Booking platforms (OTAs) are excellent for bringing in customers, but they charge high commission fees (from 15% to 20%) on every financial transaction that passes through them.

For the professional host, Direct Payments (like Zelle, Venmo, or Bank Transfers) have revolutionized how to handle payments peripheral to the nightly rate.

Why take extra charges off the platform?

If a guest decides they want a Late Check-out or consumes items from your minibar, and you use the platform's Resolution Center to charge $50, a portion of that money stays with them, and the payout can take days.

With Direct Payments, the money hits your account instantly, wih zero fees, guaranteeing immediate liquidity for you to pay your cleaning team.

Use Cases for Direct Payments in Hosting

Selling Services (Upsell): Late check-out, mid-stay cleaning, romantic packages.
On-Site Consumption (Honesty Bar): Charging for extra water, beers, and coffee pods left in the fridge.
Security Deposits: Many Property Managers are using direct agreements where the guest sends a deposit via Zelle before check-in, which is returned right after the checkout inspection.

How to charge elegantly?

Constantly sending your Venmo handle or Zelle email and asking for receipts on WhatsApp sounds amateurish. The ideal solution is to automate.

With MyStayProfile, you have a native payment button in your Digital Guidebook. The guest chooses the extra service (e.g., Late Check-out), the app displays the value, and allows them to copy your payment details with one click. It's a frictionless experience that professionalizes your business and fattens your wallet.