PrivateStay does not process payments for stays. All payments are made directly from guest to host by bank transfer. When you approve a booking, your payment details are sent to the guest in their confirmation email.
Adding your bank details
Go to Dashboard → Settings → Payment details and fill in your banking information.
You can add European bank details (your IBAN and the bank's international code), UK bank details (account name, account number, and sort code), US bank details (account holder name, routing number, and account number), or any combination. Add whichever is most convenient for your guests — if they're mostly based in Europe, the IBAN is usually easiest. If they're in the UK, the sort code and account number work better. If they're in the United States, they'll need the routing number and account number.
Accepting euro or US dollar payments
Guests viewing your page can switch the displayed prices between your property's own currency, euros, and US dollars. By default the converted figures are estimates based on the official daily exchange rate, and guests still pay you in your own currency.
If you also want to accept payment in euros or US dollars:
- Add the matching bank details — an IBAN for euros, or a US routing number and account number for US dollars
- Tick Accept euro payments or Accept US dollar payments under those fields
Once a currency is enabled, the amount guests see in it is no longer an estimate — it becomes a fixed amount they can book and pay in that currency. The amount is calculated with the official daily exchange rate and locked when the guest sends their booking request. If you approve a request more than 7 days after it was sent, the amount is refreshed at the current rate. When approving, you can also type your own final total — if you do, that becomes the agreed amount.
Payment rules
The Payment rules field is a free-text area where you can specify your payment terms. This text is included in the booking confirmation email. Use it to communicate:
- Deposit amount and deadline (e.g. "30% deposit due within 5 days of booking confirmation")
- Balance payment deadline (e.g. "Remaining balance due 30 days before check-in")
- Cancellation terms (e.g. "Deposits are non-refundable within 60 days of check-in")
- Preferred payment reference (e.g. "Please use your name and check-in date as the payment reference")
Tip
Be specific and clear in your payment rules. Guests receive this text in their confirmation email and use it to arrange payment. Ambiguity leads to questions and delays.
When guests receive payment details
Payment details are sent to guests only when you approve their booking request. They are never shown on the listing page itself. This means:
- Unapproved guests cannot see your banking information
- Details are sent at the moment of approval, inside the booking confirmation email
Security
Your payment details are stored securely and only sent to the relevant guest inside their booking confirmation email. They are never shown publicly or shared with anyone else.