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Fees & pricing

Airbnb vs Stayz vs Booking.com: what each really costs an Australian host in 2026

Blake HarroldUpdated 30 October 20269 min read

For an Australian host with one or two properties, the honest 2026 answer is: Airbnb takes 15.5%, Stayz takes a flat 12% from 29 October 2026 (up from 5%), and Booking.com takes 12–15% plus extras. But those headline numbers hide three things that change the ranking – GST treatment, who pays for card processing, and the rules each platform sets on pricing your other channels.

Here's the whole picture in one place.

The short answer

PlatformHost paysGST on the feeCard processingEffective cost
Airbnb (Since 15 Sept 2026)15.5% of subtotalGST may apply on the feeIncluded15.5% (check your invoice)
Stayz / Vrbo (owner dashboard, Since 29 Oct 2026)12% commission (was 5%)10% GST on the commission unless a GST ID is on fileIncluded12% (13.2% without a GST ID)
Stayz / Vrbo (PMS-connected)12–15%As aboveVaries12% – 15%
Booking.com12–15% commissionVaries by agreementExtra if using their payments12–15% plus programme costs
Direct booking0% commission–Stripe: 1.65% + $0.30 domestic Australian cards~1.65% + software (domestic cards)

Read the effective column, not the headline column. On Stayz the line to check is GST: without a valid GST ID in your owner dashboard, 10% GST is added to the commission.

Airbnb: 15.5%, and now it's visible

Since 15 September 2026, Airbnb's remaining self-managed Australian hosts move to a host-only fee of 15.5% of the booking subtotal, with no separate guest service fee. PMS-connected accounts have been on this model for years and moved from 15% to 15.5% in October 2025.

What the fee applies to: nightly rate, cleaning fee, pet fee, and any other mandatory charge. Not taxes. Not refundable security deposits.

GST: Australian GST of 10% may apply to Airbnb's service fee. Whether you see 15.5% or a higher effective take can depend on what Airbnb has on file and on whether you are GST-registered. Adding an ABN is not automatically a saving, and it can change how Airbnb invoices you. Check the fee line on your invoice and speak to your accountant. Do not treat 17.05% (15.5% plus 10% GST on the fee) as every host's rate. Work the numbers against the 15 September change.

Card processing: included. This matters more than people realise when comparing against direct booking, where you pay Stripe separately.

The thing to actually watch: because the guest fee is gone, the 15.5% now lives inside your advertised nightly rate rather than in a line item at checkout. What you receive is 15.5% less than the price every guest sees. We covered the repricing maths and what it means in detail.

Stayz and Vrbo: still cheaper than Airbnb, no longer cheap

Stayz is the same platform as Vrbo, operated in Australia under the Stayz brand. For a self-managed host it is still cheaper than Airbnb, but the gap has narrowed sharply.

Since 29 October 2026, on the standard owner dashboard:

  • A flat 12% commission on the rental amount and additional fees such as cleaning and pet fees, up from 5% for Australian properties
  • Not charged on taxes or refundable damage deposits
  • 10% GST on the commission unless you are GST-registered and have entered a valid GST ID – 13.2% instead of 12%. Speak to your accountant before changing tax details
  • Payment processing is included in the 12% when Stayz takes the payment
  • Guests still pay a Stayz service fee in most cases, unlike Airbnb

To stand still, a GST-registered self-managed host needs to lift rates and fees by about 8%. Run your own numbers. Stayz's 12% from 29 October is the worked example.

Software-connected listings: connect Stayz through a property management system or channel manager and you're generally on a different rate card – 12–15%, shown in your Vrbo dashboard. Those hosts may see little change from the flat 12%.

Stayz's published terms don't require your own website to match your Stayz price, as at 30 October 2026.

Vrbo's updated terms also say it is not accepting new subscription listings. Most Australian self-managed hosts are on pay-per-booking.

What you get for the lower fee: less traffic. Stayz's Australian audience skews older, more family-oriented, longer stays, and more regional and coastal. For a beach house it can outperform Airbnb per listing. For a Melbourne apartment it usually won't.

Booking.com: the most expensive, and the most variable

Booking.com doesn't publish a single commission rate. It's set in your Accommodation Agreement and varies by property type, location and cancellation policy.

