Setting Up Payments with Stripe

Vanio uses Stripe to handle every dollar that flows through your account — guest payments, security deposits, refunds, and payouts to your team. Stripe is the same payment processor used by companies like Shopify, Lyft, and Instacart, and it's trusted in 47 countries.

You'll need to connect a Stripe account before you can charge guests or pay anyone. Setup takes about five minutes.

Why Stripe

• You own the money. Funds land in a Stripe account that's in your name, not Vanio's. We never hold your money.
• Global coverage. Charge in 135+ currencies and pay out to a local bank account in most countries.
• Built-in fraud protection. Stripe Radar catches suspicious transactions automatically.
• One dashboard. View every transaction, refund, and payout directly in Stripe whenever you need a deeper look.

Step 1 — Start the connection

Go to Settings → Payments → Connect Stripe. Click Connect with Stripe. You'll be redirected to Stripe's secure sign-in page.

If you already have a Stripe account, sign in. If not, click Create account — Stripe will set one up using the email address on your Vanio account.

Step 2 — Business details

Stripe asks for the basics about your business:

• Legal business name and structure (sole proprietor, LLC, corporation, etc.)
• Business address and phone
• Tax ID or equivalent for your country
• A short description of what you do ("short-term rental management" works)
• Your website or a Vanio direct booking page link

Use the legal name on file with your tax authority — this needs to match for payouts to work.

Step 3 — Bank account

Add the bank account where you want payouts deposited. You'll enter your routing and account numbers (or IBAN, depending on country). Stripe verifies the account instantly in most cases.

You can add multiple bank accounts later — for example, one per legal entity if you manage properties for different owners.

Step 4 — Identity verification

Stripe is required by law to verify the identity of every account owner. Have your government-issued ID handy:

• A photo of the front and back of your ID
• A selfie (Stripe matches it to the ID)
• Your date of birth and the last four digits of your Social Security number or local equivalent

Most verifications complete in under a minute. If anything needs review, Stripe will email you within a day or two.

Step 5 — Return to Vanio

When Stripe is done, you'll be redirected back to Vanio. The payments page now shows a green Connected badge with your account ID and the currency you'll be paid out in.

Testing your setup

Before your first real charge, run a test:

1. Open any reservation
2. Click Charge → Test charge → $1.00
3. Use a real card — the charge runs for real and is refunded automatically a few seconds later

If the test charge succeeds, you're fully set up.

Accessing your Stripe dashboard

From Settings → Payments → Open Stripe dashboard, you go straight to your Stripe account where you can see every transaction, download statements, manage payout schedules, and update bank details. Vanio and Stripe stay in sync automatically.

What to do if verification fails

If Stripe can't verify something, you'll see a yellow banner on the payments page with a link to fix it. Common issues:

• ID photo unclear. Re-upload in better lighting. Make sure all four corners are visible.
• Name mismatch. The name on your ID must match your business filing exactly.
• Bank account rejected. Double-check the routing and account numbers, or try a different account.

Fixes are usually applied in minutes. If Stripe needs extra documentation (like a utility bill), they'll request it directly via email.

Common questions

Are there fees? Stripe charges its standard processing fees (around 2.9% + 30¢ per card charge in the US). Vanio adds a small platform fee that's shown on every transaction.

When do payouts arrive? By default, two business days after a charge. You can change the schedule in your Stripe dashboard.

Can I disconnect? Yes, from Settings → Payments. Your Stripe account stays intact — you just won't be able to take new charges through Vanio.