Direct booking savings calculator for vacation rentals
Work out what direct bookings save you against Airbnb's 15.5% host fee, after a direct-booking discount and card processing, and how many direct stays pay for a booking site.
Operations · · 3 min read · By StayPerk Team · Updated
See it live
The calculator is on this page and updates as you type. To see what guests book direct on, open a demo booking page.
Quick answer
What a direct booking saves
On Airbnb's single fee, most hosts pay 15.5% of the booking total. A direct booking costs card processing (about 2.9% plus a small fixed fee with Stripe), StayPerk's 1% when guests pay online on a StayPerk booking page, and any discount you offer to book direct. The difference, across the stays you can move, is the saving.
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
How the calculator works
- Booking total: nightly rate times the average stay, plus the cleaning fee.
- Airbnb host fee: the booking total times your host fee percentage, as shown in your Airbnb earnings.
- Direct cost: the discount you give, plus card processing on what the guest pays.
- Saving: the Airbnb fee minus the direct cost, for the share of stays you take direct, less any booking site subscription.
Who actually books direct
Most direct bookings come from repeat guests, friends of past guests, and people who find you through your own website or social media. A short "book direct next time" note in your printed welcome book, kept for guests who are already staying, is the cheapest way to start. Follow Airbnb's off-platform rules for Airbnb guests: don't use Airbnb messages to move a booking off Airbnb.
Direct guests also bring things a site fee doesn't cover: you hold the payment, so you need a clear cancellation policy, a damage deposit or protection, and any local occupancy tax that a site would otherwise collect for you.
Frequently asked questions
How much does Airbnb charge hosts in 2026?
Most hosts on Airbnb's single-fee structure pay 15.5% of the booking total. Some listings pay 14% to 16%, and hosts on the split fee pay about 3% while guests pay more. Your Airbnb earnings show your own rate.
Is it worth offering a discount for direct bookings?
Usually, if the discount is smaller than the Airbnb fee you avoid. With a 15.5% fee and about 4% for card processing plus StayPerk's 1%, a 5% direct discount still leaves about 6% of each booking with you.
Do I need a booking website to take direct bookings?
Not at first. Many hosts take repeat bookings by email and a payment link. A booking site helps once you get enough direct requests, and the calculator shows how many a year pay for one.
Still have a question?
Write to us and a person will reply, or look it up in the Help Center.
Useful StayPerk pages
- Airbnb host fee calculator
Your payout on one Airbnb booking.
- Break-even calculator
Nights a month that cover your costs.
- Free bookings calendar
Every site on one calendar.
Sources for this page
- Airbnb service fees - Airbnb Help Center
- Simplifying Airbnb service fees - Airbnb Resource Center
- Stripe pricing - Stripe