I’ve been using custom promotions strategically for years – whenever things got slow or I had gaps in my calendar that needed filling, I’d create a targeted promotion to drive bookings.
Then recently, I saw a post in one of my host Facebook groups. Someone mentioned they could no longer access their custom promotion option. My stomach dropped. I immediately opened up my Airbnb app and started navigating to where the promotion button should be.
And sure enough – it was gone.
I tried not to panic, but let’s be honest, losing access to such a powerful booking tool is pretty nerve-wracking, especially when you have no idea why it disappeared or how to get it back. I dove deep into researching this issue, determined to find a solution. The good news? I discovered there actually IS a way to fix this problem. Airbnb has a specific list of criteria you must meet to maintain access to custom promotions – and most hosts have no clue these requirements even exist.
I’m going to share everything I learned so you can get your custom promotions back and avoid losing them again in the future.
Why Custom Promotions Are Actually Game-Changers (What You’re Really Missing)
Before we dive into the technical requirements, let me explain why losing access to custom promotions is such a big deal. This isn’t just about offering discounts – it’s about unlocking Airbnb’s powerful merchandising features that can dramatically boost your visibility and bookings.
When you run a custom promotion, Airbnb doesn’t just reduce your price quietly in the background. Instead, they actively market your listing with special features based on your discount level:
The Four Tiers of Airbnb Custom Promotions
1-9% Discount: Your listing receives a new line item in the rate breakdown showing guests they’re getting a deal.
10-14% Discount: You get strike-through pricing in the search results and a new line item in the rate breakdown. This visual cue immediately signals value to potential guests.
15-19% Discount: Everything above plus “new lower price” or “this is a good deal” tagging. These eye-catching badges make your listing stand out in crowded search results.
20%+ Discount: Here’s where it gets really exciting. Discounts over 20% off get everything above plus a spot in Airbnb’s promotional emails to travelers. This means Airbnb actively promotes YOUR listing to their massive email subscriber base.
Think about that for a second – when you offer a 20% or higher discount, you’re not just competing in search results like you do when you don’t have a promotion. You’re getting featured placement in Airbnb’s marketing emails that reach millions of potential guests. That’s marketing exposure you literally cannot buy anywhere else.
Setting up a custom promotion is not just a discount – it’s access to Airbnb’s entire marketing machine.
The Custom Promotions Crisis: What’s Really Happening
Airbnb’s custom promotions feature allows hosts to create personalized discount offers for specific date ranges, giving you more control over your pricing strategy. However, this feature isn’t permanently available to all hosts – it comes and goes based on strict eligibility criteria that Airbnb doesn’t clearly communicate upfront.
Many hosts who previously had access to custom promotions are now finding themselves locked out, often without understanding what changed or how to regain access.
You can read all about this issue below or watch the video I made on the topic.
The 7 Hidden Requirements for Airbnb Custom Promotions
After analyzing Airbnb’s official help documentation and speaking with affected hosts, here are the exact criteria you must meet to maintain access to custom promotions:
1. Minimum Reservation History
Your property must have completed at least 3 reservations total, with at least one booking within the last 12 months. This means even established hosts can lose access if they experience a booking drought.
2. Date Availability Requirements
Target dates for your promotion must be available and unblocked when you launch the campaign. You can’t create promotions for dates that are already reserved or blocked.
3. The 28-Day Availability Rule
This is where many hosts get tripped up. Eligible dates must have been open for booking for a minimum of 28 consecutive days. If you frequently block and unblock dates, you might inadvertently reset this counter.
4. Monthly Promotional Limits
No more than half the nights in any given month can include promotional pricing. This prevents hosts from over-discounting their properties but can limit flexibility during slow seasons.
5. Standard Discount Conflicts
You cannot have regular percentage discounts (weekly or monthly) active on the same listing simultaneously with custom promotions. This forces hosts to choose between promotion types.
6. Peak Pricing Restrictions
Individual night rates in your promotion cannot exceed your peak pricing from the previous 12-month period. Airbnb tracks your historical pricing to prevent artificial inflation before discounting.
7. Property Type Limitations
High-end Luxe properties and hotel listings are automatically excluded from personalized promotions, regardless of meeting other criteria.
