Airbnb, Booking.com and Vrbo fees side by side
Rates change, and some depend on your contract or your country. Your own rate is in your account with each platform.
| Platform | How it charges | Published figure | Who pays | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airbnb | A service fee on each booking. Airbnb is moving all hosts to a single fee. | 15.5% for most hosts, typically 14% to 16% for the rest, 16% in Brazil and Mexico | You, under the single fee. Under the split fee, most hosts pay 3% and the guest pays a separate service fee. | Airbnb Help Centre: Airbnb service fees |
| Booking.com | A commission on each booking, set in your contract | Not published. Preferred Partners pay a higher commission. | You, after the stay | Booking.com: How we work |
| Vrbo | A commission on each booking (pay-per-booking) | 12% on the rent and the fees you charge the guest. Up to 15% including payment processing on the Professional Plan in some regions. | You | Vrbo Help: the pay-per-booking model |
| Expedia | A commission set in your contract | Not published. Expedia gives you the percentage for your market while you agree the contract. | You | Expedia Group: Partner with us |
| Google vacation rentals | Free booking links that send guests to a booking website, plus paid ads | No fees for Google referrals or bookings. Individually owned rentals aren't eligible. | Nobody, for the free links | Google: About vacation rentals on Google |
How much does Airbnb take from hosts?
Most hosts pay Airbnb 15.5% of each booking. Airbnb is moving all hosts to a single fee that the host pays, and phasing out the split fee that hosts and guests shared.
- How it charges
A service fee on each booking. Under the single fee, which Airbnb also calls host-only, you pay all of it. Under the split fee, you pay part and the guest pays part.
- Published figure
Single fee: 15.5% for most hosts, typically 14% to 16% for the rest, and 16% in Brazil and Mexico. Split fee: 3% for most hosts (4% in Brazil and Mexico), and the guest pays 14.1% to 16.5% of the booking subtotal.
- If you switch
Once you're on the single fee, you can't switch back. Bookings made before the switch keep their old fee.
- What you get for the fee
AirCover for Hosts, included at no extra cost: damage protection that helps reimburse costs up to US$3 million, US$1 million in liability insurance, and identity checks on guests. You also get Airbnb's reach to guests, and Airbnb handles the payments.
- Sources
How much commission does Booking.com take from hosts?
Booking.com doesn't publish a standard rate. Your commission is in your contract with Booking.com, and Preferred Partners pay more. Your invoices from Booking.com show what you pay, and the calculator below works out what that comes to in a year.
- How it charges
A commission on each booking, which you pay after the guest's stay. The rate is set in your property's agreement. Registering is free.
- Published figure
None. Booking.com says that Preferred Partners pay a higher commission and that the commission a property pays is one of the factors in how it ranks properties. It gives no rate.
- Payments
If you use Payments by Booking.com, a payments service fee applies. Booking.com's page for new partners says the fee is waived for 2026 in some markets. It doesn't give the usual amount.
- What you get for the fee
Guaranteed payment on prepaid bookings that guests pay online, daily payouts in select markets, and Booking.com's reach to guests. Vacation rentals in the US, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands also get up to $1 million in damage protection at no extra cost.
- Sources
What does Vrbo charge owners?
Vrbo charges a 12% commission on each booking, on the rent plus the fees you charge the guest, such as cleaning.
- How it charges
A commission on each booking. Vrbo calls it pay-per-booking.
- Published figure
12% on the rental amount and any other fees you charge the guest. On the Professional Plan in some regions, up to 15%, including payment processing.
- Not charged on
Vrbo's own service fees for guests, taxes, refundable deposits and insurance products.
- Payment processing
Included when Vrbo handles the payment as merchant of record. If you use your own payment processor, its fees apply.
- What you get for the fee
Your listing on Vrbo, and payment processing when Vrbo handles the payment.
- Source
Worked example: €60,000 of bookings a year
Say guests pay €60,000 a year for stays booked through one platform, before the platform's fee. It's an example, not a real host.
| Platform | Rate | Fee per year | You keep |
|---|---|---|---|
| Airbnb, single fee, most hosts | 15.5% | €9,300 | €50,700 |
| Airbnb, single fee, other hosts | 14% to 16% | €8,400 to €9,600 | €50,400 to €51,600 |
| Vrbo | 12% | €7,200 | €52,800 |
| Vrbo Professional Plan, some regions | Up to 15% | Up to €9,000 | From €51,000 |
| Booking.com | Not published | Your rate × €60,000: use the calculator below | – |
| Google free booking links | No fees | €0, if you're eligible | – |
The amounts are approximate, because the platforms charge on different bases: Airbnb on the booking subtotal, Vrbo on the rent plus the fees you charge, such as cleaning. The source for each rate is in the first table.
Work out what the fees cost you
Enter what guests pay you through platforms in a year, and your commission rate. For Booking.com, take the rate from your contract or an invoice. If you pay for a booking engine or a channel manager, add that too.
Airbnb: 15.5% for most hosts
About €9,300 a year, €46,500 over five years.
Example values: change them to yours. Hosting is paid directly to Caffeine from your own account. See the current Host plan options and pricing.
Questions
Airbnb's host-only fee vs the split fee: what changed?
Airbnb has two fee structures. With the split fee, most hosts pay 3% and guests pay 14.1% to 16.5% of the booking subtotal. With the single, host-only fee, you pay the whole fee: 15.5% for most hosts. Airbnb is moving all hosts to the single fee and phasing out the split fee. Once you've switched, you can't switch back, and bookings made before the switch keep their old fee. Source: Airbnb service fees.
Does Booking.com charge a payments fee?
If you use Payments by Booking.com, yes: a payments service fee on top of your commission. Booking.com's page for new partners says the fee is waived for 2026 in some markets, and doesn't give the usual amount. Source: List your property.
Do the fees differ by country?
Yes. Airbnb's single fee is 16% in Brazil and Mexico, and its split fee there is 4% for hosts. Vrbo's Professional Plan goes up to 15%, including payment processing, in some regions. Booking.com sets the commission in each property's contract, and Expedia gives you the percentage for your market while you agree the contract.
Can I rent out without paying commission?
Yes, in a few ways. Google charges no fees for its free booking links, but individually owned rentals aren't eligible: you need to be a registered property management business with a direct booking website, or be listed on a booking site that's integrated with Google. In Germany, traum-ferienwohnungen charges €399 a year per listing, everything included, with no commission. Guests who already know you can also book on your own website. Sources: Google's eligibility rules · traum-ferienwohnungen.
Your own booking site, without commission
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B&B booking site
Platforms bring you guests you wouldn't reach on your own. Guests who already know you, such as your regulars, can book on your own website instead, and no one takes a commission on those bookings.
Our B&B booking site is a template on the Caffeine App Market. You copy it into your own Caffeine account, add your rooms and prices, and pay Caffeine for the hosting from that account. Caffeine lists its current plans and pricing.