Payments

[Mariette46]

The airbnb app has asked my client to only pay a few days before they book in. 

The client wants to pay now. How do I facilitate it. 

Also, I need guests to pay on the day of making the booking. 

Is there a setting I must change. 

Please assist, thank you

[Gernide0]

Hi Mariette46,

Airbnb handles all guest payments directly, so hosts can’t change when guests are charged. The timing depends on the guest’s payment method and Airbnb’s rules in their country.

Here’s what you can share with your guest:

• If Airbnb told them they’ll be charged closer to check-in, that’s automatic
Some payment methods (especially “Pay Less Up Front”) split the payment on Airbnb’s side. Guests can’t manually pay early.

• If the guest wants to pay the full amount now
They can contact Airbnb Support and request for the balance to be charged immediately. Sometimes Airbnb can process it early for them.

• Hosts cannot switch a setting to force guests to pay on the booking day
Airbnb will always charge guests according to their payment plan. We as hosts don’t have a control panel for this.

The good news is:
You will always receive your payout 1 day after check-in, no matter how or when Airbnb collected the money.

You’re doing everything right — this one is just Airbnb’s payments system, not your settings. 🌟

[Shelley159 · Accepted solution]

Hi @Mariette46 

The Book now Pay later feature is very new. I'm afraid the host can't turn it off. Some worry that the new payment terms may lead to excessive cancellation requests, or a lower quality of guest. But it's not within your control.

I would advise against getting involved in the payment process by answering a guest's questions. You are responsible for the listing, Airbnb is responsible for payment (you have no control over payments, otherwise - as you have said - you wouldn't have accepted late payments in the first place). 

These lines ideally shouldn't blur, because the host should be reviewed on the listing only and not on your knowledge of Airbnb's processes.

You can advise the guest to click the reservation and Get Help to ask payment questions to Airbnb Support. If you want to, you can go as far as contacting Support and asking them to reach out to the guest to help them with a payment question.

[Lisa1247]

What I have done, and I did this 2 years ago, I believe, was I added a 10% discount for guests forfeiting cancellations.  If they accept the discount, they cannot cancel.  This might be a good benefit with this new feature.  I receive almost zero cancellations, perhaps 1 per year total, and almost never do I get charged for it.   They might cancel but I get payment anyway.