Every host gets the same messages. “Can we check in early?” “Is there firewood?” “Do you have a cot?” Each one is a guest telling you what they would happily pay for. An upsell simply turns that conversation into a product: a clear description, a price, and a way to pay without a single message.
Below are fifteen ideas we see work in holiday rentals, from city apartments to rural cabins. Not every one suits every property, so pick the three or four that fit yours and start there.
The short version
- Sell what guests already ask for: time (early check-in, late checkout), comfort (firewood, linen, baby gear) and convenience (groceries, transfers).
- Price from your real cost and local going rates, not from a list on the internet.
- Put upsells in the digital guidebook guests already open, with a photo and a clear description.
- BetterSTR upsells are part of the free guidebook: 7% platform fee, or 3% with Premium or BetterSTR Simple, plus Stripe’s own fees.
Selling time
1. Early check-in
The most requested extra of all. Offer it only when the previous night is empty or the clean can be brought forward, or sell it as a request you approve. A guest arriving off a morning flight will often pay to skip three hours in a cafe with their luggage.
2. Late checkout
The mirror image, and just as popular on the last day of a holiday. Check the next arrival before you confirm, and make sure your cleaner knows. A paid late checkout also ends the “can we stay until 2?” negotiation politely.
3. Luggage drop
If early check-in is not possible, offering a secure spot to leave bags before check-in or after checkout is a smaller, easier yes. Price it low; it is about goodwill as much as revenue.
Selling comfort
4. Mid-stay clean
For stays of a week or more, a mid-stay clean with fresh linen and towels is an easy sell, especially to families. Price it close to what your cleaner charges you, plus a margin for your time organising it.
5. Extra linen or a made-up sofa bed
Guests with an extra person often discover the sofa bed on arrival. Selling a made-up sofa bed with linen beforehand saves everyone a late-night hunt through the cupboards.
6. Baby and toddler kit
A cot, high chair, stair gate and bath seat mean parents do not have to fill half the car. Keep the gear clean and in good condition, and check that cots meet the safety standard where you are.
7. Firewood
A classic for cabins and anywhere with a fireplace or fire pit. Sell it by the bag or basket, with kindling and fire starters included, and leave clear instructions on safe use in the guide.
8. Hot tub or pool heating
If heating a spa or pool costs you real money, charging for it on request is fair and well understood by guests. It also stops the pool being heated for a week when nobody uses it.
Selling convenience
9. Welcome basket or breakfast hamper
Local bread, eggs, coffee, a bottle of something from a nearby producer. It is the upsell guests post about, and it is a nice way to support local businesses you already recommend.
10. Pre-arrival grocery stock-up
Guests send a list, you or a local service stock the fridge before they arrive. Charge for the groceries plus a service fee. It works especially well for late arrivals and remote properties with no shop nearby.
11. Celebration package
Birthdays, anniversaries and proposals: flowers, a cake, bubbles on ice, a few decorations. Ask for the occasion in the description so you can personalise it.
12. Transfers
Airport, ferry terminal or ski-field transfers through a local operator you trust. You can sell the transfer directly or simply link to the operator, depending on how involved you want to be.
Selling the stay itself
13. Gear hire
Bikes, kayaks, paddleboards, beach umbrellas, snow chains, fishing rods. If your location has an activity, the gear for it sells. Have guests confirm they have read the safety notes when they buy.
14. Pet fee or pet kit
If you accept pets, a pet fee covers the extra clean, and a kit with bowls, a bed and a lead is a small extra on top. Be clear about which rooms and furniture are pet friendly.
15. Local tours and experiences
Guests are already asking you what to do. You can list tours from local operators you know, or add Viator activity links to your guide and earn a commission when guests book through them. Either way, the recommendation and the booking sit in the same place.
How to price upsells
There is no universal price list, because a basket of firewood costs very different amounts in different places. Three rules work almost everywhere:
- Start from your real cost, including your time and your cleaner’s time, then add a margin.
- Check the local going rate. If a hire shop down the road rents bikes, price near them and win on convenience.
- Keep comfort items cheap. Small extras such as a luggage drop should be priced so guests do not have to think twice.
Remember the fees. On BetterSTR the platform fee is 7% on the free guide and 3% with Premium or BetterSTR Simple, and Stripe charges its own processing fee on top. If you sell regularly, the lower fee on Premium (from 50c a reservation or $2.99 a property a month) can more than pay for itself.
How to sell them without being pushy
- Put them where guests already look. The guidebook link goes out before arrival and gets opened again during the stay, so upsells there are seen at the moment of need. In BetterSTR they appear in the guide’s shop, and on the TV welcome screen if you have one.
- Use a photo and a plain description. Say exactly what is included, when it is available, and how it is delivered.
- Choose instant or approval. Firewood can be bought instantly; early check-in usually needs your approval first, so sell it as a request.
- Mention them once in your pre-arrival message. One line such as “Early check-in and firewood are available in your guide” is enough.
- Follow the platform rules. Each booking platform has its own rules on payments taken outside it. Read the current terms for the channels you list on, and keep optional extras clearly optional.
Setting it up in BetterSTR
Connect your own Stripe account, add products with a photo, description and price, and they appear in every guide you choose. Guests pay in the guide, you get a notification, and the money lands in your Stripe account. Refunds are a couple of clicks if plans change. The upsell setup guide walks through it step by step, and the upsells page covers fees and deposit holds. If you want Premium, WiFi, a tablet and TVs on one bill, BetterSTR Simple is $15 a property a month with the 3% rate included.
Frequently asked questions
What is the easiest upsell to start with?
Early check-in and late checkout. They cost you nothing but a little cleaning-schedule juggling, guests ask for them anyway, and putting a price on them turns an awkward request into a simple purchase. Offer them only when the calendar allows, or sell them as a request you approve.
How much should I charge for upsells?
Start from what the extra costs you, in money and time, then check what a local supplier would charge a guest for the same thing. Round to simple numbers, and price small comfort items low enough that guests do not need to think about it. Review prices after a season based on what sells.
What does BetterSTR charge to sell upsells?
Upsells are included with the free digital guidebook. BetterSTR takes a 7% platform fee on each sale on the free guide, or 3% with Premium or BetterSTR Simple. Stripe processing fees are separate and charged by Stripe to your own Stripe account. There is no monthly fee for upsells themselves.