An Airbnb gift card is a prepaid code that adds credit to your Airbnb account, so you can pay for stays without a bank card. You redeem it once, the money waits in your balance, and Airbnb then applies it automatically when you book. This guide explains what the card is, how it works, which region to choose and, above all, how to use it without mistakes.
Whether you want to pay for your own trip, keep travel spending under control or give someone a holiday as a present, the rules are the same. So, let us start with the basics.
What Is an Airbnb Gift Card
An Airbnb gift card is a digital or physical card with a fixed value, for example 50 EUR, 100 USD or 75 GBP. Each card carries a unique code. Once you add that code to an Airbnb account, its full value turns into a gift card balance on the account.
In other words, the card works like prepaid travel money that only Airbnb accepts. You cannot spend it in shops, and you cannot withdraw it as cash. Instead, you use it to pay for bookings on Airbnb, either in full or in part.
Airbnb gift card at a glance
There are two main formats. Digital cards arrive as a code by email or in your order, which makes them ideal for last-minute plans. Physical cards, on the other hand, come in stores in some countries and hide the code under a scratch-off panel. Both formats work the same way once you redeem them.
How an Airbnb Gift Card Works
The idea behind an Airbnb gift card is simple. First, you buy a card in the currency of your Airbnb account. Next, you add the code to your account, and the value appears as credit. Finally, when you book a stay, Airbnb takes the payment from that credit before it touches any other payment method.
A few rules shape how the balance behaves:
- The value is fixed. You cannot top up an existing card; to add more money, you simply redeem another card.
- Cards stack. You can add several cards to the same account, and their values combine into one balance.
- Credit stays on the account. Unused credit remains available for future bookings, so you can split it across several trips.
- It is personal. After you redeem a code, you cannot move the credit to another person or account.
- No cash out. Airbnb does not exchange gift card credit for money, except where the law requires it.
Because of these rules, it makes sense to redeem a card on the account that will actually make the booking. For example, if a friend books the group trip, send the code to them before you redeem it yourself.
What You Can Pay For With Airbnb Credit
Airbnb credit covers the main things people book on the platform. In most countries, you can use it for stays and for Airbnb Experiences, such as tours, cooking classes or local workshops. However, in the European Economic Area and Switzerland, Airbnb limits gift card redemption to accommodation. So, if your account is in Germany, France or Spain, plan to use the balance on stays.
There are also a few payments the balance cannot cover:
- Resolution Center payments, for example money a host requests after a stay.
- Damage claims and similar collections.
- Other gift cards, since you cannot buy a new Airbnb gift card with credit from an old one.
Apart from these cases, the balance works for the nightly price, cleaning fees and service fees that you see at checkout. As a result, a card often covers a whole weekend away, not just part of it.
Which Airbnb Gift Card Region to Choose
Choosing the right region is the most important step. An Airbnb gift card belongs to a specific country and currency, and it should match the country of your Airbnb account. For instance, Airbnb states that cards bought in the United States are for US residents. Similar country rules apply elsewhere, so a card from the wrong region may not redeem.
The good news is that the card region does not limit where you travel. A German account with euro credit can still book a flat in Lisbon, a cabin in Norway or a villa in Mexico. The region only needs to match your account, not your destination. The table below lists every Airbnb gift card region on TopGift.
Airbnb gift card regions and currencies
| Region | Currency |
|---|---|
| Germany | EUR |
| France | EUR |
| Italy | EUR |
| Spain | EUR |
| Portugal | EUR |
| Austria | EUR |
| Belgium | EUR |
| Ireland | EUR |
| United Kingdom | GBP |
| Sweden | SEK |
| United States | USD |
| Canada | CAD |
| Mexico | MXN |
| Brazil | BRL |
| Australia | AUD |
| New Zealand | NZD |
Not sure which country your account uses? Then check the currency and country in your Airbnb account settings before you buy. In addition, look at where your payment method is from, because Airbnb usually ties the account to that country.
Match the card to your accountBuy the Airbnb gift card for the same country as your Airbnb account. A card from another region may not redeem, and Airbnb cannot move the value to a different country later.
16 regions
Airbnb Gift Card
Pick the card for your account country and add credit for stays and experiences. The code arrives within minutes.
