When your Airbnb account is connected to a channel manager (a service like Smoobu that manages your calendar and prices across channels), Airbnb moves your listings to its host-only fee model, which Airbnb also calls simplified pricing. From then on, the whole Airbnb service fee is charged to you as the host, and your guests no longer see a separate Airbnb service fee at checkout.
Connecting any channel manager triggers the switch
The switch to the host-only fee is made by Airbnb, and it happens with every channel manager, not just Smoobu. It is part of how Airbnb runs channel-manager connections, so there is no Smoobu setting that keeps a listing on the split-fee model. The host-only fee is part of using any channel manager with Airbnb.
What changes for your payout and your guests
Under the split-fee model, the Airbnb service fee is shared: most of it is added to the guest's total at checkout, and a smaller share is deducted from your payout. Under the host-only fee, the full service fee is deducted from your payout instead, and guests pay no separate Airbnb service fee. The fee is 15.5 percent, plus VAT in the EU; Airbnb sets this rate and can change it. There is no host-only fee setting anywhere in Smoobu: the fee model is managed entirely on Airbnb's side. Because the guest-side fee disappears, the total a guest sees can drop while your payout now carries the whole fee.
Making up for the fee with an Airbnb price markup
Because the full service fee now comes out of your payout, many hosts increase their Airbnb prices by roughly the fee percentage to keep their net earnings unchanged. In Smoobu you do this with a price markup for the Airbnb channel, so only your Airbnb prices rise and every other channel keeps its own prices. Since guests no longer pay a separate Airbnb service fee, a markup in that range does not necessarily make your listing more expensive for guests than before. See for where the Airbnb markup is managed in Smoobu.
If you also charge additional fees, such as an extra-guest fee, a cleaning fee, or any other add-on, raise those by the same percentage as your base-price markup. The Airbnb service fee comes out of your whole payout, not just the base price, so a markup on the base price alone still leaves the fee on those extra charges uncovered. Applying the same markup across all your fees recoups the fee on the full booking.
Common questions
I connected Airbnb and my fee model hasn't changed yet
A short delay is normal. Airbnb applies the switch on its side after the connection goes live, so give it a little time before you compare fees.
Can I opt out of the host-only fee and keep the split fee?
No. Airbnb applies the switch for all channel-manager connections, and there is no Smoobu setting to prevent it.
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Still stuck?
If this didn't answer your question, the Smoobu team is happy to help. In Smoobu, open the Help menu to open a ticket or book a call slot, or use the chat bubble in the bottom-right corner for a quick question during business hours.
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