Guide • Adventurer
How deposits and balances work
The host sets the deposit — No deposit, 25% up front, or 50% up front — and any balance auto-charges 30 days before the trip.
Each host picks the deposit for their listing: No deposit, 25% up front, or 50% up front. (Older listings created without a deposit setting default to a 50% deposit when the trip is 45 or more days out.) The exact amounts are always shown in the price breakdown before you submit.
When the payment splits
- A deposit percentage applies only when the trip is more than 30 days out — there has to be time for a balance charge.
- On host approval, the deposit is charged to your saved card immediately.
- The balance auto-charges to the same card 30 days before your trip starts — the exact date is in the payment schedule on your booking page, and you get an email receipt for every charge.
When you pay in full
If the host set No deposit, or your trip starts within 30 days, the full amount charges in one payment when the host approves — no split, no balance later. Checkout tells you which case you're in before you submit.
There's no reminder email before the balance charges — the receipt arrives after each charge. If a charge fails, your booking shows Your card was declined and you can save a new card from the booking page.
If you cancel before the balance auto-charges, the balance is never charged. The policy's refund percentage applies only to what's been charged so far — inside the policy window that can mean a partial refund of the deposit, not of the trip total. The exact dollar amount is always shown before you confirm the cancellation.
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