CAPE TOWN - Airbnb's new feature called Pay Less Up Front, allows guests to cut their payment into two installments.
In order to secure a reservation, guests can now pay a portion of the cost for their accommodation expense on the day of booking, with the remaining amount payable 14 days prior to check in.
“We understand it can be difficult to pay for all of your holiday upfront, especially in January when the purse-strings have to be held particularly tight. That’s why we’ve introduced our new feature which allows you to get holidays booked in advance – to make sure you don’t lose out when it comes to annual leave – then make the main payment for your holiday closer to your actual trip,” Airbnb told the media.
Pay Less Up Front will be available to most guests via the payment page.
In order to use the feature, guests need to spend a total of at least $250 ( R3081.74) on Airbnb Home and the booking must be made 14 days prior to check-in.
Airbnb noted that cancellation policies vary per host, so the date of the final payment will be different for every booking and is displayed in guests’ confirmation email. This announcement follows the launch of Airbnb Split Payments feature in November, which allows accommodation expenses to be split amongst friends and family.