# How do I accept payments directly from holiday-rental guests? Canonical: https://www.airflowhq.com/answers/accept-payments-from-holiday-rental-guests Last checked: 2026-10-04 Source: Airflow (https://www.airflowhq.com) ## Short answer Open a payment account in your own name, take a deposit when the guest books and the balance before they arrive, and record each payment against its booking. In Airflow you connect your own Stripe account, or Paystack for cards and M-Pesa in Kenya, and guests pay by card on your booking page. The deposit is taken at booking, the balance is paid later from the guest's portal or from a payment request you send, and bank transfer can be offered as well. The money goes to your account, not to Airflow. ## What a platform was doing for you When a platform takes the payment you never think about card processing, deposits, reminders for the balance or refunds. Take the booking yourself and each of those needs an answer. Hosts usually start with a bank transfer and an email. It works, and it leaves gaps: no card option for a guest abroad, no automatic reminder, and no link between the money in the bank and the booking it was for. ## How to do it with Airflow 1. **Connect a payment account**: Connect your own Stripe account from the Airflow portal, or Paystack if you are in Kenya. Add your bank details if you want to offer transfers. 2. **Set the deposit and the balance**: Choose full payment at booking, or a deposit as a percentage with the balance due before arrival. 3. **Guests pay on your booking page**: They choose dates, see the total and pay by card. The booking is confirmed and they receive a receipt and a link to their guest portal. 4. **Collect the balance**: The portal shows what is owed and lets the guest pay it. You can also send a payment request by email. Payments you receive by transfer are marked as received by you. ## Payment methods and how each is handled What Airflow processes, and what you record. - Card, through Stripe: Paid on the booking page or portal, into your Stripe account - Card or M-Pesa, through Paystack: For Kenyan hosts, into your Paystack account - Bank transfer: Your details shown to the guest; you mark it received - PayPal: Not a built-in checkout. Take it in PayPal and record it on the booking - Cash or card on arrival: You record it on the booking when received Each recorded payment updates the booking and, if accounting is connected, the invoice. ## What it costs Two charges apply to a card payment on your booking page: the card provider's processing fee, set by Stripe or Paystack, and Airflow's booking page commission, which depends on your plan and is shown on the pricing page. A booking you add yourself that is already paid carries no Airflow commission; one the guest then pays through Airflow carries your booking page rate. ## Refunds and disputes Airflow does not decide or issue refunds. You apply your own cancellation policy and refund from your payment account. A card dispute is between you and your card provider, which is one reason to have the cancellation terms in writing before the guest pays. ## Other ways to do this - **Bank transfer only**: No fees and no software. Slow for international guests and nothing ties the payment to the booking. - **A payment link from Stripe or PayPal**: Lets a guest pay by card without a booking system. You handle availability, the confirmation and the reminders. - **A card terminal on arrival**: Fine for the balance, and a risk for the whole amount, since a guest who never arrives has paid nothing. ## What Airflow does not do - Airflow does not hold guests' money and is not a payment processor; payments run through your own Stripe or Paystack account. - It does not issue refunds for you. - PayPal is not a built-in checkout option. ## Frequently asked questions ### Do I need a business bank account to take card payments? You need an account with a card processor such as Stripe, which will ask for your identity and bank details. Whether that must be a business account depends on your country and how you are registered. ### Can I take a deposit and the balance later? Yes. Set a deposit percentage. The guest pays it at booking and the balance before arrival, from their portal or a payment request. ### Who receives the money? You do. Card payments go to your own Stripe or Paystack account. Airflow never holds them. ### Can guests pay in their own currency? A booking keeps the currency agreed with the guest, and your accounts keep theirs, with the exchange rate fixed at booking. ### Can I accept M-Pesa? Yes, through Paystack for Kenyan hosts, or as a manual method with your M-Pesa number shown to the guest. ### What does Airflow charge? A commission on bookings paid through your booking page or widget, at a rate set by your plan. The card provider's fee is separate. See the pricing page. ## Related - [Guest payments and deposits](https://www.airflowhq.com/blog/help-guest-payments) - [How to take a deposit on a direct booking](https://www.airflowhq.com/blog/how-to-take-a-deposit-on-a-direct-booking) - [Accepting PayPal payments for your bookings](https://www.airflowhq.com/blog/accept-paypal-for-bookings) - [Get paid in Kenya: M-Pesa bookings](https://www.airflowhq.com/blog/get-paid-in-kenya-mpesa-bookings) - [Pricing](https://www.airflowhq.com/pricing) Get started at https://www.airflowhq.com/get-started. Plans and prices: https://www.airflowhq.com/pricing.