Airbnb has introduced a Reserve Now, Pay Later payment option for guests in Asia-Pacific, allowing travellers to secure eligible stays without paying at the time of booking.
The feature applies to listings globally that have a moderate or flexible cancellation policy. Guests are not required to pay the full amount until shortly before the free cancellation period ends. Host-selected cancellation policies remain unchanged, and payment is always due before the free cancellation window closes, allowing hosts time to rebook if a reservation is cancelled.
Airbnb said the feature was recently launched in the US, where it contributed to growth in nights and experiences booked in 4Q2025 compared with 3Q.
The rollout comes as survey data indicates strong demand for flexible payment options. In a study commissioned by Airbnb and conducted by Focaldata between January and February 2026 across Australia, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, South Korea and Thailand, 67 per cent of respondents said flexible payment options are important when booking travel.
The survey also found that 75 per cent plan to or may use a flexible payment option for their next trip, while 41 per cent said they had delayed or missed preferred accommodation due to coordinating payments with co-travellers.
Airbnb said the feature is particularly suited to group travel and longer-term trip planning, enabling guests to secure accommodation earlier without immediate financial commitment.
Reserve Now, Pay Later complements Airbnb’s existing payment options, including Pay Part Now, Part Later, which allows guests to split payments between booking and closer to check-in.
The new feature is available to Asia-Pacific users booking eligible listings worldwide, excluding payments made in Brazilian Real, Indian Rupee and Turkish Lira.
