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

> Booking, 15 % plus 1.30 % if it handles the payment; Airbnb, 15.5 % to the host (also on the cleaning); Vrbo, 8 % per booking or an annual subscription. What reaches your account from a €1,000 booking.
>
> Topic: Booking, Airbnb and others · Reviewed: 2026-09-22 · URL: https://mipisoturistico.app/en/guides/what-booking-airbnb-and-vrbo-charge-in-2026
> Published by Mi Piso Turístico (Torremolinos Gestión Vacacional), a holiday-rental management company on the Costa del Sol.

**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](/guias/facturas-del-gestor-y-iva)).

## 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):

| Platform | Commission | What reaches you |
|---|---|---|
| **Booking** (with managed payments) | 15 % + 1.30 % = €163 | **€837** |
| **Airbnb** (host-only fee) | 15.5 % of 1,000 = €155 | **€845** |
| **Vrbo** (per booking) | 8 % = €80 | **€920** |
| **Direct booking** (with a payment gateway) | 1.5-2 % for the gateway | **€980** |

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](/guias/facturas-del-gestor-y-iva).

## 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](/guias/vrbo-y-otros-portales).

## 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?](/guias/que-comision-cobra-un-gestor).

## Sources

- [Vrbo: how the booking fee is calculated](https://help.vrbo.com/articles/How-is-the-booking-fee-calculated)
- [Airbnb: when you get paid](https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/425)
- [Booking.com Partner Hub: Payments by Booking.com, FAQ (in Spanish)](https://partner.booking.com/es/ayuda/condiciones-pagos/productos-pago/pagos-mediante-bookingcom-preguntas-frecuentes)
- [Booking.com Partner Hub: how our commission works (in Spanish)](https://partner.booking.com/es/ayuda/comisi%C3%B3n-facturas-e-impuestos/comision/c%C3%B3mo-funciona-nuestra-comisi%C3%B3n)
- [Airbnb: host-only service fee (15.5 %)](https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/1857)
- [Booking.com Partner Hub: commissions and payments (in Spanish)](https://partner.booking.com/es/ayuda)
- [Vrbo: fee models for owners](https://www.vrbo.com/lyp)