What Is the Process for Getting a Payment as an AirBnB Host?

Getting paid is one of the most exciting parts of being an Airbnb host. Like other businesses in the sharing economy, Airbnb has built a business model that allows people to make money by renting out idle property space.

Airbnb has a dedicated payment system that offers flexibility and financial security to guests and hosts. Part of Airbnb's growth is attributed to this simplified transaction process. Here are the steps to getting paid as an Airbnb host.

Getting Paid as an Airbnb Host

The Airbnb platform has a payment section where the hosts activate their preferred mode of payment. You can select from bank transfers, Payoneer prepaid debit cards, PayPal, and Western Union, to name a few.

In addition to entering your payment details, you'll also need to submit your taxpayer's information in order to get the correct tax documents.

To add a payout method, log in to your Airbnb account, select Account Settings, click on Payment Preferences, and finally click Add Payout Method.

After selecting your preferred payout method, it'll be verified by Airbnb to ensure the host is successfully paid. Depending on the payout method chosen, the verification process may last between 2 to 10 days.

When Do Airbnb Hosts Get Paid?

The guests pay the total amount when booking on Airbnb. The hosts are paid 1-2 days after the guest has checked in.

The Payout Layout

Hosts pay a Host Service Fee of 3% from the total payout from each guest. The fee is deducted from the subtotal after deducting any security deposits received and is used to cover the costs of any services from Airbnb, such as its 24/7 customer support. The Host Service is reviewed every time the host changes the booking fee.

In addition to the 3% fee, the host also pays taxes based on where they are located. Airbnb helps hosts to streamline the tax payment by having your tax information filed in advance and walking you through the entire process.

The host's earnings vary depending on the guest's length of stay as well as any discounts that may apply.

What Is Host Early Pay?

When the host activates Host Early Pay, the account will take the amount for all bookings, and then the payment is released to the host within 48 hours of confirmation of the booking. The amount is deposited in the selected mode of payment within 1 to 3 days after the guest makes the payment. There is a Host Early Pay fee charged for the Host Early Pay program.

The Host Early Pay program is only available to hosts in the United States and is valid for between 14 to 90 days before the guest's check-in time.

Missing Airbnb Payments

While Airbnb has streamlined its systems to work smoothly, sometimes the payment systems may cause frustrations. Missing Airbnb host payments is a common source of frustration that many hosts encounter. To take care of missed host payout, Airbnb has put in place a tracking system that records all reservations and cancellations.

For hosts who are not on the early pay program, the payout is usually due within 2 hours. Hosts with guests checking in on the same day may experience payout delays as Airbnb will start counting the 24 hours starting from the last guest who checked in.

In addition, you may have guests staying for long. In such cases, the host is paid monthly. In a case of a genuine delay in payment, Airbnb always has a customer representative on standby. Sometimes the delay may be a result of inconsistencies in the payment system.