7 Best Credit Card Processing for Vacation Rentals in 2024

When managing vacation rentals, selecting the right credit card processor is not just about processing payments but also about enhancing the guest experience. Typically, you can expect guests worldwide, so you want a payment processor to handle international payments. Since most of your bookings will be online, you’ll need one with advanced security features like fraud mitigation and chargeback management.

Furthermore, it’s essential that you get a payment system that can easily integrate with your property management software and e-commerce platforms. Of course, you wouldn’t want a payment processor that takes up a good chunk of your profits, so a card processor that offers low fees would be ideal.

I researched dozens of credit card processors and found Leaders Merchant Services (LMS) to be the top choice for vacation rentals. It offers low fees and even allows you to negotiate prices. It also provides fraud mitigation and has a whole department dedicated to handling chargeback issues. You can contact LMS for a free quote or keep reading to discover 6 other great payment processors for your rentals.

What We Look For in the Best Credit Card Processors for Vacation Rentals

In my search for the best credit card processors for vacation rental businesses, I focused on features and benefits that directly impact efficiency and profitability.

• Low fees. I prioritized low fees because it directly affects your bottom line. Most payment processors I examined offer competitive pricing and free equipment, ensuring more profits stay in your pocket.
• Availability of multiple payment options. All the card processors on my list accept various payment methods, including credit and debit cards, digital wallets, bank transfers, and ACH. This allows your rental business to cater to a broader range of guests’ preferences.
• Easy e-commerce integration. Integration with e-commerce platforms can streamline your booking and payment processes. Most of the payment processors on my list integrate seamlessly with shopping cart solutions and platforms like Shopify and WooCommerce.
• Mobile accessibility. I looked for processors with mobile apps that let you key in credit card information, prepare receipts, and send invoices on the go.
• Responsive support. Responsive customer support is non-negotiable. Every processing service I selected excels in this area, ensuring you get help whenever you need it.

1. Leaders Merchant Services: Flexible Pricing for Vacation Rental Businesses

Leaders Merchant Services (LMS) allows you to negotiate a price that aligns with your rental business needs. And if you plan on switching credit card processors, LMS promises to either meet or beat the rates of your current card processor, allowing you to get the best deal possible. The monthly fee is as low as $9.00, and the per-transaction fees are ~2% + 0¢ for swiped card transactions and ~2.9% + 30¢ for virtual terminal transactions.

One of my favorite e-commerce features from LMS is its integration with CartManager. You can integrate a secure SSL shopping cart into your vacation rental business website and streamline the payment process for your guests. You can even display your shopping cart in languages supported by UTF-8 and HTML elements, which is a great way to make international guests feel welcome.

LMS has a whole department to help you manage chargeback issues. This specialized focus on chargebacks ensures you can manage disputes effectively, reducing your business’s financial and administrative burden. It can also help if you have low or no credit.

Features and Benefits

• Worldwide transactions. Since LMS uses Authorize.net as its payment gateway, guests from anywhere worldwide can make payments to reserve a vacation rental with you. However, Using Authorize.net’s payment gateway and virtual terminal does come with an additional monthly fee.
• Cash discount. LMS has a cash discount program that you can offer to guests. This encourages visitors to pay in cash rather than credit card, saving you the cost of processing fees.
• High approval rate. LMS offers a 98% approval rate for registered businesses, so if you’ve had trouble signing up with other card processors in the past, there’s a high chance LMS will accept your business.
• LMS funding. If you’re just starting your rental business and need a loan, LMS can help collateral-free. You can repay this through a small commission on your sales.

Check out our full Leaders Merchant Services review for more details.

2. Paysafe: Best for Integrating Multiple Payment Solutions

Paysafe accepts various local payment methods, such as Alipay e-Wallet in China, ePay in Bulgaria, Boleto Bancario in Brazil, and many more. This is beneficial if your rental business frequently hosts guests from those countries.

Paysafe accepts other payment methods (250+) like Venmo, Skrill, ACH, and EFT. So, it’s also an excellent option for rental hosts that often welcome international guests. What’s more, Paysafe allows your business to accept payments in 40+ different currencies, providing your foreign customers with ease of paying in their local currency.

Paysafe offers three pricing plans: tiered, interchange-plus, and cash discount. The tiered pricing starts from 0.99% + 25¢ (debit cards) per transaction with a fee of $16.00, and it’s more suitable for luxury rental businesses with high prices. Meanwhile, smaller ticket vacation rentals would benefit more from the interchange-plus plan, which goes for 0.30% + ¢10 and includes a fee of $7.95. Lastly, Paysafe’s cash discount plan costs $16.00.

Features and Benefits

• Variety of POS equipment. Paysafe offers a range of POS solutions for vacation rental businesses, including Clover terminals, Pax A80, Pax A920, FD150, and a free mobile card reader​​​.
• Risk management team. The payment processor provides comprehensive risk management and fraud reduction services whereby a team flags and blocks payments from suspicious IP addresses or regions.
• Numerous payment channels. Paysafe supports MOTO, digital invoicing, QR code payments, and pay-by-link, allowing your rental business to accommodate different guests’ payment preferences​​​.
• Dedicated account manager. You get personalized support from Paysafe during your onboarding process. Your account manager will help you set up your POS equipment, virtual terminals, and any other tools associated with your Paysafe account.

