The safest way to pay for a shortlet is online, on a booking page, where you see the full total before you pay and refunds follow clear rules. The riskiest way is a bank transfer to a stranger’s personal account. Once that money leaves, it is very hard to get back.
This guide compares the ways guests pay in Nigeria, shows how paying on Cabans works step by step, and lists what you should never pay for up front. It ends with how you get money back if your plans change.
The three ways guests pay
Shortlet guests in Nigeria usually pay in one of three ways. They are not equally safe.
| How you pay | How it works | What protects you |
|---|---|---|
| Bank transfer to the host | You send money straight to someone’s account, often before you see the home. | Very little. Only what you agreed in writing, and your trust in that person. |
| Paying online on a booking page | You pick dates, see the full total, then pay in a secure payment window. | Clear rules on cancelling and refunds, and a record of everything you paid. |
| Pay later on a booking page | You reserve now and pay the bill online a little later, before a deadline. | The same rules as paying online. Nothing is taken until you pay. |
Why bank transfers to strangers go wrong
Shortlet scams often start with a transfer. Watch for this pattern:
- Stolen photos. A lovely flat at a low price. The pictures were copied from a real listing.
- Pressure. “Three other people want it. Pay now to hold it.”
- A name that does not match. The account name is a person, not the business you were talking to.
- Silence after payment. The number stops answering. There is no flat, or the flat belongs to someone else.
- Nothing in writing. With no written terms, you cannot show what you paid for.
A transfer works like cash. Your bank cannot just reverse it because you changed your mind. Shortlet scams: 10 warning signs shows how to spot a fake before you pay.
If you must pay a host you already know by transfer, lower the risk:
- See the home first, or ask for a live video call walking through every room.
- Get the full price, the dates, the deposit and the cancellation terms in writing.
- Check that the account name matches the person or business you agreed with.
- Keep every receipt and message.
Paying by card on a booking page
On Cabans, a shortlet that takes online bookings has a booking box on its page. You pay online through Paystack, and you never send money to the host’s own account. These are the steps:
- Pick your dates on the listing. Open a shortlet with a booking box, choose your check-in and check-out dates, and set the number of guests.
- Read the Price Breakdown. Check the nights, any discount, the cleaning fee, the refundable caution deposit and the Total. Read the free-cancellation line too.
- Press Reserve. Your dates are held for 30 minutes while you pay. Nothing is charged yet. Sign in if you are asked to.
- Go to checkout from your basket. Press “Proceed to Secure Checkout”. A stay is paid for on its own, so remove any other items first.
- Pay online through Paystack. Pay by card, or another way the Paystack payment window offers you. Paystack’s processing fee is added, and you see it before you pay.
- Check the confirmation. You see “Booking received” and get an email. Your stay is either confirmed straight away or waiting for the host to accept.
A few things are good to know:
- Always naira. A stay is always charged in naira, whatever currency you view prices in.
- The fee is shown first. Paystack’s payment processing fee is paid by the guest. It is added when you pay, and you see it before you pay. It is not refunded.
- The hold is real. When you press “Reserve”, nobody else can book those nights for 30 minutes.
- A stay goes alone. A stay is always paid for on its own, never with other items in your basket.
The confirmation tells you what happens next. With “Instant booking”, your stay is confirmed as soon as you pay. With “Host confirms”, the host must accept within their answer time, which the checkout page shows. If they decline or do not answer in time, you get a full refund.
Ready to try it? Find a shortlet you can book online, or start with shortlets in Lekki or shortlets in Abuja. How to pay for your stay in our help centre shows each screen.
Pay later: how it works
Sometimes you want the dates now but need a little time to pay. Pay later is for that. Choose it at checkout instead of paying at once.
- Your dates are kept for 2 hours. The page and an email tell you the exact time to pay by.
- Your stay shows “Awaiting payment” until you pay.
- To pay, open the stay in My Stays and pay the invoice there, through Paystack.
- The host only sees your request once it is paid.
- Not paid in time? The dates go back on sale and nothing is taken. You can book again if they are still free.
How to reserve now and pay later walks through it step by step.
What to never pay for up front
Whatever site or host you use, say no to these:
- “Holding fees” to a personal account before you have seen the home or a booking page.
- Inspection or “viewing” fees for a shortlet, paid to someone you cannot check.
- A caution deposit with no receipt, or one described as “non-refundable”. A caution deposit should come back.
- An extra “agent fee” on top of a price you already agreed on a booking page.
- Anything outside the booking page for a stay you booked on it. If someone asks, stop and contact our team.
- Your card PIN or one-time code. No real host needs them. Never share them with anyone who calls or messages you.
Getting money back
Plans change. On Cabans, this is what happens to your money:
| What happened | What you get back |
|---|---|
| You cancel before the free-cancellation deadline | A full refund of the nights, the cleaning fee and the caution deposit |
| The host declines, or does not answer in time | A full refund |
| The host cancels your booking | A full refund |
| You booked after the free-cancellation deadline had passed | The booking cannot be cancelled. You see this before you pay. |
| You leave before your last night | No refund for the unused nights, unless the host approves one |
| Your stay ends | Your caution deposit, less any amount the Cabans team agrees the host may keep |
Refunds are sent by the Cabans team to the card or account you paid with. A refund reaches you within 14 days at most, and usually in about 5 days. It covers what you paid for the stay, not Paystack’s payment fee. Your stay page shows “Refund on its way”, then “Refunded”. How refunds work explains every case.
Your caution deposit comes back after check-out, once the host has checked the home. If the host has not settled it, you can ask our team to release it from 14 days after you leave.
Hosting guests yourself? Give them the same safety. List your shortlet on Cabans so guests can book and pay online.
Frequently asked questions
Is it safe to pay for a shortlet by bank transfer?
A transfer to a stranger’s personal account is the riskiest way to pay. Once the money leaves, it is very hard to get back, and there is no record of what you agreed. Paying on a booking page with secure online payment is safer, because you see the full total first and refunds follow clear rules.
Do I pay a fee when I pay online on Cabans?
Yes. Payments go through Paystack, and the guest pays Paystack’s payment processing fee. It is added when you pay, and you see it before you pay. That fee is not refunded.
When is my money taken?
Not when you press “Reserve”. That only holds your dates for 30 minutes. Your money is taken when you pay at checkout. If the host must accept and says no, or does not answer in time, you get a full refund.
How long does a shortlet refund take?
On Cabans, a refund reaches you within 14 days at most, and usually in about 5 days. It goes back to the card or account you paid with. Your stay page shows “Refund on its way”, then “Refunded”.
Can I pay for a shortlet in dollars?
No. On Cabans a stay is always charged in naira. If you pay with a card from abroad, your bank converts the amount for you, so check its rate and any fees first.
What if someone asks me to pay outside the booking page?
Do not pay. Keep every payment for a booking on the booking page, where the rules on refunds apply. If anyone asks you to transfer money to them instead, stop and contact our team.
Related guides
Shortlet scams: warning signs · How to book a shortlet in Lagos · Booking a shortlet for one night · Shortlet prices in Nigeria · Avoid property scams · What happens after you pay
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