How can I avoid Airbnb's sneaky 3% foreign currency fee?
I've recently discovered Airbnb silently overcharges their customers by converting each transaction into their local currency:
If you’re paying in a currency different from the default currency of the country where the listing or experience are located, we also charge a 3% conversion fee on your total cost;
I am going to pay with a Revolut card so I want to completely avoid any currency conversions on the merchants side. How can I force Airbnb to allow me to pay in the currency of my choosing? Things I've tried so far:
- Selecting a different country when adding my debit card
- Changing my location in the profile
- Changing the displayed currency in Airbnb's settings
- Changing the billing country at the "confirm and pay" screen
Best Answer
One option might be to use sites like Homeaway (if they have properties where you want to go). The bookings we've made through that service charge in the native currency of the property owner, in our cases $US and UKP. Then you can pay using whatever method you want.
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Quick Answer about "How can I avoid Airbnb's sneaky 3% foreign currency fee?"
Does Airbnb charge foreign transaction fees?
Airbnb charges foreign transaction fees to book based on location - in fact, if you are booking and you switch the currency to the local currency of the listing, you will see a 3% lower cost (the foreign transaction fee cost) than if you look at it in another currency.How do I avoid foreign exchange fees?
Foreign Transaction Fees: What To Know And How to Avoid ThemIs it better to pay in local currency Airbnb?
Airbnb supports a number of different currencies to give you more flexibility when you host or stay with us. Choose to pay with your preferred currency when you enter your payment info, or change your default currency at any time. Depending on your payment method, some currencies may not be available.How do I change the currency rate on Airbnb?
You can't change a payout method's currency once you've added it, but you can set up a new payout method in a different currency at any time. You can check the currency of your payout methods under Payments & payouts.More answers regarding how can I avoid Airbnb's sneaky 3% foreign currency fee?
Answer 2
Yes always pay in local currency! I made the mistake of booking an apartment in Spain using USD, my credit card currency. My host told me he would charge me 150€/ night. Airbnb charged me US$184/ night which was much higher than any rate I found on the internet. When I took it up with them, the “specialist” kept saying they showed me the prices in USD and they didn’t do any currency conversion, which was of course a blatant lie. After a protracted conversation he finally admitted that the “ automatic currency converter” they used was OANDA. According to OANDA, 150€ came out to be US$178. I chatted and spoke with 3 Airbnb representatives on this. No one was willing or able to explain the 3% discrepancy between this and $184, which was actually a hidden fee Airbnb would not admit to. Airbnb also calculated their service charge based on the jacked-up USD room prices. In other words, I was overcharged twice. Luckily my host agreed to give me a full refund when I cancelled, and I was able to pay in Euros. Lesson: always pay Airbnb in the local currency. You can go to your Profile to make the choice.
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