Read our expert Paysafe review for more info.

3. Sekure Payment Experts: Best for Low-Volume Rental Businesses

Sekure’s Simplified Pricing model is most suitable for low-volume vacation rentals that don’t often receive many guests. So, if you own a single property or properties in low-tourist areas, you’ll benefit from this plan. I like how it includes no monthly, PCI, or hardware fee – just a flat-rate transaction fee of 3.5% + 19¢ (in-person & online).

Thanks to Sekure’s integration with multiple payment solutions, such as Payeezy, Authorize.net, Cybersource, and Payflow Pro, you can accept several currencies. Payeezy supports 200+ currencies, including the US Dollar, Euro, British Pound, Argentine Peso, Swiss Franc, Ghanaian Cedi, and Japanese yen. This way, you’d be able to cater to guests from all over the world without worrying about currency conversion.

Sekure offers various payment methods, including credit and debit cards, ACH, bank transfers, and digital wallets like Apple Pay, PayPal, Google Pay, and Samsung Pay. You can also accept payments over the phone or via text or email. One thing to note is that Sekure isn’t a traditional credit card processor. Instead, it collaborates with multiple partners to provide the best payment solutions.

Features and Benefits

• Zero-cost processing program. If your guests prefer to pay in person, I recommend going for Sekure’s zero-cost processing program. It helps you avoid processing fees by encouraging your guests to either pay in cash or cover the processing fees themselves.
• Free POS equipment. As a Sekure merchant, you get one or more POS devices for free, allowing you to minimize or eliminate initial setup costs.
• Automated online payments. If you have repeat or long-term customers, you can use Sekure to save their data for future bookings. You can also set up installment payments for guests who prefer that option.
• Fast payouts. Sekure releases your funds on the same or the next day after processing, ensuring you can maintain a healthy cash flow for rentals booked in advance.

Read our comprehensive Sekure review for more details.

4. Square: Best for New Vacation Rentals

Square is a great option for rental businesses just starting out and looking for all the support they can get. Not only do you get a free account, but you can also launch a free website for your rental property, which is an excellent tool for increasing your visibility as a rental business, getting direct bookings, and communicating with new and existing guests.

Square has one of the fastest onboarding processes in the industry. All you need to do is create an account and provide some information about your business, and you can start getting bookings right away. I just don’t like how Square holds funds and closes accounts unexpectedly. But you should be fine, provided you complete your profile thoroughly and don’t receive any suspicious payments.

If you’re going to process low transaction volumes, I recommend opting for Square Online Professional, which includes a small monthly fee of $12.00 and a per-transaction fee of 2.9% + 30¢. On the other hand, high-volume businesses would prefer Square Online Premium, which has a lower processing fee of 2.6% + 30¢ and a $72.00 monthly fee.

Features and Benefits

• Square App Marketplace. There are multiple apps on Square’s marketplace that can assist you with your rental business. For instance, if you usually offer tours to your guests, you can use Checkfront and Bookeo as a booking system to arrange and manage tours.
• E-commerce integrations. Square integrates with several e-commerce platforms, including email marketing services like Mailchimp and ActiveCampaign, which enable you to keep your existing or recurring customers informed about any new establishments in your rental property.
• FDIC-insured business checking account. Square’s checking account includes zero monthly or overdraft fees, giving instant access to your funds, unlike traditional banks that can delay your payout for days.
• Free card reader. In addition to a free merchant account and website, Square will provide a free mobile credit card reader, helping you minimize your hardware costs as you start out.

For more details, read our full Square review.

5. POS Pros: Specialized Plan for Property Management

POS Pros’ personalized approach begins with a consultation to match your rental business with the best POS systems available. This is followed by a free virtual demo to test each recommended POS equipment. As such, you can evaluate how each system can meet your specific rental needs before committing​.

POS Pros offers a specialized plan that gives you access to 365villas, a property management software that manages your entire rental portfolio. With 365villas, you can manage your reservations and property maintenance, monitor analytics, run marketing campaigns, send out automated rental agreements, and oversee all your communication channels (Airbnb messenger, email, etc.) in one platform.

POS Pros’ pricing starts at 0.30% + 10¢ (in-person) per transaction with a small monthly fee of $5.00. However, if you opt for the cash discount plan, expect a higher monthly payment of $30.00, which is much pricier than Paysafe’s zero-cost processing plan.

