How do I collect a damage deposit on a direct booking?
On a direct booking you choose the protection: a refundable deposit you collect and return yourself, a card hold through your payment processor, or damage protection insurance instead. Whichever you pick, state it on your booking page before the guest books, and keep time-stamped photos from every turnover as evidence.
By StayPerk Team · Last checked · Airbnb, Vrbo and Booking.com details checked against the sources below
How to set it up
- Pick one method and write it into your booking terms: the amount, when it is taken and when it is returned.
- For a card hold, place it close to check-in: online card holds usually expire after about a week.
- Photograph the home at the turnover before the stay, so you can show its state on arrival.
- After checkout, inspect and release the deposit promptly when nothing is wrong.
- If something is damaged, send the guest the photos and the repair estimate before you keep any of the deposit.
The options compared
| Option | How it works | Trade-offs |
|---|---|---|
| Refundable deposit | Charged with the booking or before arrival, refunded after checkout | You hold the money; card fees on the charge are usually not refunded |
| Card hold | An authorization on the guest's card, captured only if there is damage | Online holds usually expire after about 7 days, so timing matters |
| Damage protection insurance | A per-stay fee or policy instead of a deposit | Guests like it better; check what it actually covers |
| No deposit | Rely on a damage policy in your terms | Simplest, but recovery depends on the guest |
Ways to protect a direct stay
Refundable deposit
- How it works
- Charged with the booking or before arrival, refunded after checkout
- Trade-offs
- You hold the money; card fees on the charge are usually not refunded
Card hold
- How it works
- An authorization on the guest's card, captured only if there is damage
- Trade-offs
- Online holds usually expire after about 7 days, so timing matters
Damage protection insurance
- How it works
- A per-stay fee or policy instead of a deposit
- Trade-offs
- Guests like it better; check what it actually covers
No deposit
- How it works
- Rely on a damage policy in your terms
- Trade-offs
- Simplest, but recovery depends on the guest
Deposits for stays booked on Airbnb follow Airbnb's rules: its pricing policy lets only some software-connected hosts collect a security deposit, disclosed before booking.
See the evidence a deposit claim needs
A sample StayPerk turnover report from made-up data: the photos a cleaner takes before each stay, with their times and codes, are the evidence a deposit claim needs.
What StayPerk does here
StayPerk doesn't take damage deposits or place card holds today. Its booking page shows your deposit or damage terms before guests book, and its cleaner link gives you time-stamped photos of every turnover.
If you take a deposit, collect it with your own processor and state it in your booking terms.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a card hold last?
Stripe's documentation says an online card authorization expires after 7 days by default, and some card networks allow less. Place the hold near check-in rather than at booking.
Can I take a deposit from an Airbnb guest?
Airbnb's pricing and payment transparency policy lets only some software-connected hosts collect a security deposit off Airbnb, and only when it is shown before booking. Most hosts rely on Airbnb's own damage process instead.
Still have a question?
Write to us and a person will reply, or look it up in the Help Center.
Sources
- Place a hold on a payment method - Stripe
- Pricing and payment transparency - Airbnb Help Center
- How to collect deposit with direct bookings? - BiggerPockets
- Vacation rental damage deposits - BiggerPockets