When you book, you'll get emails and/or texts from Whimstay to confirm your booking. You'll also often get emails or texts from your host. Here's how to tell the real ones from anything that might be suspicious.
What real Whimstay emails look like
Emails from Whimstay will come from a
@whimstay.comor@relay.whimstay.comemail address.
What real messages from your host look like
Your host may also email or text you directly — sometimes about check-in details, sometimes about fees specified on the property page before booking like a security deposit, early check-in fee, or additional pet fee. These are normal processes for hosts and will be detailed in the description of the property page before booking.
A few things to expect:
The sender's name or email matches your host on Whimstay. Most emails will come from an email ending in
@relay.whimstay.comor@whimstay.comRequests may include deadlines — for example, "please send the security deposit within 24 hours of booking." That's standard for hosts protecting their property.
Some hosts may be collecting payments like a security deposit through an online payment processor. If you see anything that doesn't look legitimate, reach out to us and we can help confirm for you.
What to be cautious about
Off-platform payment requests pretending to be from Whimstay. Whimstay will only contact you through an official Whimstay email or phone number. We'll either charge the payment you already have on file or send you a way to pay online. We'll never ask for your payment info over the phone.
Requests for sensitive info you didn't initiate. We won't ask for things like your password or full credit card number out of the blue.
Lookalike domains. Watch for slight misspellings of whimstay.com (extra letters, hyphens, different endings).
Common emails that are real but can look unfamiliar
A few automated Whimstay emails sometimes get mistaken for phishing:
Booking confirmation — sent right after you book
Check-in instructions — sent by your host through Whimstay or sometimes directly by your host before arrival
Payment status updates — for bookings using staged payments, Affirm, Klarna, or other multi-step payment methods
Travel protection coverage documents — sent if you purchased travel protection with your booking
If something looks suspicious but you can't tell, view your booking details directly on Whimstay — anything legitimate should match what's on your account.
If you're not sure
Reach out to us at help.whimstay.com. Show us the message you received and we'll confirm whether it's from us or your host.