Airbnb Pays to Settle Claim It Violated U.S. Sanctions on Cuba

(Bloomberg) -- Airbnb Payments -- a subsidiary of online travel and booking agency Airbnb -- agreed to pay $91,172 to settle claims that it may have violated U.S. sanctions against Cuba. 

In a statement Monday, the U.S. Office of Foreign Asset Control, or OFAC, said Airbnb had apparently processed payments for guests who were not authorized to travel to Cuba, and the company had failed to properly keep records of its transactions on the communist island. 

OFAC said the settlement amount reflected that Airbnb’s violations were “voluntarily self-disclosed and were non-egregious.”

San Francisco-based Airbnb has operated in Cuba since April 2015, and it was once seen as an example of the benefits of Barack Obama-era policies aimed at easing tensions and promoting trade.

The company didn’t immediately reply to an email seeking comment. 

©2022 Bloomberg L.P.