A guest who has stayed with you before already knows the place works, how to get in and what to expect. Rewarding that guest with a loyalty discount can bring them back instead of sending them to a stranger's listing next time. Airbnb has no loyalty programme for hosts to plug into, so this guide covers what you can actually do inside the platform's rules, what Booking.com offers through its own Genius programme, and how to keep discounts from eating your margin.
The idea is simple: returning guests need less persuading, and they arrive knowing your house rules. The work is in offering the discount in the right way, at the right price, without breaking Airbnb's rules on contacting guests.
Why Do Airbnb Loyalty Discounts Work for Repeat Guests?
Returning guests have already taken the risk on your property once. When they plan another trip to the same area, a familiar place with a small thank you attached is an easy decision compared with choosing between unknown listings. Months later, a guest may not remember which listing they stayed in, so a friendly reminder and a fair price can be the difference.
The discount does not need to be large. A modest percentage, offered personally, often matters more as a gesture than as a saving. Test what works for your guests rather than copying someone else's number.
There is also a search angle. Airbnb says that when a guest's past bookings share certain characteristics, its algorithm may rank listings with those characteristics higher for that guest. That is no guarantee a past guest will see your listing first, and everyone else meets you in open competition, which is where your listing fundamentals matter. Zugrow's free listing score shows where you stand on title, photos, description, amenities and trust signals.
What Types of Repeat Booking Incentives Actually Drive Returns?
Effective incentives go beyond a flat percentage and match the reason a guest would come back to your area.
Percentage discounts for returning guests suit leisure travellers who visit the same place regularly. A small reduction on a second stay is easy to explain and easy to apply through a special offer (more on that below).
Longer stay incentives suit business travellers and people visiting family. Airbnb's weekly and monthly discounts apply to every guest, but you can also send a returning guest a special offer that prices a longer stay more generously.
Perks rather than price cuts cost little but feel valuable: early check-in or late checkout when your calendar allows it, a welcome treat, or the parking space they asked about last time.
Platform loyalty programmes are another route if you also list on Booking.com. Its Genius programme lets properties offer discounts to Booking.com's own loyalty members (10% at the entry level, with deeper discounts and perks such as free breakfast or upgrades at higher levels, depending on what each property chooses). That reaches frequent travellers in general, not just your own past guests.
Match the incentive to who books your area. Demand differs a lot between cities, as our Nottingham market analysis shows, and a business traveller may care more about flexible check-in than a few pounds off.
How Do You Set Up Effective Airbnb Loyalty Programmes?
Setting up a returning guest discount takes some planning so it rewards the right people without leaking revenue.
Keep a simple record of past guests. Your Airbnb message threads and reservation history already show who has stayed. A short note of when they came, how the stay went and what you offered next time helps you treat returning guests consistently. Keep only what you need and handle it in line with UK GDPR.
Decide your rules before you offer anything. Will the discount apply to any future stay, or only within a set period? Will it apply on peak dates? Is there a minimum number of nights? Short discounted stays can lose money once cleaning and platform fees are paid, so a minimum stay for the discount protects your margin.
Invite guests back within Airbnb. A warm thank you in the message thread after checkout, telling the guest they are welcome back and to message you first next time, is the simplest loyalty tool there is. When they get in touch, reply with a special offer.
Do not build a marketing list from Airbnb bookings. Airbnb's off-platform policy prohibits using guest contact information for marketing communications or signing guests up to contact lists, and repeated or severe breaches can lead to suspension. Quarterly promotional emails and discount codes sent to past Airbnb guests are exactly what that rule covers.
Track how it performs: the share of bookings from returning guests, what those stays earn after the discount, and how often an invitation leads to a booking.
Should You Offer Different Discounts Based on Guest History?
A light tiered approach can work, as long as it stays simple enough to apply consistently.
Second stays are where a guest decides whether you are their place in that town. A modest discount or a perk is enough to make the decision easy.
Regular guests (third stay and beyond) have shown they value the property. Rather than ever bigger discounts, consider perks such as first refusal on dates they usually book, flexible check-in times or a welcome pack.
Guests who book long or peak stays are valuable even without a discount. First access to holiday dates can mean more to them than money off.
Think about booking patterns too. Business travellers who book late and pay full rates may deserve different treatment from leisure guests who book months ahead in quiet periods. Early booking discount strategies can complement a loyalty approach by encouraging returning guests to book further ahead.
How Do You Communicate Loyalty Offers Without Breaking Airbnb's Rules?
Airbnb requires bookings and payments to go through the platform, and its off-platform policy limits how you can use guest contact details. You can still reward loyalty properly using Airbnb's own tools.
Use special offers. When a past guest messages you about new dates, you can send a special offer from the message thread with your loyalty price already applied. You enter one price for the whole stay, including any cleaning fee but not service fees or a security deposit; the guest has 24 hours to accept, and acceptance confirms the reservation automatically. Make sure the dates are open and you have no pending requests for them first.
Do not lower your calendar price for one guest. Dropping the nightly rate on specific dates applies to anyone who books them, not only your returning guest. A special offer is guest specific. Airbnb's custom promotions and length of stay discounts are also open to every guest, so treat them as pricing tools rather than loyalty tools.
Keep the conversation in Airbnb messages. Before a booking, all communication has to stay on Airbnb. A message such as "We loved hosting you. If you are ever back in town, message us here first and we will look after you" sets the expectation without breaking any rules.
