One of the most active discussion topics here in the Community Center is on Instant Book. During our conversations, many of you have raised important questions regarding this hosting tool. So we brought your most-asked questions to the Instant Book team and have gathered the answers for you.
I really hope you find the responses helpful. To make it easier to read all the information here, please click on the 'Read more' sections to view the replies! 🙂
Why should I use Instant Book? What are the real advantages?
There are lots of reasons you might consider using Instant Book.
1. For many of you, hosting is your business. You put a lot of effort and time into creating a welcoming experience, and you also rely on the income you generate. Hosts who use Instant Book often get up to two times as many bookings than hosts who require reservation requests. Here’s why: 2. Guests usually prefer to book instantly, if they have that option. It saves them time and allows them to get on with planning the rest of their trip. 3. We have a filter on our search page that allows guests to filter for Instant Book listings, and nearly 2 out of 3 bookings on Airbnb are made using Instant Book. Instant Book saves you time because you don’t have to respond manually to every reservation request from travelers.
Besides your investment in your own business, as a host you’re on the front lines of creating a world where everyone belongs. Instant Book is a powerful tool you can use to help foster that sense of belonging:
1. Instant Book is one of the best ways to ensure that every guest can receive equal treatment on Airbnb. 2. Our data tells us that a guest who tries to book on Airbnb and gets rejected (or doesn't hear back from a host) is less likely to ever use Airbnb again -- even less likely than a guest who has a 1-star trip on Airbnb! 3. We consistently find that the quality of guests and types of trips booked using Instant Book are nearly identical to request to book trips. Instant Book guests receive the same average ratings from their hosts as any other guest.
Yes, you’re more likely to get more bookings if you turn on Instant Book. Here are some reasons why:
Guests prefer Instant Book. More than 60% of bookings on Airbnb are now booked instantly.
Instant Book listings get a boost in search results.
Turning on Instant Book means your listing will show in search results when the Instant Book filter is applied.
More views often translates to more reservations. And, our data shows that Instant Book hosts often get up to 2x more reservations than request to book listings.
I'm a new host. I wasn't aware of Instant Book and got a booking without accepting and haven't updated my calendar yet. I have cancelled the booking and now have been fined. Why is Instant Book a default?
We’re careful to make it clear to new hosts that they can be booked instantly when they set up their listing, but we know there’s room for improvement. Since new hosts are still getting used to Airbnb, we waive the cancellation fee for one host cancellation every six months (learn more).
The reason we want new hosts to use Instant Book when they join Airbnb is that Instant Book is aligned with Airbnb’s mission of creating a world where people can belong anywhere. Guests also prefer to book instantly, and hosts have the potential to earn more if they let guests book instantly. Finally, we’re slowly moving toward Instant Book being the prefered booking method on Airbnb, so this starts new hosts off in the future of booking on Airbnb.
Can I prevent a bad guest that I've had in the past from booking my listing in the future via Instant Book?
Yes! We recently made a change on Airbnb that automatically blocks guests you’ve negatively reviewed or rated lower than 3 stars from booking with you again.
This is my home and I want to have more control around who stays here. How can I trust that the person arriving at my home is the same person that booked?
In order to book a home on Airbnb, all guests must meet certain requirements, which include verified phone number, email address, and payment information. We also encourage hosts and guests to add verifications through their social networks like Facebook and LinkedIn.
Hosts can also require that guests submit their government-issued ID to Airbnb for comparison with another form of ID. Usually this process includes the host submitting a selfie photo which Airbnb will check to make sure the selfie matches the photo on their ID. These different layers of verification can help you ensure your guests are who they say they are.
Why is Airbnb giving a search boost to hosts who have Instant Book turned on? I feel like I am at a disadvantage by not turning it on.
Like you, we want to make sure that travelers choose Airbnb when they book a place. This is why we promote listings that travelers can book instantly. Guests are much more likely to use Airbnb when they’re able to book the place they want instantly, and that means more future business for hosts! We want to encourage hosts to turn on Instant Book because they have the potential to earn more and give their guests the best possible booking experience.
We understand that Instant Book may not work for every single host. You can turn off Instant Book at any time in your Booking Settings. However, before you turn off Instant Book, we encourage you to explore the different guest, calendar, and reservation settings we have available to help you get reservations that fit your listing. For example, if you feel like your reservations are back-to-back and you don’t have any time between them, you can actually set your calendar to automatically block days between reservations.
