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TL;DR
- In the UK, Airbnb accepts Visa, Mastercard, American Express, JCB, debit cards that can be processed as credit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay and PayPal.
- Klarna is only offered to residents of the USA and Canada.
- On many reservations you can pay part now and the rest later, on dates shown at checkout.
- Whether you see a separate Airbnb service fee depends on the fee structure the host is on.
- Always pay through Airbnb. Cash or offline payments break Airbnb's Terms of Service.
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Which payment methods Airbnb accepts in the UK
According to Airbnb's list of accepted payment methods, these work in most countries, including the UK:
- Visa, Mastercard, American Express and JCB credit cards
- debit cards that can be processed as credit cards
- Apple Pay
- Google Pay
- PayPal.
Some countries have extra local options, such as iDEAL in the Netherlands or MobilePay in Denmark. The UK does not have its own extra method on the list.
Does Airbnb accept American Express and PayPal?
Yes to both. American Express is on Airbnb's list of accepted cards, and PayPal is accepted as an online payment service. Add either one at checkout or in the payments section of your account.
What about Klarna?
Airbnb offers Klarna, which lets you pay over time, only to residents of the USA and Canada. It is not an option for UK residents.
Paying in instalments
On some reservations, Airbnb lets you pay part of the cost when the booking is confirmed. The remaining payments are then taken automatically on the dates listed on the checkout page.
Check those dates before you book, and make sure the card or account you use will still be valid and funded when each payment is due.
The fees you will see at checkout
The price breakdown at checkout shows the nightly price, any fees the host charges, such as cleaning, and taxes.
Whether you also see an Airbnb service fee depends on the host. Airbnb is moving all home hosts to a single fee taken from the host's payout, so on those listings there is no separate guest service fee. On listings still on the older split-fee model, guests pay a service fee of 14.1% to 16.5% of the booking subtotal, or up to 16.5% when paying in a different currency from the host.
Where VAT applies, the service fee shown includes it. Your own bank may also charge a fee on payments in a foreign currency, so check with your card provider.
Keep every payment on Airbnb
Airbnb says offline or cash payments break its Terms of Service and can get an account removed. Paying outside Airbnb also means you lose its protection if something goes wrong.
If a host asks you to pay by bank transfer or outside the app, do not pay. Report it to Airbnb support.
If a payment is declined, check the card details, the expiry date and that your bank has not blocked the payment. Then try again or add another method.
If you are a host
Hosts are paid through payout methods set up in their Airbnb account, not by guests directly. Most hosts on the single fee structure pay 15.5% of the booking subtotal, taken from the payout. Our guide to Airbnb hosting fees explains how the fee works, and our guide to changing your Airbnb currency covers listing and payout currencies.
Reviewed by Andrei S., Head of Growth at Houst, for regulatory accuracy and commercial relevance.
