Airbnb Refer a Friend is Your Ticket Towards Free Stays

If you are already using short-term rental sites to book travel accommodations, you can use Airbnb refer a friend program to earn credit toward free stays. If you haven’t booked any short-term rentals through Airbnb, what are you waiting for? In addition to unique accommodations located in all of the best destinations throughout the world, you save money and earn credits that can be used to make your savings even greater.

Airbnb offers each user a referral link that can be shared with friends. Once someone books their stay using your referral link, you receive $20 to $35 in travel credit. This might not seem like a significant amount but if you know people who travel regularly and they are willing to book through your link, $20 to $35 adds up fast. Especially with Airbnb’s already competitive pricing.

But what’s in it for your friends? Why would they want to help you earn credit toward a free stay if they are paying full price for their accommodations?

They won’t be. When they book using your link, they also earn up to $35 toward their Airbnb booking. The savings is even greater if one of your referrals hosts a guest.

How Do You Join the Airbnb Refer a Friend Program?

It’s simple and there really isn’t anything to join. If you’re already using Airbnb, just find your referral link and offer it to friends.

Here’s how to locate your link on the platform:

• Log into Airbnb and click on your profile icon in the top right-hand corner.
• Select “Invite Friends”.
• You’ll see the amount you’ll receive when friends book using your referral link.
• You’ll also be able to copy and paste your referral link or share wherever you choose.

The more active you are on social media and the more you share the link, the more likely you are to earn credits toward a free stay. Each user can earn a maximum of $5000 Airbnb travel credits from the program. Additionally, you can share your link directly with people via email or text message.

If you’re new to Airbnb and just signing up, it’s a good idea to use the link of someone already in the referral program. This way you can get $35 right off the bat for your first booking and begin sharing your link with other people. It doesn’t take long for the travel credits to add up if you make an effort to put your link out there for people to use.

According to the Airbnb platform, once a friend uses your referral link there’s nothing else you need to do to earn the credit. Credits are automatically applied to the next reservation and appear automatically on the checkout page when you complete a reservation. The same is true for people who use your link to book their travel. The credit appears when they complete their booking and checkout.

Keep in mind, the credit excludes taxes and guest fees so if the final total seems off after your credits are applied, take those into consideration. Travelers are responsible for any taxes even if they are booking using travel credits that result in a free stay.

Are All Airbnb Reservations Eligible for Travel Credits?

According to Airbnb, to know for sure that a reservation qualifies for travel credit, it must be listed on the site, app, or in promo materials. The amount of the credit varies based on a number of factors, including whether or not the property is booked during a promotional period. If your travel credits don’t automatically appear on the checkout page when booking a listing, it means the reservation wasn’t worth enough. It might be difficult at first to understand why you didn’t receive credit but the system is good about automatically applying them so there’s no need to “chase down” missing credits if they don’t appear.

You cannot apply credits to a previous booking that’s already paid. Hold onto your credits and use them the next time you travel.

Airbnb offers two chances to earn travel credit for each person with whom you share your referral link. You earn when they book a qualifying reservation and you can also earn when they host Airbnb guests.

Anything Else You Need to Know About Airbnb’s Refer a Friend Program?

Airbnb recommends you only share your referral link with people you know personally and for non-commercial purposes. They also suggest only sharing it with people who appreciate receiving these invitations and are likely to use them.

Sharing links on Reddit and coupon sites is discouraged because there is no reason to believe that all or most of the people who see the link will use it.

How Can I Make the Most of the Airbnb Refer a Friend Program?

Airbnb has been operating for many years but it’s still a relatively new concept to most people. While people are getting used to the idea of staying at people’s homes when they travel if they’ve been using hotels for most of their lives, the idea of using an Airbnb still seems risky or unorthodox. There’s a reason why Airbnb was considered such a huge disruption in the travel industry. It’s different and people are still adjusting.

So how do you make the most of the refer a friend program if you know some of the people you share your referral link with are skeptical about using Airbnb?

Share your travel experiences with them! Be open and honest about your Airbnb travel and help them understand what a great opportunity it is for booking safe, affordable accommodations. If you think someone you know might be interested in your referral but they are reluctant to book Airbnb travel, ask them about their concerns. If you’ve used Airbnb in the past, chances are you can answer their questions.

The more people know about Airbnb and the more they understand that it’s a safe, affordable way to travel, the more likely they are to take advantage of this opportunity.