Instant Book for Hosts
Instant Book is opt-in and off by default. During host prelaunch, you can prepare the setting, but a private draft cannot accept any booking.
It's opt-in, on purpose
On Carvia, Instant Book is something you turn on, not something forced on your listing. That's deliberate: you know your car, your comfort level, and your risk tolerance better than any algorithm does. Some hosts want to review every guest before committing their car for a week; others would rather fill their calendar automatically and deal with exceptions as they come up. Both are legitimate ways to host, so Carvia lets you choose instead of deciding for you.
How to turn it on
From your listing settings, toggle Instant Book on for a vehicle. After public booking opens and the vehicle is approved and listed, qualifying guests can book it immediately without waiting for manual host approval. Changing this setting does not override a prelaunch, inspection, recall, eligibility, or listing-status restriction.
What qualifies a guest to book instantly
Instant Book requires Carvia's verified-license decision before a guest can book. Stripe Identity verifies a live-captured driver's license and matching live selfie in one flow. The applicable age, vehicle-class, and eligibility rules are shown before a host enables Instant Book.
How to turn it off
If Instant Book isn't working for you — you're getting bookings you'd rather have reviewed first, or you just want more control — turn it off from the same listing settings toggle. There's no penalty, no waiting period, and no explanation required. Your listing simply switches to Request to Book going forward; any trips already confirmed through Instant Book aren't affected.
Request to Book: your other option
With Instant Book off, each booking comes to you as a request. You have 24 hours to accept or decline before it automatically expires. Carvia authorizes the quoted amount on the guest's payment method but does not capture it unless you approve. A host decline or platform expiry releases/cancels the authorization.
A host cancellation shortly before pickup can enter Trip Rescue and create the configured host penalty. See Canceling a Trip (Host).
Which one is right for you
Instant Book tends to work well for hosts with a clear set of trip rules, a car they're comfortable renting to a broader range of guests, and a preference for a fuller calendar with less manual review. Request to Book tends to work well for hosts who want to vet every trip personally, are hosting a higher-value or harder-to-replace car, or are still building confidence in how they screen guests. Neither choice affects your earnings plan or commission — see Choosing an Earnings Plan for that side of the equation.