Buy Airbnb Gift CardHow to Redeem an Airbnb Gift Card
Redeeming an Airbnb gift card takes about a minute. You need an Airbnb account, so create one first if you do not have it yet. After that, you can add the code on the website or in the app.
On the website, the fastest route is the gift card page at airbnb.com/gift. Log in, enter the code and confirm. The value then appears in your account as gift card credit straight away.
How to redeem an Airbnb gift card
In the app, open your profile, go to your account settings and look for the gift card option in the payments section. Then tap the option to add a gift card, paste the code and confirm. The steps may look slightly different between app versions, but the gift card section always sits close to your payment settings.
Once you add the code, keep the order email or a screenshot for a while. That way, you have proof of the card if you ever need to contact support.
How to Use Your Balance at Checkout
After you redeem a card, you do not have to do anything special at checkout. Airbnb applies the gift card balance automatically when you confirm a booking, and the price you pay with other methods drops by the same amount.
Still, a few habits help the process go smoothly:
- Check the payment summary before you confirm, so you can see how much credit Airbnb will use.
- Keep a payment method on file. Airbnb may still ask for a card or another method even when the credit covers the whole booking.
- Book in one go. If you change dates or guests, look at the payment summary again before you confirm.
Your remaining balance stays on the account after the booking. So, if a 200 EUR card pays for a 140 EUR weekend, the other 60 EUR waits for your next trip.
Paying More Than Your Balance
Many stays cost more than a single card. In that case, Airbnb first uses your gift card balance and then charges the rest to your other payment method. For example, if your balance is 100 EUR and the trip costs 260 EUR, the gift card covers 100 EUR and your card pays 160 EUR.
Alternatively, you can redeem several cards and combine them. Two 100 EUR cards and one 50 EUR card, for instance, give you a 250 EUR balance. This approach works well for group trips, where friends each contribute a card to one account.
Be careful, however, with split payment options such as paying part now and part later. Airbnb can apply credit to these payments, but if the credit does not cover the amount due, it may charge your default payment method instead. So, before you confirm, check exactly how much of each payment your balance will cover.
Cancellations, Refunds and Your Balance
Plans change, so it helps to know what happens to your credit when a trip falls through. If you cancel a booking that you paid with gift card credit, any refund that the host’s cancellation policy allows goes back to your gift card balance. It does not go to your bank card, even if you never used one.
For mixed payments, the logic is similar. The part you paid with credit returns as credit, while the part you paid with another method follows Airbnb’s usual refund process. As a result, you never lose the gift card value just because a host or a guest cancels.
Keep in mind, though, that the cancellation policy still decides how much you get back. A flexible listing may refund everything, while a strict one may refund only part of the price. Therefore, read the cancellation policy on the listing before you book, especially for expensive or long stays.
It is also worth knowing that Airbnb does not refund a gift card purchase itself once it is complete. In practice, that means the safest move is to buy the card you need for the right region, and then use the credit over time.
Does an Airbnb Gift Card Expire
No, an Airbnb gift card does not expire. Airbnb states that its gift cards and gift card balances have no expiry date and no fees. Consequently, you can redeem a card today and use the credit next year without losing a cent.
Even so, it is smart to redeem a card soon after you get it. A code that sits in an old email is easy to lose, while credit on your account is always safe and visible. Moreover, in some countries, very old unused balances can fall under local unclaimed-property laws, so early redemption avoids any doubt.
Redeem early, spend laterAdd the code to your account as soon as you get it. The credit never expires, and it stays safe on your account until you find the right stay.
Airbnb Gift Card Problems and Fixes
Most redemptions work on the first try. Still, a few problems come up again and again. Here is how to solve them quickly.
Common Airbnb gift card problems
| Problem | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Code not acceptedMost common | Typo, extra space or wrong region | Copy and paste the code again and check that the card matches your account country |
| Balance not visible | Code added to another account | Log in with the account you used to redeem it and check the gift card page |
| Credit not used at checkout | Payment summary not checked | Review the payment section before you confirm the booking |
| Card charged instead of credit | Split payment not fully covered | Check how much credit applies to each payment before you confirm |
| Cannot use credit for an experience | Account in the EEA or Switzerland | Use the balance for a stay instead |
If none of these fixes helps, contact Airbnb support with your order details and the card code. Similarly, if you bought the card on TopGift and the code itself does not work, reach out to our support team with your order number, and we will check it for you.
