When booking accommodations on Airbnb, unexpected charges can be frustrating. They may occur when hosts impose extra fees against Airbnb's policies or when guests fall victim to scams, such as fraudulent listings or payment redirection.

Fortunately, understanding Airbnb’s chargeback process can save you from financial stress and ensure your rights as a guest are protected.

This article explains when and how to initiate an Airbnb chargeback with clear, actionable steps. We’ll also explore how virtual cards can help you avoid payment disputes and safeguard your online payments.

Can You Dispute an Airbnb Charge?

Yes, Airbnb allows you to dispute a charge on the platform, either during or after your stay in a property. However, the company recommends trying to resolve the issue with the host first^[1]. If the host doesn’t respond or declines your refund request, consider disputing the charge with Airbnb.

You can take advantage of AirCover^[2], Airbnb’s built-in protection for guests. If your host cancels, you can’t check in, or the listing is significantly different than advertised, Airbnb will help you find a comparable replacement or offer a refund. The service also includes a 24-hour safety line for urgent situations.

While AirCover doesn’t cover minor issues or travel disruptions, it provides key protections for serious booking problems. If your issue isn’t covered under AirCover or the platform can’t resolve it, you can move on to disputing the charge with your bank.

Understanding the Airbnb Chargeback Policy

Airbnb allows guests to dispute incorrect or unfair charges when they have a valid reason for it. Here are some situations when you can justifiably file a dispute:

• Double charge on a reservation—If you're charged twice for a single reservation, it may be due to your payment authorization method^[3]. If the reservation is declined or expired, you can use the Resolution Centre to get a refund or dispute the charge with your bank^[4].
• Host demanding more money—If a host demands more money after booking, it could be due to changes like adding a guest, damage claims, or additional fees like taxes or resort charges, which should be clearly stated in the listing. If the charge violates Airbnb policies or wasn’t disclosed beforehand, you can dispute it.
• Disagreement with the host—If you have a disagreement with your host, you can address it through the Resolution Centre within 60 days of checkout^[5].
• Cancellation during a stay—If you have an issue during your stay, like problems with the property or missing amenities, you may qualify for a partial or full refund^[6]. In rare cases of major disruptions, you may be eligible for a refund under Airbnb’s Major Disruptive Events Policy^[7].
• Unjust damage claims by the host—If you feel the host is contesting an unfair dispute charge^[8] for the damages you didn’t cause, you can raise a dispute with the Resolution Centre or your issuing bank or credit card network. 

How To Dispute an Airbnb Charge

Here are the step-by-step instructions for disputing an Airbnb charge:

1. Document the issue
2. Message your host
3. Get help from Airbnb
4. File a dispute with your bank (if necessary)
5. Report fraud in case of an unauthorized charge

1. Document the Issue

If your Airbnb stay doesn’t match the listing—whether due to a broken amenity, missing items, or other discrepancies—take clear photos or videos as evidence.

This could include things like damaged furniture, a malfunctioning appliance, or discrepancies between the listed conditions and the actual state of your accommodations. The more detailed the documentation, the more helpful it will be when resolving the issue.

2. Message Your Host

Your host should always be your first point of contact when an issue arises. In many cases, they can help resolve the matter quickly. Plus, incorrect charges often turn out to be due to misunderstandings rather than malicious intent. 

Bringing the issue directly to your host gives you the best chance of a fast resolution without the need for a formal dispute, which could take days or even weeks to resolve.

3. Get Help From Airbnb

If you can’t reach an agreement with your host, you’ll have the option to request Airbnb’s assistance in mediating the issue. Tap Get Help from your reservation page, and someone from Airbnb will help you resolve the problem^[1]. 

You must report any issues to your host or Airbnb within 72 hours of discovering them^[6]. If the issue is supported under AirCover for guests, the platform will issue a partial or full refund or find a similar property for you.

If you experience issues with your host after your stay ends, Airbnb’s Resolution Centre lets you submit a request within 60 days of your reservation's checkout date^[4].

4. File a Dispute With Your Bank (if Necessary)

If all else fails and you still believe the charge isn’t justified, you can escalate the matter by filing a chargeback through your bank. This process will involve your bank investigating the charge, and any potential refund will come directly from the financial institution. Keep in mind that once a chargeback is filed, Airbnb can no longer directly resolve the issue.

5. Report Fraud in Case of an Unauthorized Charge

If you’ve been a victim of an unauthorized charge due to a stolen credit card or a fake listing, it’s crucial to act quickly. According to statistics, over 11,500 individuals were victims of real estate or rental scams in 2021, losing over $350 million^[9]. In such cases, initiating a chargeback may not always guarantee success, but you can still report the scam to help others and take steps to avoid similar incidents in the future.

Start by contacting your credit card issuer to report the fraudulent transaction and block the card to stop further misuse. You may also need to file a report with your local law enforcement to document the fraud. This additional step not only helps with the investigation but may also be required by your bank or credit card issuer as part of their dispute resolution process.

What Happens if You Dispute an Airbnb Charge?

After you report a charge issue with Airbnb, a dedicated team member will review the information from both parties and may ask additional questions before making a final decision.

