Airbnb launches new feature 'Pay Less Up Front'

Photo: Airbnb 

Airbnb has launched a new feature called Pay Less Up Front and by the name of it, you probably already have a idea of what the feature does. Guests now have the option to pay for a portion of their vacation or apartment rental at the time of booking instead of the full price, which was previously required.  In most cases, guests will pay a 50 % deposit and pay the rest closer to the check-in date. 

However, Pay Less Up Front isn't available for every booking.  The total stay for the rental has to be $250 or more and it must be booked at least 14 days ahead of the check-in date. When both of these requirements are met, the Pay Less Up Front option will be available at checkout.

Photo: Airbnb 

Through pre-launcb testing, the company bkfound that 40% of guests chose to pay less up front and were willing to opt for higher-value bookings. 

The new feature brings benefits to both guests and hosts.  Guests now have more financial flexibility since they can stagger their payments now while hosts get bookings further in-advance. 

Pay Less Up Front is available across iOS, Android, mobile-web, and desktop.  

SOURCE: Airbnb Blog