No More Sneaky Fees on Airbnb? Users Can Now Sort by Total Price

Airbnb's new pricing feature will allow travelers to see total home rental prices faster.

Travel costs can add up quickly. When planning trips, many people compare the price of home rentals and hotels to find the most affordable place to stay. Airbnb recently announced a new search feature that will make it easier for travelers to compare rental prices. Here's how to sort Airbnb rentals by total price so you can stay on budget during your next vacation.

Say goodbye to surprise fees

If you prefer more space and privacy when traveling, you might consider renting an apartment or home instead of a hotel room. In some cases, vacation rentals can be cheaper than hotels. But it's important to research prices before booking to ensure that the home rental you book fits your vacation budget. Otherwise, you may feel stressed about money while on your trip.

Until recently, it wasn't easy to budget total costs on Airbnb just by doing a quick search. While the search tool would show rental prices, extra fees like cleaning and service fees weren't factored in and weren't shown until users clicked on the property details. In many cases, a home rental was much more expensive than it first appeared.

Airbnb wants to make it easier for travelers to compare rental properties so they don't overspend. The brand announced that beginning in December 2022, it would begin to roll out a new total price display feature to make it easier to compare prices between properties.

This feature will be made available in countries without existing price display requirements. Total prices will include all fees before taxes and will show in search results on the map, filter, and listing page. With this new feature, search rankings will also prioritize total price.

How to activate total pricing on Airbnb

You'll need to toggle this new feature to see total pricing on Airbnb. At the top of the website, Airbnb has a notice that says, "Show total prices up front," with a link to learn more. You'll be shown more details if you click "Learn more." By clicking "Try it now," you can activate this feature. If you're not interested at this time, you can instead click "Maybe later."

It's easy to enable the total pricing view. Since this feature is being rolled out to users over time, you may not see the option immediately. Like before, Airbnb users will continue to be shown a full breakdown of each rental's cost, including fees, by clicking on each property's page. Total pricing can be reviewed and confirmed before finalizing payment.

This new feature could help you save money on travel costs

Before you book your next vacation rental, make sure to toggle this feature so you can quickly find the best rental for your needs. It'll be faster and easier for users to find properties that meet their search criteria and budget.

Most travelers will likely find it easier to find affordable places to stay with this upgrade. It's a win-win situation, since you can save money and time. You should always consider your personal finance situation when planning a trip.

Having a vacation budget and saving money throughout the year are two ways to prepare for future travel expenses before you jet off. It's also not a bad idea to pay for your bookings using travel rewards credit cards to earn valuable rewards on your spending.