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Travel has changed in several ways, including the rise of Airbnb and other short-term vacation rentals. As people start steering away from hotels, motels and other traditional vacation rentals, the prominence of companies like Airbnb can’t be understated.
Hotel points are a great benefit awarded for exercising loyalty to a hotel chain with regular stays, and they can provide a lot of value when you’re booking your next stay. However, Airbnb and VRBO use a network of hosts that don’t have any loyalty programs or tertiary benefits, like those found on hotel credit cards. The best cards for these types of rentals won’t be co-branded hotel cards but will be those that offer great rewards for other travel expenses you’ll make on your journey or will reward a generously boosted flat rate.
Comparing the best credit cards for Airbnb and VRBO
Top cards for Airbnb and VRBO
There are plenty of rewards credit cards that can help you rack up points when you book a vacation rental. Here are Bankrate’s top credit cards for earning rewards on Airbnb and VRBO stays, as well as your other travel expenses.
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The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card lets you use your rewards as a statement credit to cover travel-related expenses you charge on your card in a 90-day period, like vacation rentals. We should also note that Wyndham Rewards is one of Capital One’s transfer partners, which means you can transfer your points and use your rewards to book Wyndham vacation rentals or cottages, as well. Although this card comes with a hefty annual fee, the $300 in annual Capital One Travel credit and 10,000-mile anniversary bonus (worth $100) help make the card worth it for routine travelers.
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Pros
- You can earn a generously boosted rewards rate on all purchases in exchange for a higher annual fee than the basic Venture card.
- Access perks and credits that can help offset this card’s cost.
Cons
- Its high annual fee makes it unsuitable for occasional travelers, especially those who won’t take advantage of the card’s large travel credit.
- You won’t make the most of this card unless you use it for the majority of your expenses; its flat rate is great for earning rewards that you can use to offset travel purchases.
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The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is a more basic version of the Venture X card but offers many of the same features including the option to redeem rewards for a statement credit to cover travel purchases made in the last 90 days. This card will be a great fit for you if you’re an occasional traveler who wants to earn a decent flat rate on all purchases to help fund travel purchases.
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Pros
- Offset travel purchases from the past 90 days with your Capital One Miles, including Airbnb and VRBO purchases.
- Pay a low annual fee to access a fair flat-rate rewards program.
Cons
- It lacks extra benefits that could make travel more convenient or affordable.
- You won’t earn boosted rewards for travel purchases you make alongside vacation rentals, like flights.
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If you want to earn generous rewards on vacation rental stays, but you also want some flexibility in your rewards program, the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card could be a good fit. This card lets you earn 2X points on travel purchases, including on Airbnb and VRBO stays, and you can also earn a generous welcome bonus. Note that you can redeem your rewards for vacation rentals through Chase Ultimate Rewards, but you can also transfer points to Chase airline and hotel partners.
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Pros
- The affordable annual fee is worth paying to access valuable rewards with point transfers and boosted redemption value.
- You’ll earn boosted rewards for travel purchases, including Airbnb and VRBO.
Cons
- An annual fee, no matter the size, isn’t always a great fit for some cardholders. If you don’t travel often this card might not be worth it.
- It lacks the flashy perks of its more expensive sibling, making it less ideal for frequent travelers.
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If you want to earn rewards on Airbnb stays but also want access to luxury travel benefits, the Chase Sapphire Reserve could be the way to go. You’ll have to pay a $550 annual fee, but you’ll get benefits like a Priority Pass Select airport lounge membership, an up to $300 annual travel credit, a free DashPass membership (activation required) and more. Although this card isn’t great specifically for Airbnb and VRBO because it’s a pricey way to earn rewards, it’s great for travelers who want to enjoy the benefits and experience of being in and out of airports several times each year.
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Pros
- Take advantage of luxury travel perks like airport lounge access to make your airport experience much more enjoyable.
- Boost the value of your points by 50 percent when you redeem them through the Chase Travel portal.
Cons
- This card’s annual fee costs more than most flights and is a large chunk of change to offset with rewards if you don’t plan to use the card’s perks.
- You’ll earn this card’s top rewards rate for hotel stays, and Airbnb and VRBO don’t count.
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The Citi Double Cash Card is an excellent choice if you prefer to earn cash back when you book Airbnb and VRBO stays. This card lets you earn a total of 2 percent back on everything you buy — 1 percent when you make a purchase and another 1 percent when you pay it off. There’s no annual fee, and you can even redeem your rewards as cash back to cover your vacation rental stays. If you want a simplistic solution to earning rewards for Airbnb and VRBO this is the card for you.
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Pros
- Earn cash back at the same, generously boosted flat rate on all purchases you make.
- Costly vacation rentals will earn a fair sum of cash back for no annual fee, which can provide enough value to help offset some of the cost of your vacation rental.
Cons
- There are no travel perks or boosted rewards rates that compliment other legs of your travel, like flights or rental cars.
- You’ll only earn the full amount of your cash back when you pay your card’s balance.
How to earn or redeem rewards with Airbnb or VRBO rentals
You can earn or redeem credit card rewards to cover travel purchases or fund your Airbnb or VRBO rental, but it depends on the issuer you choose to go with. You’ll also need to be a little creative when exploring your options because there are no direct redemption options for these travel sites.
For instance, if you have the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card you can redeem points at a rate of 1.25 cents each when you book vacation rentals through Chase Travel℠. Alternatively, points you accrue with the Chase Sapphire Reserve would be worth 1.5 cents each when used to book vacation rentals through the same process. You could also use either of these cards to make vacation rental bookings directly with VRBO.com or Airbnb then redeem your points for statement credits at a rate of 1 cent each.
Another solid travel credit card for Airbnb and VRBO bookings is the new Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card. You can redeem your miles as a statement credit to cover any travel purchase in a 90-day period at a rate of 1 cent per mile. You should also note that both Delta and British Airways have portals that let you earn miles when you book with Airbnb. The Delta Airbnb portal lets you rack up 1 mile for each dollar you spend on Airbnb rentals worldwide, and the British Airways Airbnb portal lets you earn 2 Avios for each dollar you spend. However, if you’re brand-new to the Airbnb program, you can earn 6 Avios per dollar spent on your first booking.
Frequently asked questions
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You can earn credit card rewards for Airbnb or VRBO rentals on any credit card with a base rewards rate of 1X points or miles or a 1 percent cash back rate. If you want to earn boosted rewards for Airbnb or VRBO purchases you’ll need to use a credit card with a boosted rewards rate for travel purchases, which sometimes includes vacation rentals.
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No, Airbnb does not have a credit card. The best way to earn rewards for Airbnb stays is with a credit card that rewards for general travel purchases.
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You should use a card that earns rewards you will use. If you want to keep things simple, use a cash back card for your Airbnb or VRBO stays. If you have a strategy for using credit card points or miles you should use a credit card that earns them. If you use a card that earns rewards you won’t use then you’ll be missing the most valuable benefit of using a credit card in the first place.
The bottom line
Vacation rentals can be more convenient for large families and people who want to cook or have more space while on vacation. However, you shouldn’t just pay with any credit card. The right card for you will match your needs and spending style. Although it can be tempting to opt for the card with the highest rewards rate
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