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Airbnb resolution adjustments and payouts (refunds to guests or payments from guests) need to be tracked accurately, or they can throw off owner payouts and management company accounts during reconciliation.
Clearing's "Resolutions" feature, paired with the Chrome extension, lets you track and manage these adjustments without affecting the underlying booking. This article walks through setup and the monthly workflow for managing resolution payouts in Clearing.
One-Time Setup: Adjust Asset Settings for Expected Payouts
Before working through resolution payouts month to month, set this up once so resolution amounts don't also get counted against a booking's expected payout. Go to the "Assets and Owners" section in Clearing.
Here select all of your assets and click the "Bulk Actions" button. It will open a new pop up window.
Scroll down and check the box for "Include Resolution Payouts". This will include the resolution adjustment as part of the expected payout amount in the booking reconciliation. It ensures that resolution adjustments and payouts are being considered when reconciling the bank deposits with the expected booking amounts.
Click Apply to save these settings.
Steps to Track and Manage Airbnb Resolution Adjustments and Payouts
Step 1: Access the Resolution Payouts Center in Clearing
Log in to your Clearing account and navigate to the "Bookings" section from the left hand menu. Click on the "Resolution Payouts" option to manage your resolution payouts.
Step 2: Populate the Resolution Payouts Section
To begin managing resolution payouts, go to the "Clearing Chrome extension" and under Resolution Payouts read the instructions.
You need to be logged in to your Airbnb account and on the Resolution center page (https://www.airbnb.com/resolutions).
Click the "Sync Resolution Payouts" option to transfer the resolution payout/adjustment details into Clearing.
Once synced, go to the Resolution Payouts section in Clearing to view all imported resolution adjustments/payouts. You will see details like the booking number associated with the payout, guest information, and the status of the resolution.
Tip: You're not limited to what syncs from Airbnb. If you processed a refund or payment through an external tool (Venmo, ACH, Zelle, Stripe, etc.) outside your PMS, you can add that resolution manually in Clearing. It reconciles against the booking the same way a synced resolution does.
Step 3: Assign Payout Amounts
In the "Resolution Payouts" section review the payout details for accuracy. Assign the resolution amount to either the owner or the management company:
Use the "Amount to Owner" column for payouts/adjustments that owners should be responsible for.
Use the "Amount to Management" column for payouts/adjustments that the management company should be responsible for.
Ensure the amounts in both columns do not exceed the total payout value. You can split the amount between the owner and management company, if necessary, for shared responsibility.
Important: Watch the sign on the amount. Use a negative amount if money went out to the guest (a refund). Use a positive amount if the guest paid you. Entering it backwards will misstate the owner's or management's balance.
You can also assign a category to the payout, such as "Resolution Payout", "Cleaning Fee Adjustment", or "Pet Fee" for example, based on the nature of the adjustment and how you manage your chart of accounts.
Step 4: Lock the Resolution Payout
Once you have assigned the amounts and category, check the box in line with each transaction to lock the resolution payout and prevent accidental changes in the future. This ensures the adjustment remains consistent and protects the integrity of financial data.
Step 5: Verify Payouts with Deposit Matching
For accurate reconciliation, open the associated booking in Clearing.
Scroll down to the "Reconciliation" section and verify that after the resolution payout/adjustment occurs, the amount deposited into the bank account matches the updated booking information. You will also be able to see the individual impacting transaction in the "Transaction financials" section.
Deposit matching helps ensure the payout into your bank account aligns with your expected booking details and aids in overall financial transparency and accuracy. Booking reconciliation is a fundamental aspect of Trust Accounting.
Optional Step: Exclude Resolution Adjustments from Property Management Software (PMS) Integration
Some PMS platforms pass a resolution adjustment straight into the booking. We don't recommend relying on that, since resolutions often land well after the original booking, and a PMS-passed line risks being mistimed or duplicating what you're already tracking in the Resolution Payouts center.
If your PMS passes resolution adjustments to Clearing, go to the booking details for that booking, enter the resolution amount, and set the accounting to exclude. If this happens regularly, it's worth setting up a rule by type instead of doing it manually each time.
This ensures that adjustments from PMS integrations do not interfere with the booking's financial accuracy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use both a Resolution Adjustment and a Resolution Payout for the same booking in the same month?
Can I use both a Resolution Adjustment and a Resolution Payout for the same booking in the same month?
No. A Resolution Adjustment and a Resolution Payout should not be used together for the same booking in the same reporting period, since they both impact the booking's financials. When both are added, the Resolution Adjustment is included in the booking financials, while the Resolution Payout also adjusts the expected payout on either the owner or management statement. As a result, the Expected Payout is reduced twice, causing it to appear lower than expected.
To avoid this, only use one of these methods per month:
Resolution Adjustment – Use this when you want to adjust the booking financials directly.
Resolution Payout – Use this when you want to record the payout associated with the resolution, for example for a booking that happened the previous month.
Using just one of these options for the same reporting period will ensure the booking financials and expected payout are calculated correctly.
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Clearing is a Financial Technology Company, not a bank.