Airbnb Answers: Early host payouts

You asked: Can Airbnb allow hosts to receive an early payout at the time of booking?

This is a great question, and one you’ve been asking for a while. We’re developing the best approach for early payout arrangements, starting with a small pilot program in the U.S.

A limited number of hosts will be invited to opt into the early payout pilot. For those hosts who opt in, we’ll send 50% of your payout 3 days after a guest books and the rest 1 day after guest check-in, for a 1% early payout fee on the booking subtotal. For reservations booked within a 14-day window, you’ll still get the early payout, but you won’t have to pay the early payout fee.

Long-term reservations (28 nights or longer) are not eligible for early payouts. For reservations booked more than 4 months in advance, we’ll release the 50% early payout when the check-in date is 120 days away.

If a host or guest cancels a booking after an early payout has been made, that amount will be deducted from your next payout(s).

We’re excited to see how this program goes, and would love to hear your thoughts on the concept. We’ll keep you posted on future opportunities to get your payouts early!

In the latest Host Q&A, CEO and Head of Community Brian Chesky answered top-voted questions during a livestream event. For questions he didn’t have time to address, we’ve introduced the Airbnb Answers series. Want to ask more? We’ll invite hosts to ask their questions before the next Host Q&A event!

Information contained in this article may have changed since publication.