Cancellation for booking that happen on the day of check in

[Carl-Fredrik1]

If a guest books a trip less than 24 hours before scheduled check-in, what is their cancellation policy?

And is there an increase risk of fraud/scams somehow for these kinds of super late bookings?

[Shelley159]

Hi @Carl-Fredrik1 

I've never had an actual problem collecting payment on a same-day booking, but there does seem to be an increased risk if the guest's payment fails.

Below is an enail I received one evening after a same-day booking had checked in. In this case the guest's card failed. The guest later paid Airbnb with a different card and it was resolved, but it could've been a problem. Fortunately most last-minute bookings are short stays, so that limits the potential loss.

This was over a year ago, so the wording could have changed by now.

Hi Shelley,

The attempt to charge your guest, xxx for the amount due for reservation yyy was unsuccessful. The reservation is still active at this time, and we've sent xxx an email alert with a direct way to pay the balance.

If your guest successfully submits payment, we'll send you a confirmation email right away. If you have questions about the payment problem, you can reach out to your guest.

If your guest doesn't successfully submit payment or if they cancel the reservation before making the payment, Airbnb isn't liable for issuing your host payout. If you prefer to cancel the reservation, you can cancel without penalty at any time before the trip begins. If the reservation has started and you'd like to cancel, please send us a note. 

We appreciate your understanding.

[Alicia753]

Hi Carl,

The last minute reservation will still follow your cancellation policy set as a host and should be available on "Things to know" section of your listing. Here's the cancellation policy as reference:

https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/475

Note that for Strict, the 48-hour grace period does not apply for last-minute bookings.

Risks of Last-Minute Bookings

Fraudulent Accounts: Stolen cards or fake profiles.
Mitigation: Require verified IDs and reviews.

Parties/Rule Violations: Increased risk of unauthorized activities.
Mitigation: Set clear rules and monitor guests.

Payment Issues: Risk of chargebacks.
Mitigation: Use Airbnb’s secure payment system.

Behavior Issues: Rushed guests may ignore house rules.
Mitigation: Confirm rules in pre-check-in communication.

I hope this helps.

All the best,

Upfish Management

[Emilie]

Hi @Carl-Fredrik1, 

I hope you had a nice weekend and thank you for asking our community for advice on this matter! 

Have you had a chance to read Shelley and Alicia's insights? If you have more questions or thoughts on last minute bookings, do let us know. 🙂

Thanks,

Emilie