A charge reading PAY*HOMEAWAY HA on your credit card or bank statement is a payment processed through Vrbo, the vacation rental marketplace owned by Expedia Group. The “HomeAway” wording persists because Vrbo was branded as HomeAway until Expedia retired that name in 2020, and some payment descriptors still carry the old label. If the charge is yours, it corresponds to a Vrbo booking or a fee tied to one.1Vrbo. Expedia Group Retires HomeAway U.S. Brand to Focus on Vrbo
Why the Statement Still Says HomeAway
Expedia Group folded the HomeAway website and app into Vrbo in June 2020 and retired the HomeAway name in the United States. Payment processing descriptors did not all follow. Variations like PAY*HOMEAWAY HA and HOMEAWAY USA still show up for Vrbo transactions because billing systems can lag behind brand changes.2Brex. VRBO Charge on Credit Card Statement
What You Actually Paid For
Vrbo bundles several costs into the amount that posts to your card, and any of them can appear under the HomeAway descriptor.
The biggest piece is usually the property’s nightly rate plus mandatory host fees — cleaning, pet, or extra-guest fees that the host has set. These are now disclosed up front in the total price shown in search results.3Vrbo. How Do I Manage My Fees
On top of that, Vrbo charges every guest a service fee calculated as a percentage of the reservation total before taxes and refundable fees. The percentage sits on a sliding scale, generally between 6% and 15%, and tends to decrease as the booking amount increases.4Vrbo. What Is the Service Fee
Taxes — occupancy, sales, or VAT depending on the location — are added at checkout. In some jurisdictions Vrbo collects and remits these directly.5Vrbo. About Upfront Pricing
Some hosts also require a refundable damage deposit. Depending on how the listing is configured, that deposit can run through Vrbo as a separate charge or authorization, or be collected by the host outside the platform.6Vrbo. Damage Deposit Policy If it runs through Vrbo, it can appear as its own line on your statement.
Check Whether the Booking Is Yours
Before assuming fraud, confirm whether someone used your card for a Vrbo reservation. Search your email for a booking confirmation. Legitimate Vrbo confirmations come from addresses ending in @messages.Vrbo.com.7Vrbo. What Is Smishing and Vishing Log in to your Vrbo account and open your trip history to see whether a reservation matches the amount and date on your statement. Ask anyone else in your household who has access to the card.
If the Charge Is Yours but the Amount Looks Wrong
Contact Vrbo directly. Customer service is reachable at 877-202-4291, and support is also available through the Vrbo website and app.2Brex. VRBO Charge on Credit Card Statement
Refunds follow the cancellation terms set by each individual property. If you canceled within a window that qualifies for a full refund and the host returns the full payment, Vrbo automatically refunds the service fee as well.8Vrbo. Does Vrbo Automatically Issue Refunds to Travelers A refunded damage deposit also reimburses the 3% processing fee that was charged on that amount.9Vrbo. How Is the Booking Fee Calculated
If You Never Booked Anything
If no one in your household booked a rental and the charge still appears, treat it as unauthorized. Call your credit card issuer to initiate a chargeback. Paying by credit card gives the strongest protection in these situations because card issuers can reverse unauthorized transactions; debit cards and bank transfers offer less recourse.
You should also know the common patterns behind vacation rental fraud so you can recognize what happened. Scams in this space include fake listings for properties that don’t exist, hosts who cancel and then push for payment off-platform, and phishing emails that impersonate Vrbo to capture payment credentials.7Vrbo. What Is Smishing and Vishing Red flags: requests to pay by wire transfer, Zelle, or any method outside the Vrbo checkout; pressure to send money quickly; and listings priced far below comparable rentals.
Vrbo states it will never ask you to pay outside its platform. If an email claiming to be from Vrbo asks for card or bank details, do not click any links. Open vrbo.com directly to check your account, and report the message to Vrbo and to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov.
Protection Through VrboCare
Reservations paid through the Vrbo checkout are covered by the VrboCare program, formerly called Book with Confidence. It covers four specific situations: internet fraud involving a fake or compromised listing, wrongful denial of entry by the host, material misrepresentation of the property, and a host’s wrongful refusal to return a security deposit or contractual refund.10Vrbo. VrboCare Program Terms and Conditions
The coverage carries conditions. Material defects generally have to be reported within 12 to 24 hours of arrival, depending on the terms that apply. You must first try to resolve the issue with the host and seek a chargeback from your card issuer before Vrbo will step in. Reimbursement is capped at 100% of the original booking cost, and the program does not cover consequential costs like airfare, transportation, or lost income. Bookings paid for outside the Vrbo checkout — by cash, check, or wire transfer — are not eligible.11Vrbo. VrboCare Guarantee If you were pressured off-platform and paid that way, VrboCare will not apply, and your remedy is with your bank or card issuer.