How to Charge Extra Fees for Services: A Community Help Guide

[Dave-and-Deb0]

There are often many people posting that they would like to charge extra fees for things which could include:

1. Pet fee
2. Bicycle rental
3. Tours
4. Airport pickup/dropoff
5. Extra cleaning
6. Tickets to events
7. Cooked meals
8. Anything else you can think of

Besides the cleaning fee and extra guest fees, Airbnb does not offer any additional charges that can be offered which will automatically apply to a reservation.  With that said, if you have an additional service in which you would like to charge for, you can include this in your listing.

You can advertise extra services on your listing by describing them in your listing description.  

If guests would like these additional services, you can charge for them in three ways.

1. Special Offer

When a guest makes an inquiry or request, you can add the additional services by making a special offer.  If it is an inquiry, you would need to add the cost of the additional services into the total price of the reservation including the cleaning fee and extra guests if you charge for these.  If it is a reservation request, you would need to decline the request and then make a special offer the same as the previous sentence.  Once the special offer is sent, Airbnb will add their guest service fee and applicable taxes if any.  Please note that the cost of the additional services will be included in calculation of the guest service fee.  For this reason, option 3 is more preferable for me.

2. Alteration Request

If you have a guest who has already booked, you can make an alteration request and add the addtional service charges into the total price.  Like a special offer, you need to ensure you enter the total amount including cleaning fee and extra guests in the amount box.  Here is a Help Guide for Alteration requests: https://community.airbnb.com/t5/Hosts/Change-Price-Number-of-Guests-Check-in-or-Check-out-Dates-A/m-...

3. Resolution Request

This is my preferred way of charging a guest for additional services because the guest and the host do not get charged a host or guest service fee (not yet).  If the guest guest makes a reservation and they would like any of these services, you can put the payment through using the resolution center at https://airbnb.com/resolutions and then choosing "Request payment for extra services".  This process can be used before, during or after the guests reservation.  If you are going this route, only include the cost of the additional services.  The other benefit of this is the charges are a separate transaction and easier to handle during tax time.  Here is a Help Guide on the resolution center: https://community.airbnb.com/t5/Hosts/The-Resolution-Center-A-Community-Help-Guide-Request-or-Offer/...

I hope this helps in understanding how to charge for additional services.

If this article has helped in any way, give it a thumbs up!

[Liz165]

I have to charge for club passes on the caravan park which has to paid for before the guests arrive what's the best way to add the cost to the reservation? 

[Sara451]

Hello @Liz
As @Dave-and-Deb0 said there are 3 ways to make it on the link they shared:
https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Hosting/The-Resolution-Center-A-Community-Help-Guide-Request-or-...
All the best, 
Sara

[Geoffrey20]

Does anyone simply ask guests for a cash payment for an extra service, such as an evening meal or packed lunch?

If so, is it ever a hassle? Is it permissible under Airbnb rules?

[Sara451]

Hello @Geoffrey0
I thing, that under Airbnb rules you can make it, to recieve a cash payment for extra services as meals, etc, as they pay no Airbnb service fee, except for guests extra nights, or addicional guests, that due a fee to Airbnb.
All the best,
@Sara0

[Marcy1]

I have a few questions @Dave-and-Deb0 or others might know the answer to:

1. Is the resolution center located under a tab in hosting mode? the only way I can see if I've already requested money from an upcoming guest is to search under help, type in resolution center, and follow the link. 

2. How is the request for money sent to the guest? email? do you know what it says as the title. I have a lot of guests asking to pay for their dog, but did not recognize the email when it came (since the request for money doesn't fall within the airbnb app).

3. What does the text look like in the email for extra services, because many of my guests have to be hand held in paying. Is there a link that takes them back into the airbnb app? If so, why not have the extra service be added as a message in the airbnb app in the first place? 

Thanks! Marcy

[Dave-and-Deb0]

Hi @Marcy1

I just know the link by memory which is https://airbnb.com/resolutions

I have also seen that the resolution center is not as friendly as it use to be as it is more limited for when you can request money.  I now make an alteration request to the guest and include the additional service in the total that I manually enter into the total box.