How often can I cancel an Instant Book penalty free? For what reasons?
Hosts who use Instant Book have unlimited penalty-free cancellations if a guest breaks a house rule, if they intend to break a house rule, or if the host is uncomfortable with a reservation. These types of cancellations are 100% penalty-free, which means no fees, no automated review, no permanently blocked dates, and no impact on Superhost eligibility.
However, you can’t cancel penalty-free if your reason violates Airbnb’s Non-Discrimination policy. If a guest claims there’s been discrimination, the cancellation will need to be reviewed by Airbnb and may not be penalty-free.
Why are you pushing instant book when it takes away the personal touch that makes Airbnb special?
Our goal with Instant Book isn’t to take the personal touch away, but to help the host focus less time on the logistics of booking (emailing back and forth, managing expectations, confirming house rules, etc.) and more on the part of hosting that is the magic of Airbnb.
Moreover, Instant Book as an experience helps make guests feel more welcome when they use Airbnb. With reservation requests, guests can often get multiple rejections, even if they meet all the requirements to book. And it’s hard for guests to plan their trip when they’re waiting on hosts who are unresponsive. When guests get rejected or find it hard to book a listing, they’ll often choose to avoid Airbnb when booking their next trip. Knowing they can go on Airbnb, find a place they love, and book it right then, makes guests more confident and more likely to use Airbnb every time they travel.
I have been hosting for a while, and some of my guests who have booked via Instant Book have broken my house rules. Why would I trust Instant Book?
While there are always exceptions to any rule, it’s important to know that on average, guests who use Instant Book are rated by hosts just as highly as those who request to book. We consistently find that the quality of guests and types of trips booked using Instant Book are nearly identical to request to book trips.
We provide the ability for you to set clear expectations about your listing in your House Rules and listing description so that both you and your guests share the same understanding about the home.
We want Instant Book hosts to feel as confident that they’re getting the right reservations as hosts who require a reservation request. That’s why if you’re ever uncomfortable with a reservation or if a guest breaks your house rules, you can cancel 100% penalty-free online, anytime. You can learn more about canceling reservations in the Help Center.
Why do only Instant Book guests have to verify their ID and other guests do not?
Before they can make any reservation, all Airbnb guests are required to submit and confirm their full name, email address, phone number, and payment information. Since Instant Book hosts don’t have the opportunity to review every request, travelers who wish to use Instant Book are required to verify their ID with Airbnb. This way, Instant Book hosts can have more confidence that their guests are who they say they are. In addition, since Instant Book hosts don’t get to see a traveler’s reviews until they receive a booking, we allow them to limit Instant Book reservations to experienced guests with only positive reviews.
This is a suggestion: Can you create a setting where certain dates in our calendars can be booked by Instant Book and other dates must be booked normally?
This a great idea! We’re exploring ways to do this and will provide updates if we decide to move forward with it.
Does turning OFF Instant Book make your listing disappear from searches?
No, turning off Instant Book doesn’t make your listing disappear from search results. However, guests have the ability to filter for Instant Book listings, and in some cases, that filter may be turned on by default. When the filter is on, listings that have Instant Book turned off will not show up unless the traveller turns the filter off.
Thank you,
Lizzie
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Thank you for the last 7 years, find out more in my Personal Update.
Looking to contact our Support Team, for details...take a look at the Community Help Guides.
Ah. Missed that part re: positive prior reviews. I guess you are right. A really devious person could book a brief stay, behave well, get a terrific review, and then seek to take advantage of a host. So it wouldn't matter whether you used IB or not - same outcome. Is a good reminder about the risks of hosting - something we all have to think about by doing it. Thanks for the info. I never would have imagined anything like this. Usually it is about damage or theft.
I have someone wanting to book for 5 ngts with 5 more people than I usually allow. Is happy to pay more etc. But there is absolutly zero on the person. I can not find out anything about the person. If I book somewhere, they see me, they know my job and where I live and what I've done in my life ..etc. They see what comments other's have made about my house and my comment back to them...
I don't need that much information but something would be nice.
Have they ever stayed anywhere else before? And if so can I not see comments made about them?
@Erica60, if there is no comment, either he never travelled, never travelled under this profile or the last hist did not review.
