A Host’s Guide to Airbnb Payment Methods & How To Use Them

September 16, 2022 ·

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No matter which country you operate your vacation rental, there are usually multiple Airbnb payment methods to choose from. Read on to find out how payments work on Airbnb, and which is the most convenient method for you.

Airbnb payment methods are designed with convenience in mind. Airbnb tries its best to accommodate preferred payment options per country, and will usually give hosts and travelers more than one option to choose from.

If you’re new to Airbnb payments and need to set up your payment method, or are curious about how the payment method works, here is all you need to know.

Which Payment Methods Are Accepted on Airbnb?

While Airbnb offers widely-accepted payment options across multiple countries, it also has some niche options that specific countries prefer.

Let’s take a closer look at the most common methods available in most countries and some country-specific options also offered on the Airbnb booking platform.

Widely accepted payment options

The following methods are available in most countries:

Visa, MasterCard, Amex, JCB, and debit cards that can be processed as credit cards
Google Pay and Apple Pay
PayPal

Country-specific payment options

The following methods are available only in certain countries:

1. Brazil

Aura
Elo
Hipercard

2. China

Alipay
WeChat Pay

3. India

PayU

4. Italy

Postepay

5. Germany

Sofort Überweisung

6. The Netherlands

iDEAL

7. The United States

Discover

How Do Payments Work On Airbnb?

The Airbnb payment process is designed to be as simple and convenient as possible for both hosts and guests.

When making their booking, your guests will need to provide Airbnb with their payment details and select any of the different payment methods available, whether that be via debit card, credit card, PayPal account, or another available option.

You can also open up new cards that don’t require a security deposit (and get one with no annual fee if desired) — low-interest-rate cards that offer rewards points and cash back are another way to pay for rental services.

Then, guests may pay a portion or the full booking amount when their reservation is made, depending on the length of their stay and if they have opted for a payment plan.

Regardless of when guests pay, hosts will only receive their payment 24 hours after guests check-in.

How Do Payment Plans Affect Hosts?

An Airbnb payment plan is a new payment method introduced by the platform as a way for guests to travel now and pay later.

Guests who meet the eligibility criteria are able to pay part of their booking amount once the reservation is confirmed, and the second payment at a later date. Airbnb will automatically charge any final payment from their payment account before check-in.

Because the total amount will still be paid before guests check-in, the payment plan does not significantly impact hosts. Remember, hosts will only receive payment for a booking 24 hours after check-in.

The requirements for guests to be eligible for the payment plan:

They need to pay with a credit card, debit card, PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay, or Airbnb credit.
They can’t pay in the Indian rupee (INR) currency or, in some cases, the Brazilian real (BRL).
The total booking value should be at least $50 USD, including taxes and fees, excluding any credits or coupons.
The reservation should be at least 14 days in the future.
The reservation can’t be a long-term stay of 28 nights or more
It can’t be an Airbnb for Work reservation.

How Do I Add A Default Payment Method and Payment Details For Payouts on Airbnb?

If you haven’t yet set up your default payment method for host payouts, or simply need to change the details of your existing payment method, you can do so on your Airbnb account settings by following these steps:

Click on Account – Payments & payouts – Payouts
Select Add payout method and choose your country to see which payment methods you have available
Choose your preferred payout method. You are able to choose more than one method at a time, in which case, you can select one to make your default
Once you’ve added your payment method click Continue
Airbnb will request some additional information, click Next after you have done so.

How Do I Get Paid From Airbnb?

Once your payment is ready to be processed, Airbnb will release it either by bank transfer, to your PayPal account, or another payment method of your choice.

When Do I Receive Payments For My Bookings?

As mentioned briefly above, hosts will receive payment for booking 24 hours after a guest has checked in. This is to ensure that everything goes as planned for both parties before a host is paid.

Automate and streamline your payments and payment settings with vacation rental software

If you’re looking for an easier way to manage your payment settings and payouts as an Airbnb host, you may want to consider vacation rental software. With software tools like iGMS, you have access to a wide range of payment features to help you manage your payment processing activities efficiently.

iGMS offers:

Safe payment collection with Stripe
Invoice management
Seamless integrations with Airbnb and other top OTAs to manage your payments from one convenient platform

Streamline Your Payments

Does Airbnb Accept Cash?

Unfortunately, Airbnb does not accept cash. In fact, hosts accepting offline and cash payments are a violation of Airbnb’s terms of service and Airbnb encourages guests to report this if hosts request cash and offline payments.

The reason for this strict rule is that an offline or cash payment method is not as safe as those offered on the platform and it makes it difficult for Airbnb to protect your hosts’ and guests’ confidential information. This, in turn, puts you at risk of fraud, scams, and other security breaches.

If Airbnb discovers that you are asking your guests to pay offline or with cash, it could result in your Airbnb account being removed from the site.

Does Airbnb Accept Cryptocurrency?

Unfortunately, Airbnb does not accept cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin at the moment. However, Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky tweeted in January 2022 about how Airbnb consumers are eager for it, and that it is on their radar. So, it might become a possibility very soon.

About the Author
Callan Riddles is the Content and Social Media Specialist at iGMS. Callan has a passion for finding new ways to help vacation rental businesses thrive. In her free time, she loves to travel, read, and experience all the new things that life has to offer.