Airbnb is a global platform that connects people with places to stay and things to do, redefining how the world experiences travel. Founded in 2008 in San Francisco, Airbnb has grown into one of the world’s most recognisable hospitality brands, with more than 4 million hosts who have welcomed over 1.5 billion guests across 220+ countries and regions.
In high growth markets like India, Airbnb is seeing rapid expansion as more individuals look to join the platform as hosts. But with this scale comes the challenge of verifying thousands of new hosts quickly and compliantly without compromising on user experience or trust.
CHALLENGE
Manual KYC Slowed Onboarding and Increased Risk
As Airbnb’s host community rapidly expanded in India, verifying the identity of thousands of new hosts became a significant operational hurdle. Without automation, the platform relied on manual document uploads and back-office checks which was a time consuming, error prone process vulnerable to delays, data inconsistencies, and high user drop-off rates.
SOLUTION
Frictionless KYC with Sandbox APIs
To simplify onboarding and meet regulatory requirements, Airbnb integrated Sandbox’s KYC APIs directly into its host registration journey. These APIs enabled real-time identity verification by securely retrieving and validating user data against official records.
This integration allowed Airbnb to instantly match a host’s submitted details with verified information, eliminating manual processes entirely. Verification was completed in seconds, delivering a seamless, low-friction onboarding experience aligned with India’s KYC regulations.
RESULTS
Instant Verification, Trusted Hosts, Scalable Compliance
With Sandbox’s KYC APIs in place, Airbnb reduced onboarding time from days to minutes. New hosts could complete verification and begin hosting almost immediately.
The automated KYC process also ensured stronger data integrity and ensured full compliance with Indian regulations, enabling Airbnb to scale its host acquisition efforts confidently.
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