Firm vs Strict cancellation policy

[Rebecca1603]

I have Firm cancellation policy. After a recent cancellation I found out this policy gives 50% refund if they cancel 15-7 days before the check in date. I thought they had to cancel 30 days before in order to get a full refund. After talking to Airbnb customer support, they told me to review the articles on each cancellation policy.

After looking at it, they look the exact same with slightly different wording. The only real difference I see for hosts is that with “firm” guests have to cancel 30 days before check in to get full refund but any time from 30 days until 7 days hosts get paid 50%…but “strict” they can cancel 30 days to 15 days ahead and get full refund. Seems like “firm” is stricter than “strict”? What am I missing? Below is pasted from Airbnb policy description:

• Firm
  • To receive a full refund, guests must cancel at least 30 days before check-in
  • If they cancel between 7 and 30 days before check-in, you’ll be paid 50% for all nights
  • If they cancel less than 7 days before check-in, you’ll be paid 100% for all nights
  • Guests can also receive a full refund if they cancel within 48 hours of booking, if the cancellation occurs at least 14 days before check-in
• Strict
  • To receive a full refund, guests must cancel within 48 hours of booking, and the cancellation must occur at least 14 days before check-in
  • If they cancel 14 or more days before check-in but not within 48 hours of booking, you’ll be paid 50% for all nights
  • If they cancel between 7 and 14 days before check-in, you’ll be paid 50% for all nights
  • If they cancel after that, you’ll be paid 100% for all nights

[Paula]

Hello @Rebecca1603, 

Thank you so much for reaching out to our host community for advice.

I’m reaching out to a few of our experienced hosts to gather their insights on this:  @Patricia2526, @Karen114, @Guy991 and @Shelley159 

Regards, 

[Karen114]

@Rebecca1603  And I thought it was just me being thick lol.  Same exact finding with the policy.  I do have all my listings at strict and thought well jeeze the firm seems like a better deal and it is supposedly a more liberal policy for the guest hence you go  higher in the listing sort.  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[Shelley159]

Hi @Rebecca1603 

Not too long ago Airbnb sent an email about changes to the cancellation policy. I remember that I got the impression (between the lines) that flexible cancellation was increasingly important (and I assumed possibly also in the search results). I deleted it, but it may have explained what you're wondering about. If anyone can still dig up that email from (I think) sometime in the second half of this year, could you check whether it helps with this question?

[Angela270]

They word it confusing but basically strict is better because if they cancel after the 48 hours after they book and the booking is more than 2 weeks away they will get 50% refund whereas on Firm if the booking is more than 30 days  away they get 100% refund. So if guests make a booking say in March for the following December but cancel in May on strict you would get 50%, on firm nothing. That’s the difference. Otherwise the same. Strict is now changing anyway to Limited or firm.