This isn't a new booking — it's an existing reservation changing hands. Here's exactly how that works, step by step.
The seller lists the existing booking at a fixed asking price. That price can be changed at any time, even after the listing is already live.
You pay the asking price through Swap Stay. Nothing about the booking itself changes yet — that happens later in the process.
Swap Stay collects the payment and holds it. The seller is notified immediately that the sale is complete, but isn't paid out yet.
Buyer and seller get access to a private message thread. There you share the details needed for the name change, such as your name as it appears on your ID.
The seller contacts the provider — hotel, campsite, or airline — directly to have the booking put in your name. Swap Stay shows how this works for major providers.
Once the change has gone through, the seller has 72 hours to upload the new documents so you can review them.
If you confirm everything is correct, the funds are released to the seller. If that doesn't happen, or the document upload doesn't arrive within 72 hours, you're refunded automatically.
This is an example of the form a seller uses to upload proof of the name change. This feature isn't active yet.