  • Base commission: typically 12–15% in Australia
  • Preferred Partner programme: a higher commission for better placement
  • Genius programme: a discount you fund, on top of commission
  • Payments by Booking.com: a processing charge if you use their payment collection

Stack Preferred Partner, Genius and Booking.com payments and the total can run well above the base commission. That's not a criticism of the platform – it drives real volume, particularly international and last-minute – but you should know the number.

Direct booking: what it actually costs

"Zero commission" is technically true and slightly misleading, so here's the honest version.

  • Payment processing: Stripe's standard online rate in Australia is 1.65% + $0.30 for a domestic Australian card and 3.5% + $0.30 for an international card, plus 2% if Stripe converts the currency. This is real, and Airbnb's 15.5% includes card processing.
  • Software: a direct-booking tool costs a monthly subscription. StayHive is $39–99/month depending on how many properties you have.
  • Your time: guest questions, payment chasing and calendar management that a platform would otherwise absorb.

On a $2,100 booking paid by a domestic Australian card, direct costs you about $35 in card fees versus $326 on Airbnb. The saving per booking is real and large. Whether it beats the subscription depends entirely on how many bookings actually go direct.

At $300 a night, a 7-night direct stay paid by a domestic Australian card nets you roughly $290 more than the same stay through Airbnb. Two of those a year covers a $39/month plan. Three puts you clearly ahead.

The mistake to avoid: assuming direct booking replaces your OTA listings. It doesn't, and it shouldn't. Direct is where repeat guests, referrals and people who found you through your own channels book. Airbnb and Stayz are still where new guests discover you. The realistic target for a self-managed host in year one is somewhere between 10% and 30% of bookings going direct – not 100%.

So which should you list on?

One property, coastal or regional, family market: Airbnb + Stayz. Stayz punches well above its weight outside the capitals and its fee is still lower than Airbnb's.

One property, city apartment: Airbnb, and add Stayz if you have the patience for a second listing. Booking.com if you want international volume and can absorb the commission.

Any property with repeat guests: all of the above, plus a direct-booking page. The guest who stayed last summer and wants to come back is the single most profitable booking you will ever take, and paying a platform 15.5% to reintroduce you to someone who already knows your address is the least defensible cost in the whole business. How to get those bookings is the sequence, not a second OTA listing.

Sources

Common questions

Which platform is cheapest for Australian hosts?

Among the platforms, Stayz on the standard owner dashboard: a flat 12% from 29 October 2026, up from 5%, plus GST on the commission if no GST ID is on file. Airbnb is 15.5%, and Booking.com is usually 12–15% plus the cost of any programmes you've opted into. Direct booking is cheapest of all at around 1.65% in domestic Australian card fees, but only for bookings you generate yourself. International cards are 3.5% + $0.30, plus 2% if Stripe converts the currency.

Do I pay GST on platform fees?

Australian GST of 10% may apply to Airbnb's service fee and to Stayz commission. Whether it appears on your invoice depends on what the platform has on file and on whether you are GST-registered. Adding an ABN is not automatically a saving. Check the fee line and speak to your accountant. Whether you then need to charge GST on your own rental income is a separate question – short-term accommodation is generally input-taxed residential rent, but the treatment depends on your circumstances.

Does listing on multiple platforms risk double bookings?

Yes, and it's the main reason hosts stay on one channel. iCal sync between platforms closes most of the gap but not all of it – feeds refresh on a schedule, not instantly. We've written about where sync works and where it doesn't.

Is it worth listing on Booking.com as a small host?

If your property suits international or last-minute travellers and you can absorb 12–15% plus extras, yes – it reaches an audience the other two don't. If you're a coastal weekender booked out by Australian families months ahead, probably not.

Can I charge a different price on my own site than on Airbnb?

On Airbnb, yes. Airbnb doesn't enforce rate parity on your own direct channel. Stayz's published terms don't require it either, as at 30 October 2026. Booking.com has used parity clauses for years, so check your agreement. Because Airbnb's 15.5% now sits inside your listed rate, you can price direct meaningfully lower than Airbnb and still receive more.

General information, not financial or tax advice

Figures and fee models were checked as at 30 October 2026. Your own Airbnb, Stayz or other platform dashboard and invoices are the source of truth for your account. Speak to your accountant about GST and ABN registration.

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