If a host asks you to pay outside Airbnb

The full cost of your reservation is collected by Airbnb, with few exceptions.

In some cases, hosts may collect additional payments outside of the Airbnb platform, but all mandatory charges must be included in the listing’s price breakdown at checkout.

Fees a host can collect from guests directly

On occasion, a host may collect certain fees and taxes directly from guests using a payment method outside Airbnb. These fees can only be collected by certain authorised hosts. Such fees are usually charged before the stay, at check-in or within 48 hours of checkout.

In some areas, hosts are legally required to collect local taxes in person. These taxes must be detailed in the listing description or house rules if they aren’t included in the price breakdown at checkout. Find out more about how taxes work for guests.

Additionally, some hosts offer extra optional amenities to enhance their guests’ stays. Any payment for optional amenities should be sent on Airbnb using the Resolution Centre.

Learn more about what fees hosts can collect outside Airbnb.

What to do if a host asks you to pay outside Airbnb

Your host can request payments outside of the Airbnb platform for a fee detailed in the listing’s price breakdown at checkout or a tax that’s allowed to be collected outside Airbnb and was included in the listing description (or house rules). In either case, you can pay your host in person, using a payment app, or using the Resolution Centre, where you can securely send or request money for things related to your home stay, service or experience.

Payments for optional fees (e.g. parking, amenity upgrades) must be collected on our platform using the Resolution Centre.

Hotels can collect fees and deposits outside of the Airbnb platform

Hotels may ask for a credit card at check-in to cover the cost of incidentals or a security deposit as part of their standard procedures, but this must be disclosed in the listing or in the listing’s price breakdown at checkout. The deposit, minus any charges under the hotel policy, is usually released at checkout or shortly after checkout. Acceptable forms of deposit or credit card holds vary according to the hotel’s policy. Please note that hotels may also collect other fees, such as resort fees, if these were appropriately disclosed.

The Resolution Centre may not be available for use with some hotel stays. In those cases, guests of hotel stays and their hosts will need to resolve any payment-related requests directly.

When to report payment requests to Airbnb

If you’re asked on Airbnb, by email or through another method of communication, to make a payment outside Airbnb without prior notice, it may be fraudulent. If any of the following occur in connection with any such payment requests, please report it to us immediately:

• You suspect fraud
• You are caught off guard by an unfamiliar request to pay outside Airbnb
• You would like to dispute a host’s payment request
• You receive an email requesting an unauthorised payment off-site, which includes payment requests from anyone claiming to represent Airbnb
• You believe a host is attempting to collect a mandatory fee that wasn’t included in the listing’s price breakdown at checkout (e.g. pet fees, utilities, security deposit) or the host shouldn’t be attempting to collect the fee outside Airbnb.

Please note that signs of fraud may include wire or bank transfer requests, banker’s draft, money order and PDF or paper invoices.

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