Can you make money online with Airbnb? Airbnb Affiliate Program Review 2020

Airbnb is one of the biggest online marketplaces for lodging, and the Airbnb affiliate program was an important factor in the company’s expansion.

I can tell you from experience that it isn’t always a good idea.

I learned long ago that affiliate marketing can be synonymous with money, but not with freedom.

And that’s why I’ll also tell you about the alternative that helped me grow without having to sacrifice anything along the way: lead generation. THIS is my top recommendation if you’re looking for financial freedom.

But, first, let’s dive into the Airbnb Affiliate Program!

 

Airbnb Affiliate Program – What is it?

There isn’t much information to be found on the Internet about the Airbnb affiliate program.

Their landing page has very little information but makes one thing very clear:

The Airbnb affiliate program only accepts affiliates with an audience consisting of at least 1 million visits or app openings each month.

Your content has to be centered around travel or hospitality, and your audience should have a high intent to book accommodation or host their homes.

So, if you were thinking this was an affiliate program like any other…

Well, this is reality.

Airbnb Affiliate Program has VERY high standards and not many affiliates get the chance to promote them.

Before even thinking about trying to join them, be realistic, and check your audience reach!

How much can you earn with the Airbnb Affiliate Program?

So, you probably want to hear about what matters here, right?

The money.

Well, I’m sorry to tell you this but there’s nothing clear about it.

Airbnb doesn’t publicly disclose anything about its commission structure.

The only way to find out would be to get accepted to the program.

Look:

I guess their commission will be generous, otherwise, no big websites with 1 million visits a month would be willing to promote them.

Websites with such traffic have many options for monetization so Airbnb has to offer good value to the affiliates.

 

Guest and Host Affiliate Program

If you’re one of the chosen ones and get accepted to the Airbnb affiliate program, first…

Wow! You made it, dude.

Congratulations.

Now, in your second step, you’ll have to make a decision.

You’ll be able to decide whether you want to be an affiliate for their Guest or Host affiliate program.

Basically, as a guest affiliate, you will be able to feature any Airbnb listing and earn a commission for each booking.

As a hosting affiliate, you will earn a commission every time a new host signs up through your link.

 

Airbnb Referral Program

Good news!

If you want to promote Airbnb but you don’t meet the high standards of the Airbnb affiliate program, you still have a chance to do so through the Airbnb referral program.

With the Airbnb referral program, you won’t earn any cash…

Just coupon credits (‘travel credits’) towards your future homes/experience’s bookings.

If you frequently use Airbnb, you can save some money with this program.

Anyone can join the Airbnb referral program, you just need to have an Airbnb account.

Once you’re logged into your account, click on the profile picture and in the dropdown menu you will see links to ‘Invite Friends’ and ‘Refer Hosts’.

***screenshot of the steps to take to join this referral program, just like the one below:**

You earn travel credits for every person who completes a first-time stay or experience. Just like in the Airbnb affiliate program, Airbnb also rewards you if you get someone to start hosting.

The person who makes a booking from your link also gets a travel credit.

Specifically, if they sign up for Airbnb with your link, they get $31 off their home-booking.

Also, if they book an experience worth at least $51, they will get $12 off it.

What’s important to note is referrals should only be used for personal and non-commercial purposes.

They specifically mention in the terms and conditions that referral links shouldn’t be published on blogs.

So, this isn’t an option to take if what you want is to find a way to earn real money online and grow a business.

Yeah, it can help you save something during your holidays, but to achieve financial freedom you need to go and pursue something better.

And the best thing out there is lead generation.

You’ve probably heard of it (especially if you’re an usual reader), and if not, don’t worry.

All you need to know now it’s that it’s the easiest way to grow an online business.

You only need a laptop and a phone.

Sales reps spend a lot of time and money pursuing leads, only to lose 1 (or more) out of every 4 in the process.

So now imagine you have a key element you’ve developed in less than a couple of hours that can drive high-quality leads to businesses 24/7…

Even when you’re sleeping!

How do you think I get the time to write this while working in lead generation?

 

How much can you earn with the Airbnb Referral Program?

If your friend books and completes a homestay or books and attends an experience, you’ll get up to $24 in travel credit (this varies depending on the type of booking and experience).

For every new host you refer, you earn $50.

According to the Airbnb referral program terms and conditions, the maximum travel credit you can earn is $5,000 in respect of home bookings and $2,000 USD in respect of experience reservations.

You must use your travel credits within one year from the date they are issued.

Conclusion

The Airbnb affiliate program has very high standards for applicants as you need to have at least one million visits a month to be even considered.

The program may be very profitable but, unfortunately, it is available only for website owners with a lot of traffic.

On the other hand, the Airbnb referral program is very accessible and everyone with an Airbnb account can join.

However, you can only earn travel credits towards your own bookings on the platform and not cash.

You won’t earn any money with this program but at least you can save some money on your travels.

So, do I recommend thinking about this?

If you have a HUGE blog or website already, then yeah, give it a try!

But if you’re starting out, then keep reading, cause there are better options for you!

 

Why Lead Generation Is What You Need

Lead generation is what all businesses aim to accomplish.

They reach out to an audience, offering them an opportunity and want them to grab hold of it.

When this happens they pat themselves on the back and call their new, interested, possible future client a “lead”.

These leads are then passed on to sales who work their magic, turning them into a client.

It’s easy to think they’ve got the process nailed- why would they need a lead generation company when their channels are already doing it for them?

Well, because these companies spend a LOT of money to get leads …

And most of the time they never achieve their goals.

They need something that can generate business for them all the time, something that also helps them get customers willing from the beginning to give their bank card away.

And there you come in!

The first time I got to know about lead generation, I thought “hell, no”

I had no idea what value I could bring to other businesses.

I had spent the last few months trying to drive traffic to my affiliate websites…

And things hadn’t turned out well.

I spent hours and hours sitting in front of the computer everyday.

I had to sacrifice a lot just for one click, and I was TIRED of online businesses that ended up being a complete waste of time.

I just got to a point where I was thinking about going back to my old 9 to 5 job just to be able to leave my parent’s house and get some of the freedom I’d always dream of.

Have you ever felt this way?

It’s easy to get into that hole if you follow (like I did) all the scammers’ ads that pop up when you’re watching YouTube.

But, something back then told me to try at least once again.

To take a last chance.

And I did.

I found an awesome training program that showed me what EXACTLY I was doing wrong.

I was trying to build old traditional marketing businesses and ignoring the big opportunities out there.

Affiliate marketing? A massive marketing with too many competitors and low rewards.

Dropshipping? A waste of time to get way more bad reviews than money.

But, lead gen?

Lead generation was the real answer.

I met hundreds of real people that were making a living from it.

I talked with them, learned from them.

And even before I finished I was renting my own apartment in my favorite place, Miami, Florida!

Now it is the job that lets me live with my own schedule and have all the financial freedom I always wanted.

And if you want to do the same, now it’s the perfect time. You can get to know how to build a 6-figure business from home and live the life of your dreams, just click here!

Hope you’ve found this article helpful!

If you’re one of the chosen ones and have gotten into the Airbnb Affiliate Program, share your experience so other readers can see what it’s really like!