Share useful information, not a sales pitch. A short note in the thread about improvements since their last visit, or a local event they might enjoy, keeps you in mind without turning their inbox into a marketing channel.
Never ask a guest to pay outside Airbnb. Requesting, sending or receiving payments off the platform is prohibited.
What's the ROI of Implementing Airbnb Loyalty Discounts?
The return depends entirely on whether the discounted nights would otherwise have sold at full price. A simple worked example makes the point.
Worked example (illustrative figures). Your usual rate is £100 a night. A past guest asks about three nights in a quiet week in February, and you send a special offer at 10% off. That costs you £30 across the stay. If those nights would probably have sat empty, you are well ahead. If they would have sold at full price anyway, you have given away £30 for goodwill. If the stay is a single night, the discount comes straight out of whatever is left after the changeover clean, which can wipe out the profit.
That is why the best time to offer a loyalty discount is when demand is soft, and why many hosts reduce or skip it on peak dates.
The indirect benefits are real but harder to measure: returning guests know the house rules, already know how check-in works and tend to need fewer questions answered. Steady returning bookings also make it easier to plan seasonal pricing. Revenue forecasting tools can help you model how much of your calendar returning guests might realistically fill.
How Do You Track and Measure Guest Retention Success?
Measure your returning guest approach with a few numbers and a little judgement.
Key numbers are the share of bookings from returning guests, the time between a guest's stays, and revenue per returning stay after the discount compared with a typical new booking. Watch lead time as well: returning guests who book further ahead make your calendar more predictable.
Revenue tracking should compare what returning stays earn after the discount with what you would expect from those dates at your normal price. A simple spreadsheet with guest, dates, nightly rate, discount and whether the guest was new or returning is enough.
Guest satisfaction matters as much as revenue. Look at the reviews returning guests leave, how many accept an offer when you send one, and how many come back a third or fourth time.
Use what you learn to adjust. If almost every offer is accepted instantly, your discount may be more generous than it needs to be. If very few are, look at the price, the timing or the listing itself. An expert listing review can help you check whether the fundamentals are strong enough to keep guests coming back.
Can Loyalty Discounts Work Alongside Dynamic Pricing?
Yes, as long as the loyalty discount works with your pricing rather than against it.
Apply the discount to the current price, not a fixed rate. If your pricing tool sets £120 for a busy date, a 10% loyalty discount gives £108. Sending a fixed £100 regardless of demand gives away more than you intended on the dates that matter most.
Respect your floor price. Work out the lowest nightly rate that still makes sense after cleaning and fees, and never let a loyalty discount take a stay below it, whatever the percentage says.
Use returning guests to fill gaps. Quiet midweek nights and shoulder season dates are where a loyalty offer earns its keep. Peak periods, such as the dates covered in our guide to dynamic pricing for bank holidays, rarely need a discount.
From our own portfolio: across the roughly 24 Manchester short lets we run, a pricing tool sets the base price, and we trim a few pounds off unsold nights every couple of days until they book. We never let a changeover eat the margin, and our minimum stay varies by season. Any discount, loyalty or otherwise, has to fit inside those limits. That is simply how we do it; other hosts set prices very differently and do well.
Watch peak periods. When demand is high, consider a smaller loyalty discount or a perk instead of money off. Many loyal guests value being offered the dates first more than a bigger discount.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much should I discount for returning Airbnb guests?
There is no standard figure. A modest discount, for example 5 to 10%, is a sensible place to start, and some hosts prefer perks such as early check-in instead. Track how many offers are accepted and what the stays earn after the discount, then adjust.
When should I contact previous guests about loyalty offers?
The cleanest approach is a thank you in the Airbnb message thread after checkout, inviting the guest to message you first next time, followed by a special offer when they get in touch. Airbnb's off-platform policy prohibits using guest contact details for marketing, so avoid email campaigns to past Airbnb guests.
Can I offer loyalty discounts within Airbnb's rules?
Yes. Send the returning guest a special offer through Airbnb with the discounted price for the whole stay. All payment must go through Airbnb, and you should not ask guests to book or pay elsewhere.
Do loyalty discounts hurt my Airbnb search ranking?
Not as far as Airbnb's published guidance goes. Airbnb says price compared with similar nearby listings, quality, popularity and availability all affect search ranking, and that a guest's past bookings can influence what they see. A special offer only changes the price for one guest, so it does not affect how your listing appears to others.
What's the minimum stay I should require for loyalty discounts?
That depends on your cleaning costs and the season. A discounted single night can lose money after the changeover, so many hosts attach a minimum number of nights to any discount. Set it from your own costs rather than a rule of thumb.
How do I handle loyalty discounts during peak season?
Consider a smaller discount, or none, on peak dates. Offer perks such as first access to dates, flexible check-in or a welcome pack instead of large price cuts when demand is already high.
A good returning guest approach takes a little organisation, but it rewards the people who already like your place, all within Airbnb's rules. Start small, keep it inside your pricing limits and adjust as you learn. Want to check your listing is strong enough to win guests back? Get your free score at Zugrow and see where your property stands.
Sources: Airbnb Help Centre on special offers, the off-platform policy, custom promotions and how search results work; Booking.com Genius. Checked October 2026.