# How to price Airbnb, Vrbo, and direct for the same take-home

> Set Airbnb, Vrbo, and direct booking prices that pay you the same per night. The fee math, a worked example, and Vrbo's parity clause explained.

Page: https://strhosttools.com/guides/same-take-home-airbnb-vrbo-direct
Tool: https://strhosttools.com/tools/same-take-home-price-matcher
Question: How should I price Airbnb, Vrbo, and direct bookings so I take home the same amount?

Pick the amount you want to keep per night. For each channel, divide it by (1 - that channel's fee) and round up to the cent. Then check Vrbo's new parity clause, because a direct price below your Vrbo price may conflict with it.

## Why one price does not pay the same everywhere

Each channel takes a different cut before you get paid.

- **Airbnb.** On the single fee, most hosts pay 15.5%, taken from the payout.
- **Vrbo.** Pay-per-booking listings pay a flat, all-in 12% commission that includes card processing. It is charged on the rent plus fees like cleaning and pet fees.
- **Direct.** You still pay for card processing and any booking software. For example, Stripe's standard US online rate is 2.9% + 30 cents per successful domestic card charge. Booking software can add more. Use your real number.

So the same $200 price pays you $169 on Airbnb, $176 on Vrbo, and about $194 direct at 3%. To keep the same amount, each channel needs its own price.

## The formula

channel price = take-home / (1 - channel fee), rounded up to the cent

It works for nightly rates, cleaning fees, and pet fees. For direct bookings, a percent like 3% is a shortcut. A flat 30 cents per charge matters less on a full stay than on one night.

## Worked example

Goal: keep $200 a night on every channel.

1. Direct at 3%: $200 / 0.97 = $206.186, rounded up to **$206.19**.
2. Vrbo at 12%: $200 / 0.88 = $227.273, rounded up to **$227.28**. You keep $200.01.
3. Airbnb at 15.5%: $200 / 0.845 = $236.686, rounded up to **$236.69**. You keep $200.00.

The [same take-home price matcher](https://strhosttools.com/tools/same-take-home-price-matcher) does this for any goal and any fee rates.

## The Vrbo parity catch

In the example, direct is $206.19 and Vrbo is $227.28. Your direct offer is cheaper than Vrbo.

Vrbo's new Host Terms take effect Oct 29, 2026. Section 4.5.7 says that while a property is listed on Vrbo, what you give Vrbo must be "at least as complete, accurate, current, detailed, and favorable" as what you offer through your own websites, booking engines, social media, and other channels, including other booking sites. Section 5.5.1 defines content to include rates, discounts, and fees.

So a direct price lower than your Vrbo price may conflict with these terms. We are not lawyers. Read the clause yourself and consider asking one before you count on a cheaper direct rate.

We did not find an Airbnb rule like this on the Airbnb pages we checked, so this guide does not claim one.

## Three ways to set prices

**Option A: one price everywhere.** Use the highest price needed, $236.69. Airbnb keeps you at $200.00. Vrbo pays about $208.29 ($236.69 x 0.88). Direct at 3% pays about $229.59. Simple, and no channel is cheaper than Vrbo.

**Option B: Vrbo and direct match, Airbnb higher.** Set Vrbo and direct at $227.28 and Airbnb at $236.69. Vrbo pays $200.01, Airbnb pays $200.00, and direct pays about $220.46. Your Vrbo price is not higher than any other channel.

**Option C: each channel at its own price.** Direct $206.19, Vrbo $227.28, Airbnb $236.69. Every channel pays $200, but direct is cheaper than Vrbo, which is the case the parity clause may cover.

Many hosts want direct to be the best deal. Under Vrbo's new terms, that is the choice to check most carefully.

## Steps

1. Pick a take-home goal for one night, and one for cleaning.
2. Find your real fee on each channel: your Airbnb fee, your Vrbo rate in the Owner Dashboard, and your direct processing and software cost.
3. Run each fee through the formula or the price matcher.
4. Pick option A, B, or C after reading Vrbo section 4.5.7.
5. Update prices in your channel manager or each dashboard.
6. Recheck when any fee changes.

## Sources

- [Airbnb Help: Service fees (article 1857)](https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/1857)
- [Vrbo Help: About the pay-per-booking (PPB) model](https://help.vrbo.com/articles/How-is-the-booking-fee-calculated)
- [Vrbo Host Terms of Service, effective Oct 29, 2026 (PDF), sections 4.5.7 and 5.5.1](https://forever.travel-assets.com/flex/flexmanager/mediaasset/1512451-0_2-legal_partner_tos_vrbo_us_en_final.pdf)
- [Stripe pricing](https://stripe.com/pricing)

Last checked Oct 17, 2026. This is general information, not legal, tax, or financial advice. Check your own platform terms and dashboard.