Brendan Ginns
CEO / Co-Founder
How to Use Asset Card for Short-Term Rentals: A Simple System for Airbnb/VRBO Expenses
Running multiple short-term rentals means tracking dozens of small purchases and vendor invoices across properties; cleaning, linens, restocking, utilities, repairs, HOA dues, and more. When everything flows through one bank account, budgets blur and P&Ls get messy. Asset Card turns each property into its own wallet and spend card, so you can fund the unit, pay vendors, and see profit in real time, all in one app.
The Challenges of STR Financial Management
One account, many properties: Guest payouts and expenses get mixed together; hard to see unit-level profit.
High-frequency, low-ticket spend: Turnover cleanings, supplies, rideshare to jobs—lots of receipts to chase.
Seasonality: Peak season spikes; off-season maintenance and upgrades.
Vendor coordination: Cleaners, handymen, lawn/pool, laundry, pest control, HOA/property managers.
CapEx vs. OpEx: Upgrades and furnishing separate from daily operating costs.
Emergency work: Last-minute fixes to keep a booking on track
Benefits of Using Asset Card for Short-Term Rentals
Property-specific wallets & cards: Each listing has its own account and card—fund it, spend from it, and keep money separated.
Clear unit P&Ls: See revenue in, expenses out, and margin per property at a glance.
Easy vendor payments: Pay cleaners and contractors by ACH; attach invoices and receipts for a clean audit trail.
Budgets & controls: Set spend limits per property; restrict merchant categories (e.g., home improvement, gas, supplies).
Team access: Issue virtual cards to cleaners/ops with role-based limits; real-time alerts on every transaction.
AI receipt matching: Snap a photo; receipts auto-match and categorize (cleaning, restock, utilities, maintenance, CapEx).
Mobile first: Approve payments and check balances from anywhere between turnovers.
Quick-Start Guide: Setting Up Asset Card for Your Rentals
Step 1: Create Property Wallets
Add a wallet for each listing (e.g., “Palm House”, “Ocean View 2B”).
Optional: add separate CapEx and Emergency wallets.
Step 2: Connect Cash Flow
Send guest payouts/owner transfers into each property wallet (routing & account numbers provided).
Set monthly budgets per property based on seasonality.
Step 3: Pay Vendors from the Right Property
Add cleaners, handymen, pool/lawn, HOA, utilities as payees.
Schedule recurring cleanings/utilities; attach invoices to each payment.
Use rules to tag spend (Cleaning, Supplies, Utilities, Maintenance, CapEx).
Step 4: Equip the Team
Issue virtual cards to cleaners/ops; set per-job limits and MCC restrictions.
Turn on real-time alerts and approval flows for larger purchases.
Step 5: Track Profit & Plan Ahead
Review property-level reports weekly: budget vs. actual, top vendors, upcoming bills.
Separate CapEx vs. OpEx to understand true operating margins.
Export to your accountant or import to QBO/Xero in one click.
💡 Host Tip: Create custom tags like “Turnover Supplies,” “Linen/Laundry,” “Guest Recovery,” and “HOA/Fees” to see exactly where each dollar goes by property and season.
By running each listing through its own Asset Card wallet and card, hosts move from mixed funds and guesswork to clean, real-time property P&Ls. Pay vendors from the correct unit, control spend with limits, and keep every receipt organized, so you spend less time in spreadsheets and more time increasing occupancy and reviews.
Take control of your STR finances with Asset Card and keep every property on budget.
