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