Velaris vs. Waivo
Waivo sells damage protection by the stay. Velaris runs damage programs — where the fee revenue, the retention, and the rules belong to the property manager. Here's the factual comparison.
Feature-by-feature comparison
Based on each company's publicly documented offering as of September 2026. Products change — confirm current terms with each provider.
| Feature | Velaris | Waivo |
|---|---|---|
| Guest damage coverage per stay | ||
| Deposit replacement | ||
| PM sets the guest fee and keeps the spread | ||
| Self-insured retention funded in escrow you own | ||
| Insurance above the retention (large-loss protection) | ||
| General liability for managed properties | ||
| Guest injury (no-fault medical) coverage | ||
| Business interruption coverage | ||
| Company insurance (GL, E&O, workers' comp, cyber) | ||
| Event liability for approved gatherings | ||
| Certificates of insurance (COIs) | ||
| PMS-integrated per-reservation enrollment |
New to waiver programs? Start with how a damage waiver program works.
Product vs. program
A standalone waiver product charges per stay and keeps the difference between what it collects and what damage costs. In a Velaris program that spread is yours: you set the guest fee, damage below your retention is paid at cost from your escrow, and the remainder is your margin.
Waiver products cover damage up to a per-stay dollar cap. A Velaris program pairs the everyday layer with insurance above your retention — so a fire, a flood, or a genuinely bad incident doesn't outrun a per-stay cap.
Damage waivers address broken furniture. They don't address a guest injury lawsuit, a lost season of rental income, an E&O claim from an owner, or the COI your city requires. Velaris covers the damage and the rest of the stack.
At portfolio scale you need rules applied the same way on stay five hundred as on stay five — with escrow accounting, quarterly reviews, and documentation owners trust. That's program administration, and it's what the $9 per reservation buys.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between Waivo and Velaris?
Waivo is a damage-protection product: it covers guest-caused damage up to a per-stay limit for a per-stay price. Velaris is a damage program plus an insurance stack: you keep the guest-fee revenue, retain predictable damage at cost in an escrow you own, insure the layer above it, and add liability, guest injury, business interruption, company coverage, and COIs under the same program.
Isn't a simple waiver product easier?
For a handful of properties, simplicity can win — buy the product, forget about it. From roughly ten properties up, damage volume is predictable enough that a flat product price means you're overpaying in good months and capped in bad ones. That's when program economics beat product pricing.
Can Velaris match a per-stay waiver on price?
The models differ: Velaris charges $9 per reservation for administration, and the damage you retain is paid at cost from guest-fee revenue you keep. Run your reservation count and damage history through our calculator — the comparison with any per-stay product price is straightforward arithmetic.
Does Velaris cover damage above a per-stay cap?
Yes — that's the structural difference. Your program includes insurance above your selected retention, so large or unusual losses are transferred rather than capped. Coverage terms are those of the issued policy documents for your program.
Can I switch from Waivo to Velaris?
Yes. New reservations enroll in your Velaris program through the PMS connection while existing protected stays run off. Most portfolios complete the switch within about 30 days, with no gap on new bookings.
Keep the spread a product would keep
Bring your stay count and damage history. We'll show you the difference between paying for protection and owning a program.
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