Manage Vrbo inquiries in Guesty and understand temporary payout discrepancies that may appear when payout amounts on the inquiry differ from the final reservation. This article explains how discrepancies occur, steps to identify and resolve them, and how to handle high-friction scenarios related to specific payment methods and sync issues.
Understanding the typical payout timeline
When Vrbo sends a guest inquiry to Guesty, the information may be incomplete or missing key details, causing temporary payout differences. Review how a typical payout estimate progresses from inquiry to final reservation:
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You receive an inquiry
- Vrbo sends only a message from the guest, usually with the nightly rate and basic dates.
- Details like a confirmation code, payment method, or full guest info are not included
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The guest requests confirmation of the reservation
- The guest clicks Request to Book or Book Now.
- Vrbo then sends the full guest info, breakdown of all fees, and a confirmation code to Guesty.
- Guesty updates the folio and shows the accurate payout.
Important:
- Let guests complete the reservation in Vrbo using Request to Book or Book Now before reviewing or reporting payout discrepancies.
- Don't change the status in Guesty manually. This skips key steps and can cause sync errors or missing payout details.
Common causes for payout discrepancies
Review two common causes for payout discrepancies below.
When you use "Hotel Collect" and process payments via Stripe, Vrbo sometimes lists markups or extra fees as a separate “MISC” line item instead of bundling them in the main accommodation fare. This can inflate the guest’s total and create confusion or duplicate charges.
- Guests may see higher-than-expected prices or unexplained fees during checkout.
- Discrepancies appear if an added markup is not bundled into the accommodation cost before sending to Vrbo.
Structuring charges
- Always add markups and service fees directly to the accommodation fare before publishing your listing to Vrbo to avoid adding these as custom “MISC” fees, unless required for special cases.
- Test a reservation end-to-end and review both the Guesty folio and Vrbo guest checkout view for accuracy.
Vrbo reservations can process payments in two ways:
- Bill Me: You collect payment directly from the guest.
- Collect Automatically: Vrbo deducts commission and forwards the credit card details to Guesty to collect the payment according to your configuration, for example via auto payments.
Common causes for confusion and discrepancies
The payment method selected in Vrbo affects how and when payments appear in Guesty.
- If you choose Bill Me, you are responsible for collection and manual tracking.
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If a guest pays through a payment processor, payouts flow from Vrbo as soon as payment clears.
A mismatch between selected method and expected payout behavior can delay payouts or cause missing payment entries.
Identifying your selected payment method
- Review the reservation’s payment method in both the Guesty folio and on Vrbo's dashboard.
- Look for an indication of a credit card on the reservation.
- Look for notes or system indicators stating “Bill Me” or your payment processor.
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If you expect a payout but none appears, confirm the payment method setting.
Note:
Payouts only appear in Guesty after Vrbo processes payment and confirms the reservation. Payment method selection controls this timing.
Identify payout discrepancies in your account
Follow the steps below if you notice a payout discrepancy:
- Open the reservation in Guesty once the status is “confirmed”.
- Review the payout amount on the guest folio.
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Compare this amount with the payout shown in your Vrbo dashboard for the same reservation.
Note:
Vrbo charges commission on the total amount. If the amounts match, no further action is needed.
- If they differ, continue below.
Troubleshooting Vrbo payout issues
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If reservation is “confirmed”:
- Compare payout details in Guesty and Vrbo.
- Confirm the payment method and status.
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For missing or inconsistent payouts:
- Check if a credit card is present on the reservation.
- Check if Vrbo sent the reservation an an XML.
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Escalate to support if:
- Payout remains mismatched after confirming booking and payment in both Guesty and Vrbo.
- You see persistent scheduled payment failures not resolved by manual retry.
- Contact Vrbo Support first for payout verification.
- If the issue persists, contact contact us with the Vrbo confirmation code and all relevant details.
Tip:
Always check your payout structure and payment method settings in Guesty and Vrbo before publishing listings or confirming bookings. Regular audits help prevent future discrepancies.