In short, most issues come down to three things: the region, the account and the payment summary. Check those first, and the credit almost always appears where it should.
An Airbnb Gift Card as a Present
An Airbnb gift card makes a great present because the recipient chooses everything. They pick the destination, the dates and the type of home, so the gift is never the wrong size or the wrong style. That is why it works well for birthdays, weddings, graduations and holidays.
It also fits travellers who plan far ahead. Since the credit never expires, someone can book a summer trip in winter or save a card for a special weekend months later. Couples, families and friends can even combine several cards into one balance for a shared trip.
Before you send the code, however, keep two points in mind:
- Pick the recipient’s country, not yours, because the card must match their Airbnb account.
- Send the code privately, for example in a personal message, and remind them to redeem it soon.
Finally, add a short note with the gift, such as a favourite destination or a reminder of a past trip. It turns a simple code into a personal present.
How to Avoid Airbnb Gift Card Scams
Because gift cards work like cash, scammers love them. Fortunately, a few simple rules keep your money safe.
- Never pay a host with a gift card outside Airbnb. Real hosts receive payment through the platform. If a host asks you to send gift card codes by chat, email or phone, it is a scam.
- Never share your code with anyone who claims to be from Airbnb support. Airbnb will not ask for your gift card code to “verify” a booking.
- Stay on the platform. Do not click payment links that a host sends in messages, and do not book through copies of Airbnb pages.
- Avoid free or deeply discounted cards. Offers that look far too good, especially on social media, are often fake or stolen codes.
- Buy from established sellers that deliver a working code and offer support if something goes wrong.
Under the new Airbnb house rules, hosts also cannot ask guests for card details or ID copies by chat. So, if someone pushes for payment or personal data outside the app, stop and report it to Airbnb.
Why Pay for Airbnb With a Gift Card
Paying for Airbnb with a gift card has several practical benefits. Above all, you do not need a bank card for the booking itself, which suits students, younger travellers and anyone who prefers to keep card details offline.
- Better budget control. You can only spend what you loaded, so a trip never costs more than planned without you noticing.
- Privacy. Your own card details stay out of the booking when the credit covers it.
- Easy group trips. Friends can each buy a card and combine the value on one account.
- No expiry and no fees. The credit keeps its full value for as long as you need.
- Fast delivery. A digital code arrives in minutes, which helps with last-minute bookings.
On the other hand, gift cards are not perfect for every case. For example, you cannot use the credit for damage claims, and you may still need a payment method on file. Even so, for most stays, an Airbnb gift card is one of the simplest ways to pay. If you are also comparing other ways to pay online without a bank, our guide to the virtual prepaid Visa and Mastercard is a good next read.
Where to Buy an Airbnb Gift Card
Airbnb sells digital cards directly only in some countries, and in several European markets direct sales are still listed as coming soon. Meanwhile, TopGift offers Airbnb gift cards for 16 regions with instant digital delivery.
To order, choose the region that matches your Airbnb account, select the value and pay with one of our payment methods. The code then arrives in your order within minutes, ready to redeem. Here are two popular options:
EUR credit
Airbnb Gift Card Germany
Euro credit for German Airbnb accounts. Use it for stays anywhere in the world, and keep the balance for later trips.
Buy Airbnb Gift Card Germany
USD credit
Airbnb Gift Card United States
US dollar credit for US Airbnb accounts. Pay for stays and experiences, and combine several cards for bigger trips.
Buy an Airbnb Gift Card USAPlanning to stock up during the sales? Then see our Black Friday gift card guide for the key dates and tips.
Frequently Asked Questions
It is a prepaid card with a fixed value. When you redeem it, the full amount becomes credit on your Airbnb account, which you can use to pay for stays and, outside the EEA, experiences.
Log in to Airbnb, open the gift card page at airbnb.com/gift or the gift card option in your account settings, enter the code and confirm. The credit appears straight away.
Yes. The card must match the country of your Airbnb account, but you can use the credit to book stays anywhere in the world.
No. Airbnb gift cards and gift card balances do not expire and carry no fees.
Any refund that the cancellation policy allows goes back to your gift card balance, so you can use it for another booking.
Yes. You can redeem several cards on one account. Their values add up to one balance that Airbnb applies automatically at checkout.
Key Takeaways
