New host: Payouts held for 30 days?

[Krista37]

Hello,

I'm new to hosting and my first guest just checked out. I don't see any payouts pending so I called support and was told the payout will be held for 30 days. I didn't see this information anywhere when I signed up; is it a new thing? What's the reason for it? I have upcoming reservations and am a bit nervous about receiving payment. Can anyone shed some light?

[Munya0]

You shoud get the payment on the next day after the guest check in. Thanks

[Amy313]

Hi Krista,

I'm getting the same. It appears this applies to new Airbnb hosts only. I am a superhost on a completely seprate account and I do not remember this policy being in place before.

I have had about 10 groups stay since I started my new account. I was not aware I would have to wait 30 days for any money to be transfered to my bank account. 

If anyone can explain why this 30-day waiting period is the policy, that would be very helpful. It's an unpleasant surprise for new hosts who have incurred pretty heavy expenses. Seems very wrong.

[Manuela235]

I am a new host on airbnb and am really not feeling any of the "LOVE" or heart shown on their airbnb symbol for support or by their support staff....no honest replies to my payout questions. 

Multiple emails and lenghty waits on phone calls - multiple robot calls from airbnb that hang up on me ............this is not customer service !!!  

Frustration !! 

They cited the policy to me but refuse to explain when it was instated and why I was not notified immediately when I signed up to airbnb!

I have evidence of 3 other recent new hosts to airbnb being paid in a few days or 15 days after their FIRST reservation as a new host. 

SO the policy is FLEXIBLE AND RANDOM ! RIDICULOUS IS THE CORRECT WORD !

Here is how their policy reads:

Airbnb "may" hold payouts for 30 days for new hosts !

The word is "MAY" = here is the defintion by Webster's Dictionary = may

Define may: have the ability to; have permission to : be free to —used nearly interchangeably with can — may in a sentence

I have had multiple reservations and many future reservations with airbnb ..........now waiting for another robo call from airbnb ...and the BS goes round and round !!

Perhaps the CEO of airbnb on the FEB. 27th, 2018 LIVE  Q & A will address the real lack of professional customer support ....which creates so much frustration and confusion and frankly not a way to run a successful business ...MAYBE another type of rental business will take over ....with excellent customer service which airbnb was built on and now refuse to offer !!!

[Andrew627]

Hi.  Has any light been shed on this?  I too wasn't aware of this until I got me first booking this morning.  I am not happy about it at all and can't think of a good reason why this is in place.  We take more risk than them I believe.

[Robin4]

@Andrew627

Hi mate, the situation for host payments is...

A hosts 'first' payment will be held for 30 days from the time a 'reservation is accepted'!

The reason for this is to iron out any wrinkle in the listing sequence. A new host has no track record with Airbnb and is an unknown quantity.

Now this does not mean you are going to have to wait 30 days to get paid for that first event Andrew! If the guest books to stay more than 30 days in advance, your first payment will be released 24 hours after the guest arrives!

Once that first hosting has taken plkace all your subsequent payouts will be released to you 24 hours after the guest arrives.....and Andrew there is a rationale for that to. In the early days hosts would list, take the payments and run....not honour the reservation so now payments will not be released until 24 hours after the guest arrives! That way we know the host has honoured his committment!

I can tell you Andrew that Airbnb's payment protocol is first class....I have had 122 payouts from Airbnb, and every one has arrived for the exact amount and on the nominated day. I have never had to argue the point with a guest about money and the payment side of things is one of the great aspects of Airbnb....it is never an issue for us hosts....it just happens.

Once you have a few hostings under your belt Andrew you will think like me and be thankfull for the Airbnb payment process.

Cheers.....Rob

[Geankarlo0]

So there is no chance for the person that stayed in my place to cancel or not transfer funds in that 30 day period? or does airbnb hold the funds untill 30 days? I guess my question is, Is there a guarantee that the money will be tranfered into my account?

[Tony134]

While Airbnb does frustrate me to no end sometimes, they have always paid perfectly on accounts that were supposed to be paid, technically.

I say technically because they have issued refunds to guests cancelling that I have not approved, but that's another matter really.  If they say you are getting a payment, you can rest assured you will get paid, only your bank will slow it down if anything.

[Matthew285]

@Krista37 @Andrew627 @Geankarlo0 the 30-day initial waiting period might be related to people who use stolen credit cards to launder money via Airbnb.

The extra waiting time makes it much slower and more difficult to set up new host accounts and launder money.

Here is a story about it:

https://www.thedailybeast.com/inside-airbnbs-russian-money-laundering-problem

[Andrew627]

Thanks Matthew.  That makes it very clear.  Airbnb could do a lot better job explaining this to new hosts.  Before hosts accept their first guest would be even better, however I think I have a good idea of why they don't.