How do I get repeat guests to book direct without breaking Airbnb's rules?
Airbnb does not let hosts move current, future or repeat Airbnb bookings off Airbnb, offer discounts to book elsewhere, or put links in listings or messages that take guests off the platform. Grow direct bookings from people who find you themselves, then bring those direct guests back with your own booking page and returning-guest offers.
By StayPerk Team · Last checked · Airbnb, Vrbo and Booking.com details checked against the sources below
How to build repeat direct bookings safely
- Keep Airbnb guests on Airbnb. Don't send your booking link or a discount code in Airbnb messages, and don't offer to rebook or extend an Airbnb stay elsewhere.
- Give people who find you outside Airbnb a place to book: a booking page you can link from your own website, social pages, Google Business Profile and local partners.
- When a direct guest checks out, thank them by email and send a returning-guest promo code for their next stay.
- Keep one list of your direct guests and their stay dates, and write to them before your busy season.
- Link your calendars so a direct stay blocks your Airbnb calendar and your other booking sites, and the other way round.
What Airbnb allows and forbids
| What you want to do | Airbnb's position | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Ask an Airbnb guest to cancel and rebook direct | Not allowed: hosts may not rebook Airbnb reservations off the platform, including by cancelling | Pricing and payment transparency |
| Extend an Airbnb stay with a direct booking | Not allowed: changes go through Airbnb's Change reservation tool | Pricing and payment transparency |
| Offer a discount for booking off Airbnb | Not allowed | Pricing and payment transparency |
| Put your website or booking link in the listing or in messages | Not allowed: no links in listing pages or messages that take people off Airbnb | Pricing and payment transparency |
| Take payment outside Airbnb for an Airbnb reservation | Not allowed for mandatory fees, and guests should not be asked to pay off Airbnb | Paying and communicating through Airbnb |
| Take a direct booking from someone who found you on your own website or by referral | Not an Airbnb booking, so Airbnb's payment rules don't apply to it | Your own terms apply |
Direct bookings and Airbnb's policies (checked October 29, 2026)
Ask an Airbnb guest to cancel and rebook direct
- Airbnb's position
- Not allowed: hosts may not rebook Airbnb reservations off the platform, including by cancelling
- Source
- Pricing and payment transparency
Extend an Airbnb stay with a direct booking
- Airbnb's position
- Not allowed: changes go through Airbnb's Change reservation tool
- Source
- Pricing and payment transparency
Offer a discount for booking off Airbnb
- Airbnb's position
- Not allowed
- Source
- Pricing and payment transparency
Put your website or booking link in the listing or in messages
- Airbnb's position
- Not allowed: no links in listing pages or messages that take people off Airbnb
- Source
- Pricing and payment transparency
Take payment outside Airbnb for an Airbnb reservation
- Airbnb's position
- Not allowed for mandatory fees, and guests should not be asked to pay off Airbnb
- Source
- Paying and communicating through Airbnb
Take a direct booking from someone who found you on your own website or by referral
- Airbnb's position
- Not an Airbnb booking, so Airbnb's payment rules don't apply to it
- Source
- Your own terms apply
StayPerk is independent and not affiliated with Airbnb. Read the policies yourself before you act; Airbnb can warn, suspend or remove listings that break them.
Where direct guests come from
- Your own website, or a booking page you can share without building one.
- Social pages and local groups, where people already follow your place.
- Referrals from direct guests you have hosted before.
- Local partners such as wedding venues, event organisers and employers who house visiting staff.
- Your Google Business Profile, if your area allows one for a rental.
A direct stay paid online through StayPerk costs you 1% plus the card fee. On a $600 stay that is about $24, against about $93 on Airbnb's single fee. If you collect payment your own way, StayPerk takes nothing.
Try a demo booking page: a host with several places or a single cabin. Booking is turned off on the demos.
Direct booking savings calculator
Compare Airbnb's host fee with what a direct booking costs you: the discount you offer plus card processing. Use your own currency; results update as you type.
nights
nights
%
15.5% for most hosts on the single fee
%
%
%
Stripe's standard rate is 2.9% + 0.30
Booking total (one stay)
630
Airbnb host fee per stay
98
Cost of a direct stay
49
You keep per direct stay
48
Airbnb host fees a year (all stays)
6,510
Direct stays a year
13.3
Saved a year
647
What StayPerk does here
StayPerk gives every property a free booking page, and hosts with several places one page for all of them, with promo codes, requests or instant booking, and card payments through Stripe at 1% plus the card fee.
It does not message Airbnb guests for you or help move Airbnb bookings, and it can't make an Airbnb guest a direct guest. Use it for people who find you on your own channels.
Frequently asked questions
Can I give an Airbnb guest my website after their stay?
Airbnb's policies forbid links in messages that take guests off Airbnb and discounts to book elsewhere, and they keep future and repeat Airbnb bookings on Airbnb. The safe reading is: don't promote direct booking to Airbnb guests at all. People who find you through your own channels are yours to host directly.
Is a printed booking page QR code in the rental allowed?
Airbnb's published policies don't mention printed material in the home, but they forbid encouraging Airbnb guests to book outside Airbnb. If most of your stays come from Airbnb, leave the booking link out of what Airbnb guests see.
What does a direct booking cost me on StayPerk?
Nothing when you collect payment yourself. When the guest pays online through StayPerk, 1% plus the card fee, which Stripe passes on.
Still have a question?
Write to us and a person will reply, or look it up in the Help Center.
Sources
- Pricing and payment transparency - Airbnb Help Center
- Paying and communicating through Airbnb - Airbnb Help Center
- How to promote a direct booking website to Airbnb guests without violating terms? - BiggerPockets
- Stripe pricing - Stripe