How Long Does Airbnb Refund Take? – Explained

Sometimes, we face certain problems during our stay, and this can affect our satisfaction as guests. These unexpected situations or emergencies can disrupt our plans and may require some action.

Fortunately, Airbnb offers different refund methods if you have a valid reason for canceling. The refund process is not the same for every guest and might be delayed.

Not receiving your money back on time may cause headaches and doubt about the platform’s integrity. You don’t have to worry about how long the refund takes.

In this article, we will clearly describe the factors that affect the refund process and the situations that determine the refund waiting time.

The Following Are the Factors That Affect the Refund Process

Getting an Airbnb refund process is not the same for everyone. Other things can affect its process. Clarifying your situation and identifying the cancellation type before refunding is essential.

Here are the following factors to consider in your refund waiting time:

Cancellation Policy

Airbnb’s cancellation policy is the most significant factor affecting the refund process. It determines your refund waiting period based on your associated booking check-in.

Airbnb offers four cancellation policies for the guest and host to know how a refund would occur.

As a guest, you should initiate the cancellation and wait for Airbnb to process your refund, but also take a look if you are suitable for a cancellation policy.

Airbnb will refund you, excluding those service fees. They calculate it and process the original payment you used to book a stay.

Note that each policy has its rules regarding the cancellation funds and the process. It’s essential to check if it applies to you. Here are the following:

• Flexible Policy: Under this policy, guests can receive a full refund if they cancel at least 24 hours before the trip. In this case, the refund process usually takes 3-5 business days to reflect in the guest’s account.
• Moderate Policy: Guests can receive a full refund if they cancel at least five days before the trip. The refund processing time is typically 5-7 business days.
• Strict Policy: With this policy, guests can receive a 50% refund if they cancel at least one week before the trip. The refund may take up to 10 business days to process.
• Super Strict Policy: This policy usually applies to particular circumstances and may involve longer refund processing times. Guests need to check the specific terms of the policy for more information.

Host Response Time

Your refund waiting time will also depend on the host’s response time. It will take a longer refund waiting time if the host is out of reach.

Remember that the host must approve the cancellation before Airbnb processes your refund. In this case, if the host doesn’t approve you yet, it might delay your refund.

You do not need to overthink it a lot because you can contact Airbnb support to resolve the cancellation problem.

Payment Method

Your payment method can also affect the process of your refund in Airbnb. Different payment methods have other processing times, so be aware of this.

Here are the most common payment methods used by many guests on Airbnb and their estimated timeline for the refund process:

• Credit Card: Refunds to credit cards typically involve a longer processing time than other payment methods. The main reason for this is that credit cards may need to ask for additional verification by both Airbnb and the card issuer. The refunds may be approximately reflected in your account for 7-14 business days after Airbnb processes it. Don’t forget always to check the card issue’s policy and processing times.
• PayPal: If compared to credit cards, refunds to PayPal are faster as they are processed electronically. According to Airbnb, it takes 24 hours to get a refund; that’s how straightforward and minimal the processing time is. It will not take longer for it to reflect in your account.
• Online Payment Platforms (e.g., Apple Pay, Google Pay): Refunds to online payment platforms are slightly slower than to PayPal. Based on Airbnb’s refund timeline, it may take up to 15 business days.
• Airbnb Credits: Similar to other online payment platforms, Airbnb credits may also take up to 15 business days.
• Klarna: It takes 5-7 business days to receive your refund in Klarna on Airbnb. Klarna must first process the refund before it goes through the banking system.
• Bank Transfer: Refunds via bank transfer may vary in processing time depending on the guest’s bank and international transfer policies, if applicable. Bank transfers may involve additional fees and processing delays and may take 5-10 business days or longer.

Extenuating Circumstances

Airbnb gives refunds for situations that are out of human control, which are called extenuating circumstances, such as COVID-19. Airbnb will not base it on the platform cancellation policy, as this is an exception.

The processing can be affected by how difficult the situation is and the volume of requests. Depending on how many people are involved, it may take 7-14 business days.

Airbnb also needs to verify the situation and review what is necessary to check the situation. On the other hand, it’s important to check different situations that may not be considered extenuating circumstances.

These are the following that are not included according to Airbnb policy:

• Changes in travel plans or personal circumstances that do not qualify as extenuating circumstances.
• Disruptions caused by issues that were known or foreseeable before booking.
• Any circumstances that do not fall under Airbnb’s Extenuating Circumstances Policy.

Dispute Resolution

A dispute between the host and the guest regarding a refund may affect the process; such situations must be communicated properly.

Airbnb needs to do something to intervene and check the situation before settling the refund. It can prolong the refund waiting period as the platform works to resolve the dispute fairly.

Resolving a cancellation policy dispute may take 14-21 business days as Airbnb reviews the booking terms, communicates with the guest and the host, and decides based on the policy guidelines.

Conclusion

Airbnb has different options for getting a refund, but these all depend on several factors, as mentioned in this article. The process and refund waiting period may also depend on your chosen payment method.

It is advisable that, as a guest, you understand how the cancellation policies work inside Airbnb. Don’t hesitate to contact your host, as they know how to give you the appropriate refund.

On the other hand, if the host doesn’t cooperate with your concern, it’s best to send a request to Airbnb support to give you the appropriate actions.

They will analyze and check your situation and purpose for cancellation; once the host is informed, you can proceed with asking for cancellation.

Once approved by the host, you can now ask for a refund, and depending on your payment method, it may lead to a delay in certain situations.