Why Hosts Are Losing Access (The Real Reasons)
Seasonal Booking Patterns
Many hosts experience natural booking lulls, especially in seasonal markets. If you don’t receive a booking within 12 months, you’ll lose access even if you previously met all requirements.
Calendar Management Mistakes
Frequently adjusting your availability calendar – even for legitimate reasons – can reset the 28-day availability counter, inadvertently disqualifying your dates.
Overlapping Discount Strategies
Hosts often activate weekly or monthly discounts and forget about them, unknowingly blocking their ability to create custom promotions.
Pricing Strategy Changes
Hosts who increase their rates significantly might find their promotional prices exceed previous peak rates, triggering automatic disqualification.
How to Regain Your Custom Promotions Feature
Step 1: Audit Your Booking History
Check your reservation history to ensure you have at least 3 completed bookings with one in the last 12 months. If not, focus on securing bookings through other pricing strategies first.
Step 2: Review Your Calendar Settings
Identify dates you want to promote and ensure they’ve been continuously available for at least 28 days. Avoid unnecessary blocking and unblocking.
Step 3: Disable Conflicting Discounts
Turn off any active weekly or monthly percentage discounts that might conflict with custom promotions.
Step 4: Analyze Your Pricing History
Review your peak rates from the past 12 months to ensure your promotional pricing won’t exceed these thresholds.
Step 5: Wait and Monitor
After addressing these issues, it may take 24-48 hours for the custom promotions feature to reappear in your dashboard.
Alternative Pricing Strategies When Custom Promotions Aren’t Available
Manual Price Adjustments
Set lower prices for specific dates directly in your calendar. This is less automated than promotions and does not come with the extras you get with custom promotions, it does give you complete pricing control.
Weekly and Monthly Discounts
If you’re not using custom promotions, activate percentage-based discounts for longer stays to attract extended bookings.
Last-Minute Pricing
Reduce rates for dates within 7-14 days of check-in to capture spontaneous bookings.
Seasonal Rate Adjustments
Proactively lower your base rates during known slow periods rather than relying on promotional pricing.
The Impact on Your Airbnb Business
Revenue Implications
Losing access to custom promotions can significantly impact your ability to optimize pricing during slow periods, potentially reducing overall revenue by 10-25% during promotional campaigns.
Competitive Disadvantage
Hosts without custom promotions may struggle to compete with nearby properties that can offer targeted discounts to specific guest segments.
Guest Experience
Custom promotions often create a sense of exclusivity and urgency that manual price reductions can’t replicate, potentially affecting conversion rates.
Expert Tips for Maintaining Custom Promotions Access
Consistent Booking Strategy
Develop a marketing plan to ensure regular bookings throughout the year, preventing the 12-month eligibility lapse.
Calendar Discipline
Establish clear policies for when and why you block dates, minimizing unnecessary availability changes.
Pricing Documentation
Keep detailed records of your pricing history to better understand peak rate calculations and promotional limitations.
Regular Eligibility Checks
Monthly reviews of your promotion eligibility can help you catch and address issues before losing access.
What Airbnb Hosts Are Saying
The frustration among hosts is unmistakable. Many report discovering the missing feature during critical booking periods, leaving them scrambling for alternative pricing strategies.Airbnb’s failure to clearly explain these requirements has left hosts feeling blindsided and questioning what other changes might be happening behind the scenes. Ultimately, it is up to you as the host to understand the requirements when it comes to navigating the app, but there is so much out to know!
Looking Ahead: Future of Airbnb Pricing Tools
Losing access to custom promotions was honestly one of those moments that reminded me how much we rely on these platform features – and how little control we actually have over them.
But here’s what I learned through this whole experience: understanding these hidden requirements isn’t just about getting your promotions back. It’s about taking control of your hosting business instead of letting platform changes catch you off guard.
The key is being proactive rather than reactive. Don’t wait until you lose access to figure out these requirements – implement these best practices now to protect your promotional capabilities and keep that powerful marketing tool in your hosting toolkit. Staying informed about feature changes and maintaining best practices will be crucial for maximizing your property’s earning potential.
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Have you experienced issues with Airbnb custom promotions? Share your experience in the comments below and help fellow hosts navigate these challenging requirements.