[Vivicka0]

Many times I guests want to rent a fold-a-bed after booking, or add a guest. Does airbnb apply the tax to this or is it something I need to do on my own? It is very unclear.

[Michelle-and-Adam0]

My guest successfully paid my additional request fee for a pet. Now, she isn't bringing the pet and I want to refund the fee. How can i do this?!

[Alexandra316]

@Michelle-and-Adam0 Open a message to your guest on the Airbnb website. Right at the top of the messaging string, there will be a box that will say:

Confirmed! (Guest Name) arrives on Tue, 31st Jul

Be sure to message (Guest Name) with check-in details.

There will be two buttons: the one on the right will say Send or Request Money.

Click on Send or Request Money, and it will give you the option to send money to your guest. Keep in mind that it will take a bit of time for the refund to go through, because it will be taken from your next payout, whenever that is sent to you.

[Michelle-and-Adam0]

Hi! Thanks for this. The problem is, When i do that - It only gives me the option to go to the alterations tool (see screen shot) :

When I go to the alterations tool, it only gives me the options to cancel or change her reservation. When I click change I can change the total she owes me, but not a specific refund.

[Michelle-and-Adam0]

I think i figured out what's happening: Airbnb won't let me send money back to a guest until AFTER their trip has happened. Hey, Airbnb! This seems like a feature we should have! If guests can send ME money anytime, shouldn't I be able to send THEM money anytime?! Now I have to put a reminder on my calendar to not forget to refund this guest $25. Come on, guys!

[Behr0]

I've arrived at this article/question discussion because I am currently in a rental that has a big manual on the table (40+ pages) full of "do's and don'ts" as well as laminated cards and signs all over the property with all the service fees that will be charged if I make a misstep such as using the propane BBQ then not replacing the tank with a full one, not resetting the breakers if the power goes out, losing one of the garage door openers (that were missing when I got here), etc, etc, ad nauseum. 

I have a propane BBQ that I used off and on for 6 months before it was empty, I refilled it completely for about $3. The owner of this property threatens in the manual to charge me $50 if I use even $.25 of propane and don't run into town for a new one!

There are also a couple signs indicating how to reset the breakers and location the electrical panel in case of a power outage and there is a section stating that I should do this "to avoid an unnecessary service charge". 

 
$100 charges here and there, including a notice about the pool/spa maintenance people and how we should expect them on the property at any given moment and that if we turn them away we will be charged.

None of this is in the listing online, nor is there mention that upon arrival we are required to read this small novel of a manual to make sure we aren't doing anything that is going to incur one of the many service fees.

I'm curious how intense a property owner can get about charging service fees and what the limitations are if any? This stay is far from relaxing even though we aren't even really using the place for anything other than sleeping in between days spent at our family's house nearby.

[David3946]

Oh gosh! That sounds terrifying. Unless it's in the listing or you signed a contract when you arrived agreeing to all these things I don't think they can hold you to it. I'm NOT an attorney 🙂

Being a host of a very expensively decorated place, I do have a few rules as well as a rental agreement (clearly disclosed in the listing). It really only protects me if they guest tries to squat, accessed the roof, smokes or loses/keeps keys.

I feel some hosts get caught up with trying to protect themselves from every possibility under the sun that they end up doing more harm than good...

Good luck and try to enjoy your stay! 🙂 

[Brendan226]

The listing is the contract. Specifically, fees must be mentioned in the house rules before they can be collected. Let us presume you did turn away the pool cleaner because you were having a pool party when they showed up. The host might try to charge you, however, it's doubtful that when it comes to the Airbnb resolution process that they will find in the host's favour. Or at least that is what Airbnb has maintained with me. All fees must be clearly outlined in the contract, and be in place BEFORE the booking takes place.

Surprising them with a contract at the time of arrival would also not fly, from what I understand. The contract is formed when they pay. Not when they show up. Coercing someone to agree to hidden fees after they have planned a trip around it and arrived is not legal.