Answers to your top Instant Book questions!

Lizzie · ‎19-07-2017

Hello everyone,

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.

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.

Will Instant Book help me get more bookings?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

How and when can I disable Instant Book?

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.

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.

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.

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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Priscilla46 · ‎19-08-2017

I am totally confused. I hope airbnb will actually write something straightforward that lists all the ins and outs. Can someone tell me what the levels are? (2, 10, etc. Number of years as a host?)

Helga0 · ‎19-08-2017

@Priscilla46, for a while the IB filter was on by default, if there are many more results than the software can show. I suppose it was a test and not conclusive. I search in Paris often, where I have listings, on different browsers and gadgets. The last month it was not On but Off and you have to switch it on. It's proposed on the same page like superhost filter and price. For other filters like kitchen ot tv you have to click them on on another page.

The community center levels refer to frequency of posts and if people like those posts. You start at 1 and 10 is as high as it gets.

Priscilla46 · ‎20-08-2017

Thanks again for you help. It is so nice to have input from knowledgeable people. Is it true, though, that IB results come up by default when someone is looking? It doesn't seem to be the case - I have looked in other areas to test it. But people in this chat say it does.

Helga0 · ‎20-08-2017

@Priscilla46, if the filter is not switched on, the IB results don't come up by default, but they come up in order of their search rank. In that, they have an advantage, but you may beat it.

The search rank is defined by several parameters (not published exactly, but hinted at and you may trst some over time). Their aim is to make the most happy bookings, as happy people will continue to use the service.

A fast reply makes the guest happy, a slow decision will scare him away and he might book elsewhere. Therefore there is a 24 hours deadline on normal requests and therefore an immediate answer brings you to the top. IB is as fast as you can be, therefore it brings you advantage, but if you stay within an hour with question, answer, decision, the difference is not notable in my experience.

Other parameters are guest satisfaction- nit so much the stars, but the question if the guest would recommend airbnb. I read somewhere, that a guest is more likely to book again after a one star experience than after a cancellation, therefore cancellations dump you to the bottom of the list.

Another parameter seems to be frequency of bookings and that seems to have a quirk in it. In Paris, normally I'm 100% booked , but if I block the listing for a while, it's slow to pick up again. I'm in such a period now: listing blocked for renovation in July and I get one night a week in August. Checking it on a neutral browser, it comes it comes up on page 7 instead of first page (with filters on), way after two pages of hostel beds.

It's depending on period though, as I'm getting bookings for September and October, which is very early for my late booking short term visitors.

Ah, another factor: the search algorithm learns your preferences. If you prefer longer bookings, the short ones won't see your listing. If you do not accept bookings, that would put a short block in a long period, search for such a date won't see your place. If you deny lingterm, you won't get those. The more configurations you accept, the more people see your listing.

So, this was my morning lecture, sorry for spelling, I have to pay my coffee and head to a shop for some plumbing material (open on Sunday). As after a while, you learn to live with the search results - I blocked one month for two months of work and it seems my gamble worked perfectly.

Evidently, all of this is speculation from a host 😉

Priscilla46 · ‎20-08-2017

Helga - thank you so much for your very helpful answers and taking the time to write. I have only been doing this a year so some questions have piled up and there is no way at airbnb to get answers. Though it probably works better this way as posters learn from hosts how it is really working vs. how it is said to be working. Good luck with the renovations!

Jackie117 · ‎10-08-2017

Hi,

Per your information about checking guest selfie photos against their government ids, I have had in the past and will have in the future guests whose "selfie" photos are not of themselves. iIn fact sometimes they are of animals (in one case a koala bear). Therefore, I do not feel that I can trust instant book because it does not encourage communications between myself the host and the guest. Some guest profiles say nothing about the guest. I also like to make sure I know how many people are coming and who they are in relation to my guest. We also respond in usually one to two hours to all requests.

Carmel11 · ‎10-08-2017

I Have also had requests ( I don't use IB ) where people have posted cuddly toys for their profile pics and nothing about themselves or how many of them are coming. .

This rings alarms with me and I have had to ask for more information about them and their group. I have always then received a nice introduction from the guest but I would not have to ask for it if Airbnb would insist that a clear picture and profile be listed for its members.

Also I charge more when there are over 4 guests so it is in my interest and Airbnb's to have the full charges appropriated.

I really feel Airbnb should not allow such profile pics and should encourage guests to create some type of profile info. I have to be very diligent as to who I invite to stay at my home for my sake and that of my neighbours ; who would be keen to ban Airbnb entirely!

Julie10 · ‎10-08-2017

Sounds like IB was, in part, created because hosts were either being completely non-responsive or were denying reservations. I hope in addition to making IB (pretty much) mandatory, you are cracking down on hosts that are non-responsive/denying booking requests. I think that's a major problem, and people who want to be hosts should be responsive and accepting booking requests. If they don't want to host for a time, just snooze your listing or block out your calendar.

Kim-And-Woody0 · ‎12-08-2017

you must be new to this....lets see your thoughts in about a year or two from now...

Helga0 · ‎12-08-2017

After her next 260 reviews you mean?

Tong6 · ‎10-08-2017

I turned on the instant booking once and I even didnot notice my suite was booked and I have to cancel it.

The bad thing is I had a not good record on the my review list.

That was the first time and since then, i dare not to turn the instant bookin on.

Melissa299 · ‎10-08-2017

My instant book was turned on and not aware of it when I was new, and I had a reservation that came through and it was not fit for my house and there fore became uncomfortable with it and I cancelled it. I was given a penalty and what not...I thought that wasnt how it was meant to be?

Nick222 · ‎10-08-2017

I am an Airbnb super-host and I do not have instant booking enabled for two reasons firstly when I tried it I got an instant double booking partly my fault because my calendars where not properly synchronized . Secondly I think it makes the booking process less personal . After all Airbnb is about sharing and communication and I don't understand why this is being discouraged from the initial booking inquiry . I think that most hosts would like to have some idea of the nature of the booking and whether it's a family reunion or a binge drinking party . Luckily I have a very special listing and I am not in competition with everybody renting a spare bedroom. I love the Airbnb community and what it has done for my lifestyle but I think they are jumping the gun a little on pushing this instant booking on everybody

Carmel11 · ‎10-08-2017

I couldn't agree more. Like Nick I need to know in advance who will stay in my home so I can be sure that my neighbours privacy will not be interferred with. I really think the IB feature is being pushed on users. I notice when there are 'tons of listings available' there isn't an instant "Superhost' or " Responds quickly" applied to shorten the search! Not that I would agree to this either, but you get my point, I hope.

Robert475 · ‎10-08-2017

Just a fair warning to all those Instant Book users, your super host status is in jeopardy of being lost if you send someone a special offer via Airbnb. I was in the process of sending a special rate to a prospective guest from Brasil who wanted to stay for 17 consecutive days. 13 minutes after I had sent the offer, someone else used the Instant Book service and booked one of the dates included in the offer I had sent the guest from Brasil.

I was shocked, as this is not what I expected to happen. You would think that there would be a period where the offer is only available to the person the offer was sent to. But alas, read the small print people!!! When I called Airbnb to help with the situation I was told that I should have read the rules and there is nothing that can be done, once you set up instant book feature they have priority on bookings.

Anyway in the end I had to contact the new booking and see if they would cancel their booking, but I did not get a response. So in order to get the 17 day booking I canceled the instant book on my end. Because of this my super host status has been forfeited.

All because of Instant Book, so hosters beware...

Robert ***

Halifax, NS, Canada

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