Social Media Specialist at iGMS. Callan has a passion for finding new ways to help vacation rental businesses thrive. In her free time, she loves to travel, read, and experience all the new things that life has to offer.