For reservations booked through an online travel agency (OTA) — Airbnb, Vrbo, or Booking.com — the OTA collects and holds the guest's payment, not Hospitable. This means refunds for OTA cancellations must be handled through the booking platform directly, not through Hospitable.
Hospitable does not process or issue refunds for OTA bookings. If a guest paid through Airbnb, Vrbo, or Booking.com, only that platform can return the money to them.
Airbnb
Airbnb controls all payments and refunds for reservations made on their platform. The refund amount a guest receives depends on your Airbnb cancellation policy and when the cancellation occurs.
If the host cancels
Airbnb automatically issues a full refund to the guest. You do not need to take any action — Airbnb handles it.
If the guest cancels
The refund is determined by your Airbnb cancellation policy (Flexible, Moderate, Strict, etc.) and how far in advance the guest cancels. Airbnb calculates and processes the refund automatically.
Issuing a goodwill or partial refund
If you want to refund a guest outside of the standard cancellation policy — for example, as a goodwill gesture — use the Airbnb Resolution Center on Airbnb.com. Hospitable does not have visibility into or control over Resolution Center transactions until Airbnb sends a financial update, which only happens once the resolution is completed.
Vrbo
Vrbo Partner connection
For Vrbo Partner reservations, Hospitable processes payments through its financial service. Refunds are handled as part of the cancellation flow — see Vrbo Partner: Refunds, Cancellations & Chargebacks for how refund amounts are calculated based on your cancellation policy.
Vrbo Legacy connection
For Vrbo Legacy reservations, Vrbo holds the guest's payment. Refunds are handled directly by Vrbo based on the cancellation policy set on your Vrbo listing. Hospitable cannot issue or adjust these refunds.
Not sure which Vrbo connection type you have? Go to Connected Accounts in Hospitable and check whether your Vrbo listing shows as Partner or Legacy.
Booking.com
How refunds work for Booking.com reservations depends on who collects the guest's payment.
If Booking.com collects payment (Payments by Booking.com)
Booking.com handles all payments and refunds directly. Hospitable has no involvement in the refund process. The guest should contact Booking.com or you should manage the cancellation from your Booking.com extranet.
If you collect payment directly
You are responsible for processing the refund through your own payment method (e.g. bank transfer or Stripe). Hospitable does not collect or hold these payments on your behalf.
How long does a refund take?
Refund timing depends on the OTA and the guest's payment method. As a general guide:
Airbnb: typically 3–15 business days, depending on the guest's bank
Vrbo: typically 3–7 business days
Booking.com: varies depending on payment method and whether Booking.com or the host manages payment
Hospitable has no visibility into the status of OTA refunds and cannot confirm or accelerate them. Guests should check their booking confirmation email or contact the OTA's support team if a refund has not appeared after the expected timeframe.
Frequently Asked Questions
A guest says they haven't received their Airbnb refund — what should I tell them?
A guest says they haven't received their Airbnb refund — what should I tell them?
Direct the guest to Airbnb's Resolution Center or their Help Center. Airbnb processes refunds after a cancellation is confirmed, but bank processing times vary. If the Airbnb dashboard shows the refund as issued, the guest should allow up to 15 business days before contacting their bank.
Can I issue a partial refund to a guest for an OTA booking through Hospitable?
Can I issue a partial refund to a guest for an OTA booking through Hospitable?
No. Hospitable cannot issue partial or full refunds for Airbnb, Vrbo Legacy, or Booking.com (Payments by Booking.com) reservations. Any adjustment must be handled through the respective platform's tools — the Airbnb Resolution Center, the Vrbo dashboard, or the Booking.com extranet.
The reservation was cancelled but Hospitable still shows revenue — is that a problem?
The reservation was cancelled but Hospitable still shows revenue — is that a problem?
This can happen when a Booking.com reservation is cancelled with a full refund but Hospitable hasn't received a financial update from the platform yet. Check on the OTA platform that the cancellation is confirmed. If the reservation was cancelled with a full refund but revenue still shows in Hospitable after a few days, contact Hospitable support with the reservation code so we can resync the financial details.