Will I be charged if my reservation request isn't accepted by the host?

No. If your reservation request isn’t accepted by the host, or expires without a response, you will not be charged for the reservation or Airbnb service fees.

When you submit a reservation request, we’ll place an authorization on your payment method for the amount of the reservation. An authorization is a pending charge or hold on a payment, to ensure there’s enough money to cover the full cost of the reservation.

Here’s how an authorization works:

• An authorization will usually appear in the pending section of your credit card or payment account
• If your reservation is accepted, the authorization will turn into a real charge and the amount will be deducted from your payment account
• If your reservation is declined or expires, we’ll automatically release the authorization and you won’t be charged
• Depending on the processing time of your bank, the authorization release may take up to 7 business days
• An authorization release will either appear as refund on your credit card or payment account, or alternatively, the original authorization may disappear from your account entirely