Airbnb’s New No-Upfront Payment Option: Reserve Now, Pay Later
Photo Credit: Airbnb guests in Ocean Bay Park, New York. Airbnb
Skift Take
Launching flexible payment options like Reserve Now, Pay Later is another way for Airbnb to compete against hotels, as well as rival online travel agencies.
Some Airbnb guests in the U.S. can now book domestic stays without having to pay anything up-front. Airbnb calls the feature Reserve Now, Pay Later.
Hosts set their own cancellation policies. When a host’s policy is flexible — meaning guests can cancel up to 24 hours before the stay begins — their payments aren’t due until "shortly before" the free-cancellation period ends, Airbnb announced Thursday.
Other U.S. guests who reserve an apartment or home with a moderate cancellation policy, which is cancellable for a full refund until five days before the stay, would only have to pay a little earlier than five days before arrival.
In one example Airbnb provided, though, the payment was due nine days before the stay.
When guests seek to book an Airbnb with a f
