Airbnb Now Lets You Pay in Cedis — Here’s How It Saves You Money

If you’ve ever tried booking an Airbnb in Ghana, you probably noticed that payments were often in dollars. For many young Ghanaians, this meant higher costs due to exchange rates and transaction fees. But there’s good news: Airbnb now allows you to pay in cedis (GHS) instead of dollars, saving you money in the process.

How Paying in Cedis Saves You Money

When you pay in dollars using a Visa or Mastercard, your bank typically converts the currency at its exchange rate, which often includes hidden fees. By paying in cedis directly, you can avoid these extra charges and benefit from more favorable rates.

Here’s an example:

An Airbnb stay for 5 nights at $59 per night would cost you $294 (about ₵4,640) when paid with a Visa card.

If you switch to paying in cedis, the same stay would cost around ₵4,295.

That’s a savings of about ₵345 for the exact same booking! For frequent travelers or those booking longer stays, this can add up quickly.

Payment Methods Supported by Airbnb

Airbnb supports a variety of payment methods depending on your country. In Ghana, you can use Visa and Mastercard for payments. With the new cedis payment option, your default currency will be set to GHS automatically. However, you still have the flexibility to switch back to dollars or another currency if you prefer.

The company recently notified users about this change:

“Your currency was updated to GHS. You can still choose to make payments in another currency.”

This update gives Ghanaian users more control and makes Airbnb’s platform even more accessible.

How to Change Your Default Currency

If your default currency wasn’t updated to GHS automatically, you can change it manually in the Airbnb app. Here’s how:

Open the Airbnb app and tap on Profile.

Under Settings, tap Payments and Payouts.

At the top of the screen, you’ll see your current currency. Tap it.

Select GHS (Ghanaian Cedi) or your preferred currency from the list.

That’s it! Your future bookings will now display prices in cedis, giving you a clearer idea of what you’re spending.

Why This Matters for Young Ghanaians

You’ve probably seen the TikToks: friends laughing and living it up on a dreamy weekend getaway. But what you don’t see is the stress of budgeting for it. Airbnb’s cedis payment option helps take some of that pressure off. With fewer surprises in your bank statement, you can focus on capturing that perfect sunset shot or deciding which local dish to try next.

Whether you’re planning a trip to explore hidden gems outside Accra or hosting your squad in a stylish apartment downtown, paying in cedis means less worrying about hidden costs and more time for making memories.