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Managing your Listing

Creating a listing

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Pricing

Select the listing you want to edit, and then click Edit.

Click Pricing from the left menu and click on Rates & Fees.

Click on Additional fees then click on Add fee Button.

Please select the Optional fee check box and provide the required information. Then, click on Save.

Note: Your guest needs to select the optional fee on the listing page.

Optional/Additional Fees/Services on Houfy

Click on the checkbox next to the Per Person field and select the number of guests, then click on Save.

How do I add an extra guest fee?

Click on the Base price section to open it,

Charge additional guests fee - Check this checkbox and select or fill the details:

How to add an additional or extra guest fee?

Scroll down to additional fees and add fees such as linen, pool heat or other optional fees. After adding the fees, click on Save.

How to add linen, pool heat or other optional fees to your listing:

It depends how badly you want to encourage travelers to book direct on Houfy. Keep in mind, one of the major reasons travelers are drawn to direct book is to bypass the high rates and fees charged on the other platforms.

Many hosts keep rates the same across all platforms: Airbnb, Vrbo, and Houfy. They prefer their most attractive rates to be on Houfy. And since they have to pay Airbnb and Vrbo 3%, they consider the 3% to Stripe or Square the cost of doing business. Not to mention, they get paid sooner when a traveler books on Houfy. 

Here are some reasons why hosts choose to have the most attractive rates on Houfy:

Airbnb can refund guests on day of arrival, even after holding the calendar for months. Some hosts consider this policy too risky.  

They prefer guests recommend Houfy to friends and family versus their Airbnb listing. When travelers book on Airbnb, it gives Airbnb even more leverage than they already have. 

Airbnb bookings tend to be time-consuming. Navigating the red tape and dealing with runarounds is something they want to avoid if possible. 

Airbnb is not host-friendly when it comes to allowing hosts to get signed rental agreements or ID. On Houfy, they can easily do this. 

Hosts with pet-free listings worry about guests bringing emotional support cats. 

Many hosts refuse to open their prime calendar weeks on Airbnb. Instead, they only list their shoulder weeks or off season dates. And they increase rates by at least 10%, just to make up for the hassles of Airbnb policies.  

Here is one way some hosts reduce credit card costs: 

Allow a small reservation deposit by credit card. Require the balance by check. The traveler won't worry about losing dates, and your calendar won't be blocked while waiting for payment to be made.

Checks need time to clear so this works best for properties that book at least 45 days in advance. Here is how to set this up on Houfy:

Go to Manage Listings > Settings > Payment & Policies.

Describe your policy in the Payment Policy section and note when the check payment is due. If you allow the balance to be paid by credit card (if the guest pays the fees), note this as well.

Select your reservation deposit amount. This can be a fixed $ amount, or a percentage of the total booking, such as 15%.

Update your rental agreement to reflect any changes. Consider reiterating the check payment in the cancellation policy and house rules as well.

The more places noted, the less chance your policies will be overlooked. If the person just left Airbnb, your Houfy listing might only be skimmed. Note: Always check your state's laws before charging consumers credit card fees. Some states make it illegal.

If you do want to charge more on Houfy, I highly suggest not charging a separate percentage fee, but increase your rates instead. Remember, the host still pays the credit card fee even if it's a separate line item. It's just semantics to say the guest pays it. The only time the guest pays the fee is when they have a choice to choose a lesser rate.  

You can charge extra fees on your Houfy listing: Menu > Manage Listings > Edit > Pricing > Rates and Fees. 

Should I charge travelers a 3% fee to use a credit card? 

You can add any fees you want to your Houfy listing:

Menu > Manage Listings > Edit > Pricing > Rates and Fees 

The reason people are drawn to booking directly on Houfy is to bypass all the fees on the platform, consider including the fee in your nightly fee.

Is it possible to set up a 3% fee for credit card payments to charge to the future guest automatically?

Select the fee that you want to remove and click on Delete.

How do I remove a fee on my listing?

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Optional/Additional Fees/Services on Houfy

How do I add an extra guest fee?

How to add an additional or extra guest fee?

How to add linen, pool heat or other optional fees to your listing:

Should I charge travelers a 3% fee to use a credit card?

Is it possible to set up a 3% fee for credit card payments to charge to the future guest automatically?

How do I remove a fee on my listing?

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