Group payment

[Susan869]

I’ve just had a booking which has blocked my calendar but says awaiting other group payment. They have 72 hours to do this? Is this  new? If they others don’t pay what happens? 

[Steve143]

Hello @Susan869,

It was introduced a few months ago.

The article below describes how it operates.

What's group payment?

In discussions in this forum many hosts have decried the 72 hour holding of their calendar. The last paragraph of the above article is telling. Hosts have no comeback if not all of the guests manage to pay in that time. The process is then canceled by Airbnb, your cancelation policy doesn't apply as there never was a confirmed reservation but your calendar dates are blocked for that time.

Steve.

[Susan869]

Wow... that’s a bit naughty of Airbnb isn’t it? Blocking but not sticking to your cancellation policy? Thank you.

[Heather133]

@Susan869 and @Steve143, I wasn't aware of the group payment feature until someone used it last night to book one of my properties. In searching the forum, I found that Lizzie had it in a host update. Reading someone else's comment, I realized I must not have all of the right boxes checked in the settings for that, because this caught me off-guard. I REALLY like the feature because it ensures that everyone who is staying will be listed on the reservation and therefore in the reviews. My hope is that this will make everyone more accountable for their behavior, which seems, in my experience, to be a problem more often in groups. 

I do think it should be a 24 hour hold though. If we're expected to respond in 24 hours, I think it's a reasonable expectation for the guest to come through in 24 hours as well.

[Lila-And-Chris0]

This group pay option has just rolled out in my area/been applied to my listing, so I am facing it for the first time. Wow. Really, a 4 day grace period with now cancellation policiy in effect and my calendar being blocked from other prospective guests? Combined with the grace period now in effect for strict cancellation policies, I'm really struggling to understand the way host protections are being gradually diluted. I came to the community forum to see what other hosts are saying about this group pay feature.

Curious...where are all the other host  opinions and voices on this one?

[Katcha0]

This group payment sucks. Can it be optional? 

[Letti0]

@Katcha0  Nope it's not an option. I put this in my house rules hoping the few that actually read them will look elsewhere because of it, but I cannot actually enforce it:

I don't accept Group bookings/payments.

[Ronda12]

Group payment is AWFUL for hosts.  Blocks your calander for 4 full days without options to opt out!   Just another thing Airbnb does to support guests not hosts.   Guests can cancel after the 4 days and leave you high and dry - they can cancel any reservation within 2 days free of penalty.  Hosts can never cancel and have no options.   When you force people to use functions that aren’t good for them only for the company it has strong negative implications.  I know Airbnb feels untouchable but it’s just a matter of time. 

[Lila-And-Chris0]

And so, the other questionI have about group pay:  

Does the 48 hour grace period for free-cancellation "stack" on top of the 4 days allowed for group payments to be completed?

In other words, is it now possible that a group could block a listing for up to 4 days, completing the group payment at the last possible minute, and then be given 48 hours to cancel? If so this would mean that a listing could be effectively taken out of play for a sincere booking for up to 6 days? 

I want to know exactly how group pay and free-cancellation interface.

[Nafis1]

I just had my first "Group Payments" booking and found my calendar blocked for 4 days until the booking was cancelled.

I find this unacceptable as i did not have any say in it and my cancellation policy is "Strict". Now the "potential"guests contact me again that they still want to go on with their booking. That means that my calendar will be blocked again for 4 days + grace period??

The idea as such is actually good but there should be a time limit of not more then 48 hours to organize it (and no grace period). There also should be a setting for hosts to accept or refuse this option.