Through Airbnb
£814 kept after host fees and unreclaimed VAT
£186 in host fees and VAT
A 15.5% host fee on £1,000 is £155. VAT at 20% adds £31 when you can’t reclaim it. Hosts who can reclaim VAT keep £845 on this example.
A website for your holiday let.
I’m Stephen, in Largs, Scotland. I’ll build a one-page site around your property, so returning guests and referrals can book directly with you. Keep Airbnb for people who don’t know you yet.
From £500. No monthly Staycraft fee.
No Staycraft booking commission.
For holiday lets in Largs, Fairlie, West Kilbride, Skelmorlie, Millport and Wemyss Bay.
Your property. More of the income.
What you keep on a £1,000 stay
An illustration for a £1,000 stay, comparing a 15.5% Airbnb host fee plus unreclaimed VAT with a direct Stripe invoice paid by standard UK card.
On your website
£980.80 kept after Stripe payment and invoice fees
£19.20 in Stripe fees · £0 Staycraft commission
A £1,000 invoice paid with a standard UK card costs about £19.20: 1.5% + 20p, plus 0.4% for Stripe Invoicing. Staycraft adds nothing. See how payment works.
£166.80more kept on this example stay
Three stays could cover your website. On these figures, three comparable direct stays would save £500.40 in fees — enough to offset a £500 website build.
Let’s talk about your propertyThis example assumes £155 in Airbnb host fees plus £31 of unreclaimed VAT, and £19.20 in Stripe payment and invoicing fees. Your Airbnb fee structure, VAT position, card type and other costs may differ. Website running costs and accommodation taxes are not included; this is a fee comparison, not a profit forecast or promise of bookings. Check your Airbnb fee structure and Stripe’s UK pricing. Airbnb can still help new guests find you; your website gives returning guests and referrals a direct way to enquire.
A proper home for your holiday let.
One page, shaped around the property, ready for enquiries. Guests write to you, or go to the booking service you already use. We agree which, and the full price, before I start.
A one-off website build, from£500
£0mandatory monthly
Staycraft fee
0%Staycraft booking
commission
From first impression
to first enquiry.
- A website with your property’s character
A design shaped around your place, with copy written in your voice and a gallery using your photographs.
- The details guests want to know
Rooms, useful local information and answers to guest questions. Easy to explore on phones, tablets and computers.
- Enquiries straight to you
A contact form connected to your inbox, with spam protection. Or a link to the booking service you already use.
- Set up, handed over, yours
Your own domain and hosting account, with a handover covering enquiries and, if useful, sending Stripe invoices.
A few costs to keep in mind.
Your domain & hostingYou pay for the domain and its renewals. The aim is free hosting suitable for a small property site. Any paid hosting or form service is agreed with you first.
Taking paymentsCard payments and booking providers charge their own fees. Stripe is optional, and payments go through your account.
Anything extraExtra pages, new photography and later changes are quoted separately. There is no required maintenance subscription.
You stay in charge of the booking.
The website opens the conversation. You take it from there, with the dates, the price and the payment in your hands.
-
Your guest enquires
They send dates, numbers and questions. The message arrives in your inbox.
Your inbox. A real conversation. -
You agree the stay
You check availability, confirm the price and share your terms. An enquiry does not hold the dates.
Your availability. Your decision. -
You take payment
Send an invoice from your own Stripe account, or use the method you already have. Then confirm the booking and update your calendars.
Your payment account. Your income.
Send an invoice. Welcome a guest.
A simple way to take a deposit or the full balance, once you’ve agreed the stay. Your guest pays online. You confirm the booking.
New to Stripe?Stripe is a payment provider that lets businesses accept payments online. You create an invoice, email it to your guest, and they pay through Stripe’s secure payment page. The money goes to your Stripe account, then to your bank on your payout schedule.
- Open the account. I’ll guide you through setup. You own the account, complete Stripe’s checks and connect your bank. Approval is up to Stripe.
- Send the invoice. Once the stay is agreed, add the guest’s email, the dates, the amount and when you need to be paid.
- Confirm when it’s paid. Check the payment in Stripe, confirm the booking with your guest and update your calendars.
Already have a way to get paid? Keep it.
Stripe is an option, not a requirement. We’ll choose what suits your property, check the fees and agree any extra setup work before it starts.
Let’s talk about your website
I’ll help with your first invoice. Staycraft takes no booking commission.
Can I give guests 24 hours to pay?
Yes. You can agree a deadline, such as 5pm tomorrow, and put it in your message and the invoice terms. Keep those dates aside in your calendars. A Stripe due date does not switch off the payment link or reserve the property.
If the deadline passes, check for paid or pending payments first. If it is still unpaid and nothing is pending, void the invoice in Stripe before you release the dates, and tell the guest. I’ll show you this at handover. How Stripe invoice cancellation works.
What does Stripe charge?
Stripe charges for the payment, and Stripe Invoicing adds its own fee. As checked in October 2026, standard UK cards cost 1.5% + 20p, plus 0.4% per paid invoice on Invoicing Starter. A £100 invoice paid that way costs £2.10 in these fees. A £1,000 invoice costs £19.20.
Other cards, currencies and services can cost more, and rates can change. Check Stripe’s current UK pricing. Staycraft adds no booking commission.
Tell me about your property.
You know what makes your place special. Let’s give it a website that shows it.
Stephen, in LargsYour website, built by someone local.
I want to see the property before I write about it. I’ve spent almost eight years in travel technology, including accommodation, bookings and payments.
Start with a conversation.
Send me your listing, or tell me what you have in mind. We’ll talk through what you need and agree the scope and price before any work starts.
Based in Largs, working with holiday lets in Fairlie, West Kilbride, Skelmorlie, Millport and Wemyss Bay.
Let’s hear about your place.
Already have a listing? Pop the link below. Starting from scratch? A few words about the property is plenty.
Or email stephen@staycraft.co.uk.