Accept credit cards for
vacation rental bookings

The easiest way is to use Stripe integrated into your booking website. DirectBookings includes Stripe integration built-in — connect your Stripe account in 2 minutes and start accepting credit cards, Apple Pay, and Google Pay. Stripe charges 2.9% + 30¢ per transaction with no monthly fees. Money goes directly to your bank account. No merchant account or complex setup required.

Stripe charges 2.9% + 30¢ per successful transaction. For a $1,000 booking, Stripe takes $29.30, and you receive $970.70. There are no monthly fees, setup fees, or hidden costs. This is significantly cheaper than Airbnb (15.5%) or VRBO (8%) while giving you full control of the payment flow and guest data.

Yes. Stripe is PCI-DSS Level 1 certified (the highest security standard) and used by millions of businesses worldwide. Guest credit card details are never stored on your website — Stripe handles all secure payment processing. Stripe also includes built-in fraud detection, chargeback protection tools, and 3D Secure authentication for card verification.

Yes. When you use Stripe with DirectBookings, guests can pay with credit cards, debit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and other digital wallets. Mobile payments make checkout faster and increase booking conversion rates, especially on smartphones.

Stripe deposits funds to your bank account on a rolling basis. For new accounts, the first payout takes 7-14 days (Stripe's standard verification period). After that, payouts are typically 2 business days after a successful payment. This is much faster than Airbnb (24 hours after check-in) or VRBO (depends on host settings).

No. Stripe is an all-in-one payment processor — you don't need a separate merchant account. Sign up for Stripe (free), connect it to DirectBookings, and start accepting payments. No application fees, no monthly minimums, no long-term contracts. Just pay 2.9% + 30¢ per transaction.

Yes. DirectBookings supports damage deposits through Stripe. You can authorize a hold on the guest's card for the deposit amount (e.g., $500) without charging them immediately. The hold releases automatically after checkout if there's no damage, or you can capture the charge if needed. This provides protection without requiring separate payment collection.

Stripe supports businesses in 45+ countries including the US, Canada, UK, most of Europe, Australia, and many others. Guests from anywhere in the world can pay with their credit cards. Check Stripe's website for the current list of supported countries for your business location.

You can process full or partial refunds directly through Stripe from your DirectBookings dashboard. Refunds are issued back to the guest's original payment method within 5-10 business days. Stripe refunds the processing fee for full refunds. You control the refund policy and process based on your cancellation terms.

Yes. Stripe charges 2.9% + 30¢ per transaction. Airbnb takes 15.5% per booking, and VRBO takes 8%. For a $1,000 booking: Stripe = $29.30 fee (2.9%), Airbnb = $155 fee (15.5%), VRBO = $80 fee (8%). By accepting credit cards directly through Stripe on your own website, you save 81% compared to Airbnb and 64% compared to VRBO.