Credit Cards to Use for Airbnb
Home rentals are grabbing the attention of all those planning road trips. Hotel chains have been around with so much popularity that they have their own credit cards. But Airbnb doesn’t. Best credit cards for hotels are a common concern. Here we list various travel reward credit cards you can use with Airbnb.
About Airbnb
If you aren’t familiar with it already, Airbnb is a site that showcases various home rentals in tourist destinations. It has rentals at affordable prices as well as luxurious ones that cost as much as a luxury hotel room.
Airbnbs might not be as great as hotels in terms of room service, maintenance, full-fledged amenities, etc. But the good ones can offer you unique stays and a great experience of living like a local. People traveling in groups often prefer Airbnb for multi-bedroom lodging.
Read more: How to find the best Airbnb
Credit cards for Airbnb
Various credit cards offer bonus points and other incentives for bookings. Here we have listed a few of the best alternatives that provide the most profitable deals.
Earning rates on top credit cards
Let’s take a closer look.
American Express Green Card
Price: $150 per year
Bonus: Earn 40,000 Membership Reward Points on a purchase of $20,000 in the first 6 months.
Earning rates: The Amex Green card is a very flexible card. You will get 3 Membership Rewards points per dollar spent on a restaurant purchase and 3 points per dollar on transit, including ride shares, subway swipes, and tolls.
Most importantly for Airbnb, the card also offers 3 points per dollar spent on travel which is a broad category and includes things like flights, hotels, car rentals, and home shares like Airbnb. On other purchases, you will get 1 point per dollar spent.
Benefits: Other cards like The Platinum Card from American Express and American Express Gold Card have limited travel categories like hotels and flight tickets. The Platinum card has 5-point rewards per dollar on airfares but only if you book directly from airlines or via American Express Travel Portal. According to TPG Valuations, these 3 points equate to a 6% return. You need to enroll for some select benefits.
Read more: Best cards for Airport Lounge access
Chase Sapphire Reserve
Price: $550/year
Bonus: It includes 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases during the first three months from opening the account.
Earning Rates: You will get a $300 annual travel credit which can be utilized towards Airbnb payments.
Benefits: The earning rate is a great bonus and gives you a wide range of travel purchases. The 3 points per dollar make this card quite useful for maximizing rewards. This also equates to 6% returns as per the TGP valuation.
Read more: 4 things to do once you get your Chase Sapphire card
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
Price: $95/year
Bonus: Just like the above card, it offers 60,000 points for a purchase of $4000 in the first three months.
Earning rates: 2 Ultimate Reward points for every dollar you spend. These aren’t eligible for Airbnb, though. But you earn 5 points per dollar in the Chase travel portal and Lyft rides.
Benefits: It provides good returns for a low annual fee. You can earn 2 points per dollar on Airbnb which provides a 4% return as per TGP valuation. The sign-up bonus is also quite the treat and gives you $1200 on 60,000 ultimate rewards.
Read more: Why Chase Sapphire Preferred is more than just a starter card
Ink Business Preferred Card
Price: $95/year
Bonus: You will receive 100,000 ultimate rewards on purchases worth $15,000 during the first three months.
Earning rates: You can earn 3 ultimate reward points per dollar by spending $150,000 on various categories like phone services, cable, shipping, internet, social media, and most importantly - travel.
Benefits: This card offers 3 ultimate reward points with Airbnb. A 100,000 sign-up bonus is also a great perk. This isn’t heavily a consumer’s card. Getting a business card can be a bit easier.
Read more: Best business credit cards of 2022
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Price: $95/year
Bonus: On a purchase of $4000, earn 75,000 bonus miles in the first three months.
Earning rates: This card offers 2 Capital One miles per dollar on nearly everything. Also, with no annual cap. Hence, you take home 3.7 cents in travel for each dollar purchase.
Benefits: This is a great choice for those who work with simple methods. On all purchases like vacation rental bookings, this card will earn you 2x miles which can be redeemed at any point. If you choose not to redeem them, you can transfer them to 17 airlines and hotel transfer partners. According to the TGP valuation, the card offers $1388 which is a 75,000 miles bonus. They have also made other equally juicy additions to their program.
Read more: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card review
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
Price: $395/year
Bonus: You get 75,000 bonus miles on a $4000 purchase in the initial three months.
Earning rates: Similar to the card above, you earn 2 Capital One miles per dollar and no annual cap. Hence, you get 3.7 cents for every dollar purchase. By booking with the Capital One travel portal, you can earn higher rates which include 10 miles per dollar on hotel and rental car bookings and 5 on flights.
Benefits: This card offers 2 miles per dollar even on the purchases made outside the travel portal. You can also redeem rewards for Airbnb stays. And if you decide not to redeem them, you can transfer them to 17 airlines and hotel transfer partners. There are additional perks as well. For example, $300 annual travel pack, reimbursements for Global entry, elite car rental services, etc.
Read more: 6 things to do when you get the Capital One Venture X
Amazon Prime Visa Signature Card
Price: $0 if you have Amazon Prime Membership
Bonus: $200 Amazon gift card
Earning rates: 5% back on Amazon purchases, 2% on gas stations, restaurants, and drug stores, and 1% on other purchases.
Benefits: This card offers amazing cashback with gift cards. You can easily fetch 5% back from the Airbnb gift card. These are utilized for the stays. Another gift card works with Amazon purchases. You can get 5% off on your Amazon bill as well. However, note that the Airbnb gift card is viable only for long-term stays which is more than 28 days.
How to maximize your purchase
Choosing the right card that matches your requirements can be difficult at times. Some cards will give you valuable transfer points while others will have better categories of purchase. Deciding what is better for you is a subjective matter.
When it comes to Airbnb, try to get a double-dip. For example, Delta and British Airways own an Airbnb portal that can give customers additional miles per stay regardless of the credit card they own. You can also watch out for additional benefits like a 50% bonus Avios on Airbnb Bookings that British Airways offers.
These cards are quite amazing options for Airbnb. If you know a grocery store that sells Airbnb gift cards, you can use cards that offer bonuses at grocery stores to get extra profits.
Read also: 15 tips to help you score perfect Airbnb every time