Airbnb payment options for hosts

Guide to Airbnb payment methods for hosts

  1. How guests pay for Airbnb
  2. How Airbnb hosts receive their payouts
  3. Types of Airbnb payment & payout methods
  4. How to set up, select or change your Airbnb payout methods
  5. What to do in case of payment troubles on Airbnb

As of Q3 2021 alone, Airbnb hosts have earned $12.8B. And if you’re an aspiring property owner eager to join them, you probably wonder how exactly that income gets transferred to their respective accounts. Let’s take a look at the ways to receive earnings from your Airbnb vacation rental, shared apartment, or whatever type of space you’re ready to list. 

Before we begin: please note that Airbnb payment & payout methods differ from country to country, as do currencies. We will be looking at the US options since they are similar for the majority of countries and regions. 

How guests pay for Airbnb 

Payment methods available for Airbnb guests are the same as payout methods for its hosts. However, money transfer service options can be unavailable in some regions, so hosts should mostly expect debit or credit card payments.  

A guest is required to set up a default payment method before making their Airbnb reservation. Are they planning to spend less than 27 days on the property? That’s a so-called short-term stay, and the guests will be charged the full amount as soon as their host accepts the reservation (or the Instant Booking option is activated). If the guests are there for a long-term 28+ days stay, they will be charged a portion up front and the rest later in their stay. 

Airbnb strictly forbids cash payments or any types of payment that get past the platform. If you’re caught redhanded, your property can be banned. 

When a host has a mandatory security deposit. In this case, Airbnb freezes the required amount on a guest’s payment account, two days before the check-in date. The money will remain on hold for 14 days after the checkout. Then, the deposit will be either refunded or claimed by the host in case of proven damages. 

How Airbnb hosts receive their payouts 

Before a host starts to accept bookings, they must create and verify their payment/payout methods via their Airbnb account (our instructions are below). After the methods are good to go, a host selects the preferred one. 

A payment made by the checked-in guest will be transferred to the host after 24 hours. The payout will arrive at the host’s account with Airbnb guest fees added and service fees subtracted. All payments charged for the same-day listings will be combined in one single payout. And if the host has a minimum payout amount in place, the funds will be deposited only after that amount is met. 

Note that while Airbnb releases payouts after 24 hours, the processing time depends on the payment method. The average time frame is up to three business days.  

All payout statuses can be observed in the host’s transaction history via their Airbnb account. 

Types of Airbnb payment & payout methods  

As of 2022, guests and hosts have five available options: 

Direct deposit

What is it? It’s when Airbnb transfers payments directly to the host’s bank account. The method is also known as bank transfer/ACH. 

Required information: Routing number for direct deposit/ACH, and account number. All can be found in your checkbook). 

Are there Airbnb processing fees or special requirements? No, but your bank may apply additional charges.

International wire

What is it? Same as direct deposit, but between two banks from different countries. 

Required information: Either account number or IBAN (international bank account number), depending on the host’s location. All can be provided by the host’s bank. 

Are there Airbnb processing fees or special requirements? The payout currency will be foreign and therefore converted to your currency at the relevant exchange rate. 

Did you know? There are countries with exclusive local payment methods that are officially accepted by Airbnb. Some of them are currently out of the picture (like the Cuban-based AIS debit card), but the majority are up and running: check them here.  

Western Union

What is it? An international money transfer service that can be used for both business and personal purposes.

Required information: Full legal name that must match the owner’s Western Union ID.  

Are there Airbnb processing fees or special requirements? There’s a processing fee of $10 USD and a mandatory $60 USD of a minimum payout. 

PayPal

What is it? Another international money transfer service.  

Required information: Your PayPal username, which is the same as the email that your PayPal account is registered to. 

(Before you set up this payment method for Airbnb, please note that your PayPal account must be activated on that platform’s side. Sometimes PayPal can take additional security measures, requiring passport scans and billing addresses. A PayPal verification can take weeks, so take care of it in advance). 

Are there Airbnb processing fees or special requirements? No, but PayPal itself may charge fees. 

Payoneer Prepaid Debit MasterCard

What is it? And another international money transfer service, this time with its own debit card. 

Required information: Full legal name which you also provide for your Payoneer account. 

If you already have a Payoneer MasterCard, you can simply ask them to connect Airbnb payouts. If you don’t, note that applying for the card and receiving it can take up to 17 business days. 

Are there Airbnb processing fees or special requirements? No, but PayPal itself has several transaction fees: contact their customer support to learn more. 

How to set up, select or change your Airbnb payout methods  

As a host, sorting out your financial info should be one of the first steps on the platform. Start with setting up your payment/payout methods, one by one: 

  1. Log in to your Airbnb account. Click Account (or Profile for mobile apps) — Payments & payoutsPayouts
  2. Click Add payout method. To see the available options, enter your country. 
  3. Click on the method you want to set up, then click Continue
  4. Fill out the form with the required billing info, then click Next. The new payout method will be then submitted for verification. Airbnb will shoot you an email after it’s done, and in Payments & payouts, the method’s status will be changed to Ready. 

How long do you have to wait for the payout method verification? 

Usually no more than two business days for money transfer services and international wire, and no more than seven business days for direct deposit. 

Also, to check that your new payment account is good to go, Airbnb will most likely deposit up to $1 on it before an actual full-on payout. So don’t be weirded out. 

If you need to change your default payout method for Airbnb: 

  1. Log in to your Airbnb account. Click Account (or Profile for mobile apps) — Payments & payoutsPayouts
  2. Click Edit next to the desired payout method, then choose to Make default (or Set as default for mobile apps). 

What to do in case of payment troubles on Airbnb   

Airbnb is usually secure and reliable when it comes to funds, but things happen. 

If you can’t add a payout method/payout method isn’t working, here are the probable causes: 

  • You may need to provide your taxpayer information before setting out any payment options (usually for the US-based property). 
  • The payment method might be in the process of pending if you just added/updated it. Airbnb will notify you via email when it’s ready. 
  • The payment method’s info might be outdated or incorrect. Check it thoroughly and edit if needed. 

If you’re missing your payouts, don’t hesitate to contact Support: both Airbnb and your bank’s/money transfer service’s. Again, fraud is extremely rare on Airbnb. And while all money-related issues are rarely pleasant, everything will be sorted out just fine.