Holidaymakers who pay for their Airbnb accommodation in a currency different to the one listed in the property advert will see the cost of their stay rise from 1 April.
The guest service fee for those paying in an alternative currency will include an additional charge of up to 2% of the booking total before taxes.
Currently, Airbnb charges users a service fee of around 14% of their booking total, which includes the nightly rate charged by the host and any extra fees they charge guests, such as cleaning fees.
Airbnb says the extra cross-currency fee will be applied when the guest pays in a different currency to that set by the host in their advert.
In an email to its customers about its fee rises, Airbnb said: “Some bookings require our platform to operate across different currencies.
“From time to time, we adjust our fees to better align with the value we provide.”
Airbnb does not anticipate the change to affect the majority of its guests as cross-currency transactions make up a small percentage of bookings.
The precise charge depends on the currencies involved but will not exceed 2%. It is believed most guest service fees will remain under 14.2% as the majority of stays on Airbnb are booked by guests who use the same currency as the host.
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