Nothing better than to ask him to describe himself and his family or friends and to explain the reason for the voyage. And also for booking with you, exceeding maximum occupancy, and not a bigger property.
I ask at leadt some questions, that need whole sentences.
I totally agree. That is crazy. I would actually ask him to send a reference along with the other details. You can be very politic saying "I always ask for a reference for guests who have never booked before on airbnb. This should be a person who knows you in a professional capacity, community leader, someone in a religious affiliation or similar to that (not just a friend). As you are booking more people than I usually accept I would also like to know who your group consists of and what brings you to the area. I hope these requests are not too demanding as I would love to host you if we can work it out. Once you have booked on airbnb and have a positive review on file you will actually be able to "instant book" if permitted but at least not repeat these steps. I hope to hear back from you"
You mention "Since Instant Book hosts don’t have the opportunity to review every request, travelers who wish to use Instant Book are required to verify their ID with Airbnb." However, I am a new host and got three bookings within the first 2 days of listing. The first two were fine, they were "old" airbnb guests, so had good ratings, but the 3rd booking was from a guest who joined in October and does not have a verified ID - only a verified telephone number. The instant booking feature did not trigger the requirement for a verified ID.
As I am still finding my feet with all the settings, I went back to check and then noticed that I also needed to set ID verification as requirement. I have now set that as requirment for my listing, but according to your explanation, the instant book should have required that from the guest who still has not gotten that level of verification.
Is there any recourse at this stage to get the verification from the guest? The booking is for end of January and the guest is travelling from abroad (Australia to New Zealand), so I would be much happier if I knew the guest was fully verified by Airbnb
I just received an inquiry for a date that I have set to instant book.
In the 3 minutes it took me to answer their question someone else booked our room. Will I be penalized for now having to decline the questioner who should've had first dibs?
@CK-and-Tia0, your first contact was only a contact not a booking? In that case, a simple answer by message would be enough in any case. Personally, I call that a nice surprise for me, if I get a quickly decided guest instead of a complicated one. For politeness sake, I would write to the other one, that first booker gets the room on airbnb and unfortunately some one was fadter than you and booked without any questions. I usually wish them well and explain something usefull nevertheless, if they had general questions. They might book my place next time.
Even if you tried, you could not confirm both, their request will change to impossible.
Just for awareness, because I just caught this on 11/14/17. If you don't utilize Instant Book, AirBnB now with-holds the guests prior reviews on performance. This is a shameful modification. We should have the right to leverage past stays and reviews to evaluate our guests. On this basis alone, I believe Instant Book is not in your best interest. The platform is further eroding the transparency of information.
Shame on AirBnB for this change. I'm sorry that there were bad hosts that didn't celebrate diversity, but you should have a right to evaluate past performance. Now AirBnB is discriminating against strong hosts who believe in high accountabilities on both sides of the transaction.
All this stuff was driving me insane, so I switched over to IB just to try it. Actually, I like it. Even though I want total control, I realized I have never turned a guest away who asked to stay here. And I worried about missing an inquiry lest I lose my stats for "responds in 1 hour." I guess there is still a way to cancel a guest that books and you are not comfortable with - certainly if they say they are bringing their dog or something. But only guests with 5-star ratings can use IB so there isn't any risk in that regard. The biggest stress now is not having total control over my calendar - really having to think ahead for all of 2018 re: week-ends away, or guests coming lest I get booked. But so far so good. I guess I could always get a surrogate host if necessary. Anyway - not as bad as I thought.
@Tyler-And-Becca0, I’m not in smart pricing and still see former reviews. What did you see? An empty profile with one or a few hidden reviews? That means the guest is new, just travelled and his host has written a review already, but he has not written one for the host yet. Tell him to write his, if that is the case.
I got a few such cases on IB, with the Only Recommended Guests filter on. I called airbnb the first time and they told me, that the review was good and the guest had gotten the thumbs up sign, therefore he could already use IB.
As I keep repeating; let IB be to the dicretion of the Host to apply to their listing and the Guest to apply to their search.
I think it is highly unfair for Airbnb to set IB to default mode, therefor discriminating against Hosts like myself who choose not to use Instant Book for their listing.
I did and I got a cacellation review and lost eligibility to be a superhost. I can't see this rule in your answers above so have they changed since the FAQ was written?