On the other hand, when you dispute a charge with your bank, the chargeback process involves three stages: 

1. Investigation
2. Temporary credit
3. Dispute resolution

1. Investigation 

After you file the dispute, your bank begins an investigation, which may take up to 90 days to complete^[10]. During this process, your bank reviews the details of the charge to determine its validity.

Since Airbnb can’t intervene once a chargeback is initiated, any updates or decisions will come directly from your bank. To check on the progress or cancel the dispute, you need to reach out to your financial institution.

2. Temporary Credit

During the investigation, your bank may temporarily credit your account for the disputed amount.

Whether or not this credit becomes permanent depends on the outcome of your dispute, though the credit stays in your account until the issue is resolved.

3. Dispute Resolution 

To resolve the dispute, the bank collects and evaluates supporting documentation from both you and Airbnb. This evidence may include receipts, transaction details, and communication records. After thoroughly assessing the information, the bank makes a decision about the validity of the charge:

• If the dispute is resolved in your favor, the bank will finalize the chargeback, and you’ll keep the reimbursed amount.
• If the charge is deemed valid, the bank will reverse any temporary credit issued during the investigation, meaning the disputed amount will be deducted from your account.

What Are the Obstacles in the Charge Dispute Process?

While Airbnb has made it convenient for users to file disputes and contact the support team to resolve disagreements with hosts, the dispute resolution process can be time-consuming and doesn’t guarantee a positive outcome. The process often requires detailed documentation like account numbers, transaction IDs, timelines, and sometimes even police reports.

A highly effective way to minimize the risk of fraud and unauthorized charges is to use a virtual card for online payments. Virtual cards come with unique 16-digit numbers, expiration dates, and security codes, which hide your real card details to offer protection against potential data breaches and unauthorized access.

While some banks like Capital One and Citi offer virtual cards, these tend to have limited functionality and control features. For more robust security and comprehensive card management, dedicated providers like Privacy provide virtual cards with advanced features and bank-level security, offering an extra layer of security and helping you avoid potential fraud and disputes altogether.

Privacy Virtual Cards—A Secure Way To Pay for Your Bookings

Privacy is a virtual card provider trusted by over 250,000 users and accredited by the Better Business Bureau^® (BBB). You can connect your bank account or debit card Privacy to generate unique or reusable virtual cards for secure online payments. These cards help ensure that if a vendor’s system is compromised, only the virtual card details are exposed—keeping your actual financial information safe.

Privacy allows you to generate three types of virtual cards:

With Privacy, you can set spending limits and pause or close your virtual cards whenever you want without affecting your linked funding source. Once a limit is in place, Privacy automatically declines any charges that exceed it, helping shield you from surprise price hikes and hidden fees. Pausing or closing a card stops any future transactions, helping reduce the risk of unauthorized or unwanted charges.

How To Resolve a Dispute Using Privacy

With your Privacy account, you can dispute payments you made with virtual cards in case the merchant fails to resolve the issue. Here’s how to file a dispute:

1. Log in to your Privacy account via the website or mobile app
2. Choose the transaction you wish to dispute
3. Click Open Dispute at the bottom of the pop-up
4. Follow the steps to complete your dispute

Privacy's fraud protection team will investigate your claim. If valid, they’ll initiate a chargeback against the merchant. Still, it’s recommended to wait for five days after filing a dispute with the merchant before initiating one with Privacy, just in case a refund has been issued. 

Additional Benefits of Privacy Cards

Privacy offers a range of features that make it a convenient option for online payments. With the platform, you can:

• Generate virtual cards and autofill virtual card details directly from browsers like Safari for iOS, Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Safari.
• Manage and control your virtual cards wherever you are through the Privacy mobile app (available on Android or iOS devices).
• Generate and autofill virtual cards alongside your stored passwords thanks to the 1Password integration.
• Share your budget with trusted friends or family members without compromising sensitive card details with Shared Cards.
• Keep track of subscription renewal dates with Card Notes.

How To Join Privacy

To join Privacy and get your first virtual card, follow these steps:

1. Sign up for a Privacy account
2. Complete the KYC process to verify your identity
3. Link your Privacy account to a funding source (debit card or bank account)
4. Submit your request and generate your virtual card

Privacy offers four plans to meet various user needs:

The Personal plan allows you to create Single-Use and Merchant-Locked Cards, set spending limits, pause or close cards, and access both the browser extension and mobile app. Upgrading to a different plan unlocks additional benefits, including:

• Category-Locked Cards
• Shared Cards
• Card Notes
• 1% cashback on eligible purchases (up to $4,500/month)
• Zero-fee international transactions

Resources

^[1]Airbnb. https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/248,  sourced March 18, 2025

^[2]Airbnb. https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/3218, sourced March 18, 2025

^[3]Airbnb. https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/1424,  sourced March 23, 2025

^[4]Airbnb. https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/767, sourced March 23, 2025

^[5]Airbnb. https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/3128, sourced March 18, 2025

^[6]Airbnb. https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/544, sourced March 18, 2025

^[7]Airbnb. https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/1339, sourced January 28, 2025

^[8]Airbnb. https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/767, sourced January 28, 2025

^[9]Federal Bureau of Investigation. https://www.ic3.gov/AnnualReport/Reports/2021_IC3Report.pdf, sourced January 28, 2025

^[10]Airbnb. https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/2992, sourced March 18, 2025

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