How do I set up for people booking my place to pay in instalments?

[Margaret245]

I have removed instant book and would like to allow people booking for an extended period of time to be able to pay a deposit and then the final payment closer to arrival. How do i do this please?

[Fred13]

With Airbnb I don't think that is possible, though the 'extended period of time' you mentioned may influence that reality. What length of time you mean by that? It does raise the possibility of changing the legal status of a simple 'guest' into a 'tenant' (staying over 28 days) in certain locations/countries.

VRBO does allow a 'deposit' (aka partial payment), which the host gets to set.

[Robin4]

@Margaret245  @Fred13 Yes Margeret this is possible.

there are two scenarios here. With a long term reservation, that is a booking for more than 28 nights, (Airbnb work in nights, and a month is 28 days not 30 or 31) payment is taken from the guest in monthly installments. The first payment taken on booking and subsequent payments taken at the end of each month. So the guest is always paying a month in advance!

For short term reservations (that is less than 28 nights) Airbnb now offer a 'Pay less up-front' sheme where the guest pays for half the rerservation on booking and the remaining 50% at a nominated date before the reservation is to commence. Here is the official link to this scheme....

https://www.airbnb.ca/help/article/2143/can-i-split-the-cost-of-my-reservation-across-multiple-payme...

In addition to this Airbnb now offers a group payment booking option where groups of people can make a booking through a nominated user and payments will be split equally between all travelling guests in the group. The reservation will block the hosts calendar and all guest in the group are given a 96 hour period to pay in full for the reservation.

https://www.airbnb.ca/help/article/2034/what-s-group-payment

These are the only payment methods that Airbnb will accept, although a Crypto currency option is being rolled out at this time for evaluation and should be in general use midway through next year.

If you want to talk about this further Margaret let me know?

Cheers....Rob

[Margaret245]

This sounds to be exactly what I want, thanks. I know I have just used such a method to make a short term reservation for my own travels and i am paying in 2 instalments.

I will try to set this up using the link you have given.

Thank you

[Fred13]

@Robin4Is this only available to certain guests when they book, if they meet certain requirements in their method of payment? Not that it matters, but the host doesn't have a say in the matter, correct, like they do in VRBO? I also read (searching in the Internet just now) that it is only possible with hosts that are under the Flexible or Moderate cancellation policies, true? Odd odd that none of my guests have never mentioned this, though it would do them the most good, and keep raising the 100% up-front payment 'hit', 2-years in advance.

[Robin4]

@Fred13.... Yeah Fred, it has only recently become general (this just past October) it was trialed for 4 months before then, but is now a general booking option and you are right there are restrictions. Bookings must have a minimum value of $250US I think, their stay must be more than 14 days in advance and the payment options are limited. At this stage only credit/debit card or Paypal are accepted payment options.

And you are also correct in that the host does not have a say in the matter....it is an arrangement between Airbnb and the guest,
Fred, from early August when we became aware of this being trialed I had reservations about it! What if the guest defaults on the second payment. The way the rules stand at the moment the guest will have their first payment refunded and the host will have had a calendar blocked for months!!!! Not a good deal for hosts. I feel that not a lot of water will pass under the bridge before there is a rethink here.

But for the present, 'pay less upfront' is here with us.....so lets see what happens.

Now your telling me something Fred, I am not aware that it is in any way linked to a hosts cancellation policy......see, I learn something new every day!

Cheers....Rob

[Margaret245]

I have followed the link you attached for the short term reservations but found it to be helpful only for travelers. How do i set this up as a host please?

[Robin4]

@Margaret245 

Margaret as a host you do not get the option. It is an arangement between Airbnb and the guest. Unfortunately once again the host is not consulted about this, and it is not possible under Airbnb's platform program to dictate your own payment terms with the guest.

We accept what Airbnb deems applicable.

You will note that in a response to @Fred13 I do have severe reservations about this booking method because it supposes that all in Gods world is rosy and the guest will follow through with the second payment.

These days governments rise and fall in a couple of months, and I would have a serious issue if I found out that Floyd cancelled his booking 3 months after reserving it at Comfortable Hills Studio because his dumpy mousey haired wife had taken a liking to his boss and Floyd had decided to travel to eastern Europe!

I jest Margaret, but you know what I mean, a host can loose a lot of potential booking time if a high percentage of guests take up this booking option!

Cheers....Rob 

[Fred13]

The most frequent hang up to book through Airbnb for a reservation far into the future is/was that 100% up front hit, so good to hear on this new 'Pay Less Up Front' option. The bookings I get via VRBO occur just for that reason. Smart move by Airbnb.

[Fred13]

@Robin0, at least they are trying to improve an existing limitation. I gather they are doing so with much hesitation, because that 14 day minimum requirements has little association with most of their bookings, which average only 3.9 days in length.

"Where in the World is Floyd?" is a more important question. Last I heard via the Coconut Telegraph here in Belize, is that Floyd is hot on Renaldo's trail who is headed back home in Tuscany with the hussy intow. Ralph, who was forced to switch saddles sort of speak,  is now back at company HQs, but suffering from depression. To this day what they see in that tralop totally escapes me.

/I am off to the northern islands for a few days and be back Tuesday, please hold my seat at the theatre. Happy New Years to all!

[Robin4]

@Fred13........Trust all is well in the northern Islands!

Yeah I was totally unimpressed by her Fred, definitely not my sort. But it takes all sorts to make a world. For a while I thought she might have going to do a line with me! I caught her having a long stare and the body language (for want of a better interpretation) said….Renaldooooo won’t mind’.

But in the end this sort of look of resignation came over her face with an expression that said......"Nah, there is a limit to how far I am willing to push the cause of depravity, this apple is best left on the ground”….so I escaped unmolested!

I guess that puts slick Renaldo two steps ahead of me in the desirable stakes and Ralph one.

Fred, I did however get a booking request from Floyd! The KGB schooled him well! As it turned out it was not so much a reservation request. He was after information about the whereabouts of his nearest and dearest and did not know how to make contact with a host without actually sending a booking request. I felt the most prudent option was to decline his request and flag him…the last thing I needed was a knife between the shoulder blades. As soon as I did that, I regretted it because I though…’Oh h*ll, he will put two and two together and think I am the new lawnmower man’!

But Fred, your Coconut Telegraph is better than our Telstra, Ronaldo is indeed back in Italy, I got a post card from him water skiing on Lake Como! He was keen to apologise for the Coffin Bay oysters saga and wrote the fishing in Italy leaves a lot to be desired and in order to keep the buffed body up to ‘lady mucks’ standard had taken to water skiing, and you could see………

To be Continued

[Phil-And-Ellen0]

Current words from the masters:

Your reservation must be with an eligible listing and:

• Have a total value of $250 or more, including any taxes and fees
• Start at least 14 days from the date you book it

On the checkout page, select Pay less upfront. You’ll pay part of your reservation now, and you’ll be automatically charged the remaining balance before you check in. When you check out, we’ll let you know when your next payment is due. We’ll also send you a reminder 3 days before we collect the second payment.

[Ocki6]

In my most recent trips, the two payment option was automatic (pay half at the booking and pay the rest a few days before the arrival). I did not have to select the Pay less upfront option as a guest. This makes me believe it's a setting those hosts set it up, but I am not finding it in the set up as a host. 

Does anyone know how to do this as a host? My potential guest is asking about it.

Thanks.

[Sarah977]

@Ocki6  The host can't set this up. It is offered to guests by Airbnb, not hosts. 

[Phil-And-Ellen0]

Should AirBnB not be promoting this? The other outfit offers sit payment up front and as part of their blurb, I know it would increase bookings.