Vrbo’s New “Rain Refund” Feature: What Hosts Need to Know About WeatherPromise

OTAs like Airbnb and Vrbo just want one thing...

To make it as easy and convenient as possible for guests to hit "Reserve Now."

Airbnb introduced more relaxed cancellation policies and their "Reserve Now, Pay Later" feature.

Now it's Vrbo's turn.

Their next move: Partnering with WeatherPromise so guests can get a refund if it rains during their stay.

WeatherPromise: What It Is & How It Works

WeatherPromise is a startup that pays people when bad weather ruins their trip.

They raised $12.8 million in January and already partner with Marriott, JetBlue Vacations, and HomeToGo.

Now Vrbo is joining the list.

Here's how it works for guests:

▪️At checkout on eligible Vrbo properties, guests can add rain protection for roughly 3–8% of their trip cost.

▪️If rainfall crosses a preset threshold during their stay, WeatherPromise pays them automatically within 2–3 business days.

▪️Even with a refund, guests can still stay for the rest of their reservation.

▪️No claims. No fighting with customer support.

The tech behind it pulls from 350 million weather data points daily—NASA, NOAA, satellite images, radar, the whole setup.

Their powerful algorithm watches the forecast in real-time.

How This Affects You as a Host

Short answer: It mostly doesn't.

The guest still checks in, still pays for the booking in full, and you still get your normal payout. There's nothing you need to opt into or opt out of.

But if you're in a market where unpredictable rain and weather play a big role in your occupancy, this could be a win.

Guests who were reluctant to book your beach stay in the rainy season might take that chance now that they have a safety net.

Will this have a big effect on Vrbo's market share compared to Airbnb?

Only time will tell.

👉Read the full story + learn more about WeatherPromise here

Your move, Airbnb.

Cheers,

The Host Camp Team

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