Learn why Vrbo automated payments may not apply or collect as expected in Guesty, including how Vrbo limitations and non-instant bookings affect payment automation.
Understand the issue
When you set up payment automation rules in Guesty, Vrbo imposes unique requirements that impact how and when payments are processed. When Guesty receives a Vrbo reservation, payments are charged based on the rules sent to Vrbo during the initial sync, rather than charging directly from Guesty’s internal automation engine.
These limitations can result in:
Authorization holds and security deposits not appearing
Minor timing differences in scheduled payments
Payment schedules not updating after reservation changes
Inability to collect payments for additional charges
Understanding these limitations helps you identify unexpected payment behavior and take effective action.
How non-instant bookings affect payment automation
If a reservation is created with the "Reserve" status (not booked instantly), payment automation does not trigger automatically. After the reservation is confirmed, collect payments for these bookings manually in Guesty. Instant bookings process payment automation as expected based on your configured rules.
Note:
Vrbo reservations with the status “Reserve” don't trigger payment automation. After confirmation, manually create payment requests for these reservations.
Vrbo limitations and expected behavior
Review the table below to understand how payment automation works with Vrbo. Because these behaviors result from Vrbo's system, you can't apply retroactive fixes to processed payments.
| Limitation | Expected behavior |
|---|---|
| Security deposits and holds | Vrbo doesn't support security deposits or authorization holds via payment automation. If a rule includes a hold or security deposit, Vrbo ignores it. |
| Hold and charge rules | If your rule is "Hold and Charge," Vrbo skips the hold and only processes the charge as scheduled. |
| Time units | Vrbo only accepts "days" as a time unit. If your rule uses hours or minutes, Guesty converts it to the nearest day, which may cause minor timing differences. |
| Locked reservations | If you change a reservation (such as dates or price) after confirmation, the payment schedule doesn't update. You must update payments manually. |
| Collection limits | Vrbo will not collect payments above 100% of the original reservation amount. Additional charges must be collected manually. |
How to collect payments above the original total
If you add fees after confirmation—such as a damage or cleaning fee—that push the total above 100% of the original reservation, the remaining automated payments will not function.
Important:
Vrbo never collects more than the original reservation amount through automation. To collect extra fees, request payment manually outside of the automated workflow.
How rule changes affect existing reservations
If you activate Apply to existing reservations when editing a rule, confirmed Vrbo reservations are not updated.
Follow the steps below to manage a specific Vrbo reservation:
Step by step:
- Sign in to your Guesty account.
- In the top navigation bar, click the mode selector and select Operations mode.
- In the top menu, click Reservations.
- Click the relevant Vrbo reservation.
- In the gray banner at the top-right corner, click Balance Due.
- Under "Payments", click Edit payment to the right of the next scheduled payment.
See full details in the article Turning a scheduled payment into a recorded payment.
Prevent future payment issues with Vrbo
Follow these guidelines when setting up Vrbo payment automation rules to ensure smooth collection:
Use days as the time unit for all Vrbo payment rules.
Avoid using "Hold and Release" or "Security Deposit" actions, as Vrbo ignores them.
Confirm that new or changed automation rules only affect future reservations made after the update.
Tip:
Check each Vrbo reservation’s status. If the status is “Reserve”, set a reminder to create and manage payment requests manually after you confirm the booking.