Features and Benefits

• Cash advance. You can qualify for a loan of up to $500,000 if your business has been operational for at least one year and your revenue is $50,000 yearly or $4,200 monthly over the past three months.
• Next-day deposits. POS Pros releases your funds to your linked bank account within 24 hours, regardless of the plan you’re on or the payment method your guest used.
• Support for 25+ POS brands. POS Pros is compatible with over 25 POS brands, including well-known names like Clover, LightSpeed, and Revel POS. This broad support ensures you can choose the best POS system for your vacation rental business​.
• Free hardware. POS Pros offers free equipment like the SmartSwipe or Dejavoo Z11 terminal. You may also qualify for a free Clover Flex or Clover Mini LTE. These free options allow you to offer multiple payment options to your guests without upfront costs.

Our expert POS Pros review has more on pricing.

6. ProMerchant: Best for Taking MOTO Vacation Bookings

ProMerchant offers two solutions for guests who want an alternative online booking method. First is its free Payments Hub virtual terminal lets you key in transactions from various channels, including over the phone, email, and mail. You can also use the Payments Hub to manage your transaction records, process voids, and send customer receipts via text or email.

The second MOTO solution ProMerchant provides is via Authorize.net’s virtual terminal. And since ProMerchant fully integrates with Authorize.net, you can also accept payments online by adding a pre-built checkout page to your rental business’s website. Authorize.net also provides other features, such as advanced fraud protection and digital invoicing.

ProMerchant is one of few credit card processors that provides dedicated high-risk merchant accounts. These accounts include the same features as low-risk accounts and additional fraud mitigation tools. Unfortunately, ProMerchant isn’t very forthcoming about pricing, and its popular zero-cost processing plan is only available to selected industries.

Features and Benefits

• QuickBooks integration. Authorize.net syncs your daily transactions with QuickBooks and simplifies financial management by automatically updating all transactions​​​.
• No hidden fees. ProMerchant doesn’t charge setup, application, cancellation, or PCI compliance fees. However, its standard transaction fees can fluctuate quite a bit.
• Free hardware. Depending on your vacation rental needs, ProMerchant may give you a free Payanywhere, PAX, Verifone, or Ingenico terminal with no ongoing or upfront rental fees.
• Next-day processing. ProMerchant approves applications within 24 hours and promises to release all processed transactions the following day. You can start processing payments as soon as the next day.

For more details, check out our comprehensive ProMerchant review.

Other Notable Credit Card Processing Companies for Vacation Rentals

7. Hostify

Hostify is a versatile vacation rental management platform with payment processing capabilities. It integrates with rental platforms like Airbnb, Booking.com, and Vrbo, enabling you to maximize your property’s visibility and booking potential. Additionally, Hostify offers automated recurring payments for long-term bookings and sophisticated reporting tools for property performance analysis.

It’s an all-in-one solution with a built-in website for direct bookings and a unified inbox for streamlined communication with your guests. That said, because Hostify is primarily a vacation rental platform (and not just a payment processor), you’ll typically pay more than one of my top recommendations due to the additional property management features – whether you need them or not.

Increase Bookings With Best Credit Card Processors for Vacation Rentals

As a vacation rental business, the right credit card processor should enhance your ability to serve your guests efficiently. In addition to competitive rates, you’ll also want a processor committed to your growth.

LMS is an excellent choice if you need a credit card processor with negotiable rates and specialized chargeback management. It provides low fees, fraud mitigation, and easy integration with e-commerce platforms like CartManager.

If you’re looking for a processor that supports both local and international payments, I recommend Paysafe. It integrates with 250+ payment methods, including local payment software like Alipay e-Wallet in China and ePay and international solutions like Venmo and Skrill.

For vacation rental businesses that don’t get too many bookings, Sekure is an excellent option. Its Simplified Pricing plan includes a fixed processing fee with no monthly, PCI, or hardware costs.

FAQ

Can I use Vrbo for my vacation rental?

Vrbo is a vacation rental platform that accepts various payment methods, including major credit cards and digital payments through PayPal, Google Pay, and Apple Pay. That said, Vrbo’s processing fee is 3%, which is relatively high compared to other payment processors. If you run a large vacation rental business, consider Paysafe for its multiple payment methods for both local and international transactions.

What are the key features to look for in a credit card processor for vacation rental platforms?

A good credit card processor for vacation rentals should offer features like multiple payment options and reasonable online fees. These processors should easily integrate with your property management software and e-commerce platforms, accept international payments, and provide advanced security features like fraud mitigation. Paysafe is an excellent example of such a payment processor.

What is the best credit card processing for my vacation rental?

Leaders Merchant Services (LMS) offers the best credit card processing for vacation rentals. It offers low fees and the flexibility to negotiate prices. LMS also provides effective fraud mitigation and a dedicated department for handling chargeback issues. Plus, it integrates with CartManager to provide a shopping cart for your vacation rental website.

What is the safest way to accept payments for my vacation rental?

The safest way to accept payments for your vacation rental is by using a reputable credit card processor. I recommend Leaders Merchant Services, as it’s the best and most secure credit card processor for vacation rentals. It’s fully PCI compliant and offers the Authorize.net payment gateway with advanced fraud tools. Plus, it provides end-to-end encryption on all its POS hardware.