What Booking, Airbnb and Vrbo charge in 2026: commissions explained with a €1,000 example

Short answer: from each booking, the platform keeps between 8 % and 16.3 %. Booking charges a 15 % commission and 1.30 % more if it handles the payment (the usual case). Airbnb charges hosts connected through software a single fee of 15.5 % on the subtotal, cleaning included. Vrbo charges 8 % per booking (5 % commission plus 3 % payment processing) or an annual subscription. All of them also charge 21 % VAT on their commission, which the owner cannot deduct: Airbnb's real cost is 18.8 % and Booking's, with payment handling, close to 19.7 % (VAT on commissions).

Where do these figures come from?

Booking does not publish its percentage in its help pages for accommodation: it says it "varies by country and property type" and refers to the contract. The 15 % plus 1.30 % for Payments by Booking is what appears in the holiday rental contracts on the Costa del Sol that we manage; if yours says something else, yours applies. What Booking does publish: the commission is calculated on the booking price plus supplements (cleaning included) and not on taxes, and the invoice arrives in the first week of each month with the previous month's check-outs. Airbnb does publish its fee: the single 15.5 % fee is mandatory for hosts connected through software and is calculated on the nightly price plus host fees (cleaning), without the guest fee or taxes; the old model (3 % to the host and 14-16 % to the guest) is being phased out and, once you move to the single fee, there is no going back. Vrbo publishes 5 % commission plus 3 % payment processing per booking, or an annual subscription; with management software the terms change.

When do you get paid?

• Airbnb: releases the payment about 24 hours after the guest's check-in; by bank transfer (not processed at weekends or on public holidays), Payoneer or Fast Pay. Anti-fraud reviews can hold it for up to 45 days.
• Booking with Payments by Booking: transfers to your bank (daily, weekly or monthly, as you configure) or with a virtual card per booking; the commission is invoiced afterwards, every month. Without Payments by Booking, you charge the guest with the card they left, and if it is invalid you flag it in the extranet before the invoice is generated.
• Vrbo: one working day after check-in, plus 5-7 bank days; a new host whose first booking checks in within 30 days is paid 30 days after the guest is charged.

With a €1,000 example

€1,000 booking (€900 accommodation and €100 cleaning):

To that you have to add the 21 % VAT the platform adds on its invoice on top of the commission (21 % of €155-163: about €33), which an individual cannot deduct. See VAT on Booking and Airbnb commissions.

Details that change the calculation

• Airbnb charges on the cleaning: the 15.5 % fee applies to the nightly price and to host fees (cleaning, extra guest, pets). If you charge €60 for cleaning, Airbnb keeps €9.30. The supplement must cover it.
• Airbnb has another model (split fee: 3 % to the host and up to 14.2 % to the guest), but hosts connected through management programs, and many professionals, are on the single 15.5 % fee.
• Booking without managed payments: you save the 1.30 %, but you charge the guest with their card and bear failed payments and no-shows. Almost nobody prefers it.
• Booking "Preferred": more visibility in exchange for 3 % more commission (18 %). Only worth it for listings that already perform.
• Commission on the gross: the platform charges on what the guest pays, not on what you keep.

Which is the most profitable?

None on its own: each brings a different audience. Booking dominates among Europeans who book hotels and flats alike and in short stays; Airbnb among families and groups looking for a home; Vrbo in long stays by families from northern Europe and the United States. A flat that is on all three has more occupancy and less dependence. We explain it in Vrbo and other platforms.

And what does the manager charge on top of this?

The manager charges their commission (15-20 %) on what is left after the platform, not on the gross. For the €1,000 booking via Booking: €837 net, 15 % manager commission = €125.55 + VAT. You are left with about €685 before the cleaning (which the guest pays) and your expenses. See What commission does a manager charge?.