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The Points Guy believes that credit cards can transform lives, helping you leverage everyday spending for cash back or travel experiences that might otherwise be out of reach. That's why we publish a variety of editorial content and card comparisons: to help you find a great card to turn your goals into reality.
Our site may earn compensation when a customer clicks on a link, when an application is approved, or when an account is opened with our partners, and this may impact how or where these products appear. While we don't cover all available credit cards, our editorial team creates and maintains all of the analysis of these cards, and our content is not influenced nor subject to review by any credit card company, bank or partner prior to (or after) publication. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.
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Maximizing points and miles on vacation rentals with Airbnb and VRBO
Stella is a full-time writer with expertise in credit cards, points and miles, and all things travel. She is a journalism graduate of the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill and previously worked as a copywriter at JetBlue Airways and as a credit cards writer at LendingTree.
June 23, 2021 • 7 min read
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Quick summary
Vacation rentals through platforms like Airbnb and VRBO can be a practical alternative to hotels, especially for longer stays or destinations with limited hotel options.
Both services offer protections such as liability insurance and secure payment systems, along with millions of global listings.
You can earn airline miles by booking Airbnb stays through certain airline shopping portals, and some portals offer higher rewards for new users.
VRBO may allow you to earn airline miles or cash back via shopping portals, but reward eligibility can depend on how the transaction is processed.
What to consider
Airbnb does not have its own loyalty program, so earning airline miles requires booking through partnered airline portals.
For VRBO, whether you earn bonus rewards depends on how the purchase is coded, which may vary between individual owners and property management companies.
Miles earned through portals may exclude certain charges such as taxes and fees, and reward rates can differ for new versus returning customers.
What you'll miss from the article
Detailed examples of maximizing rewards on vacation rentals and tips for stacking multiple earning opportunities.
Generated by AI with support from our editorial team.
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
As much as TPG loves hotel points and elite status benefits, sometimes staying in a hotel isn’t the best option. You may be staying somewhere for an extended period of time, making the room rates simply too expensive. Or maybe your destination doesn't have your preferred hotel chain or any hotels at all -- the list goes on.
Whatever the reason, renting a home or apartment through a service like Airbnb or VRO is ideal. But just because you’re not staying at a hotel, that doesn’t mean you have to give up the opportunity to earn points.
Earning points and miles with Airbnb
(Photo courtesy of Airbnb.)
Airbnb is a service that launched in August 2008, connecting travelers with folks who want to rent out their properties. Now, the company has over seven million properties in 220 countries.
What sets Airbnb apart is a secure payment platform, guarantees and insurance to protect both parties. Every listing has $1 million in damage protection and $1 million in liability insurance. Owners and renters can also rate each other and leave comments.
In addition to rentals, Airbnb Experiences allow you to explore a destination with local hosts. Activities include guided tours, cooking classes and more.
Airbnb lets you use your credit card to pay for your lodging, so there are many opportunities to rack up points. Your best bet is to use a rewards credit card that earns bonus points on travel. You can earn as many as 3 points per dollar spent on travel with the Chase Sapphire Reserve. If you don't want to cough up a $550 annual fee, the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card earns 2x on travel instead.
If you’re a Delta Air Lines or British Airways frequent flyer, don’t forget to book through their respective Airbnb portals. Operating just like airline shopping portals, Delta and British Airways have partnered with Airbnb to offer customers miles with each eligible booking (you’ll receive 1 Delta SkyMile or 2 British Airways Avios per dollar spent). If your Airbnb costs hundreds (or thousands) of dollars, this is a phenomenal way to earn airline miles with virtually no effort.
As a loyal Delta flyer, I've collected thousands of SkyMiles over the years simply from my Airbnb bookings. (Screenshot courtesy of Delta Airbnb)
With the Delta portal, note that you won’t earn SkyMiles on taxes and fees. In my personal experience, I’ve still received SkyMiles on cleaning fees, but not on the service fees and occupancy taxes and fees. Additionally, If you're a new customer to Airbnb, the British Airways portal offers 6 Avios per dollar spent for your first booking. Regardless of which portal you choose, since Airbnb doesn't offer its own loyalty program, why not earn some airline miles while you're at it?
For example, this six-night mountain house rental in Pa. costs $2,080. By booking through the British Airways portal and using a Chase Sapphire Reserve, I’ll earn 4,160 British Airways Avios (worth about $62.40 according to TPG valuations) and 6,240 Ultimate Rewards points (worth $124.80 according to TPG valuations). In total, I'll get a solid 9% return from my booking.
This mountain chalet offers an open concept floorplan, perfect for your large family. (Photo courtesy of Airbnb)
Find all sorts of unique stays on VRBO -- like this humongous treehouse. (Photo courtesy of VRBO)
VRBO launched in 1995 and stands for Vacation Rental By Owner. Unlike Airbnb, Vrbo does not have single room offerings. From vacation homes to resorts to houseboats, there are over two million listings to choose from. VRBO also offers $1 million in liability insurance for owners and property managers.
On VRBO, you can pay with credit cards including American Express, Mastercard and Visa. Historically, you couldn't earn bonus points on VRBO, as it didn’t code as a travel merchant. Over the past couple of years, travelers have had mixed experiences with VRBO coding as travel or professional services. It seems to vary based on whether you’re booking with an individual owner or a property management company.
Still, to maximize your purchases, it's best to check Cashback Monitor first -- a shopping portal aggregator that helps you browse opportunities to earn rewards. The current reward offerings for VRBO include 1 mile per dollar spent with Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan or United MileagePlus (with a United Airlines credit card, or 0.5 miles per dollar spent without).
(Screenshot courtesy of CashBack Monitor)
My Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is currently offering 5% back as a statement credit for all VRBO purchases, which is a great way to stack up the savings by leveraging an airline shopping portal. Plus, the Capital One Venture earns 2 miles per dollar spent on all purchases -- a card that offers a solid return on non-bonus spending, just in case VRBO doesn't code as a travel purchase.
(Screenshot courtesy of Capital One)
This four-night beach house rental costs $1,107. I'd enjoy a $55.35 discount with my Capital One Venture by leveraging the 5% statement credit option offer. In addition, I'd earn about 2,103.30 Capital One miles — worth $35.76 based on TPG's valuations.
To sum it up, I'm enjoying a 5% discount (in the form of a statement credit) and a 5.2% return on my purchase, which is still considerable at the end of the day.
This beach cottage is located in Outer Banks, N.C. (Photo courtesy of VRBO)
A vacation rental may often be a better idea than booking a hotel, especially during the pandemic. Both Airbnb and VRBO have implemented extensive protocols on cleaning procedures in response to the pandemic, giving renters peace of mind. And, vacation rentals typically give you more privacy, providing the ability to social distance from others.
Services like Airbnb and VRBO include protections for both landlords and renters and access to millions of properties all over the world. Therefore, you’re bound to find a rental to make your vacation possible — and earn points while you’re at it.
Comments
By commenting, you agree to our Community Guidelines to help create a positive space for conversation. The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser, our partners, or The Points Guy (“TPG”). They have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of these parties. All responses are submitted by individual contributors, and neither the bank advertiser, our partners, nor TPG are responsible for ensuring that all posts and/or questions are answered.
