Chase gets into the vacation home rental game, but only for select cardholders
Whether you're traveling with a large group or want a spacious kitchen where you can cook for your family, there are many reasons to choose a vacation rental over a traditional hotel room. As of this week, Chase cardholders have a new reason to stay in a vacation rental: the ability to earn or redeem Chase Ultimate Rewards points for their booking through the Vacation Homes program via Chase Travel℠.
Currently, only cardholders with Freedom or Ink Business cards have access to the Vacation Homes program, but Chase is expanding the program to include Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see rates and fees) cardholders starting in July.
Here's what you need to know about this new travel program.
Related: I rarely stay at major hotel chains — here's how I maximize my reward travel anyway
Chase Vacation Homes program details
For those who already have access to the Vacation Homes option, Chase Travel now offers the ability to choose from thousands of cottages, villas, cabins, beach homes, condos and apartments in destinations across the globe. When you log in to Chase Travel and choose an eligible card, you should see the option to search either "Hotels" or "Vacation Homes."
For testing purposes, we searched for vacation rentals in Boston in early August. For each search result, we saw multiple images of the property, the rental type (apartment, etc.), how many guests it could accommodate, the nightly cash price and the all-in price in both cash and Chase Ultimate Rewards points.
You'll also see in the search results a map view that you can use to narrow down your search to a specific part of town or get a better idea of where the properties you are looking at are located. There's an option to filter your search results to see only accommodations with certain amenities, like internet, fitness facilities, on-site parking and more.
Who is eligible to book Chase Vacation Homes?
Currently, only select cardholders will see the Vacation Homes option when they log in to Chase Travel. This includes those with the following cards:
- Chase Freedom Flex® (see rates and fees)
- Chase Freedom Unlimited® (see rates and fees)
- Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card (see rates and fees)
- Ink Business Cash® Credit Card (see rates and fees)
- Ink Business Premier® Credit Card (see rates and fees)
- Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card (see rates and fees)
When Vacation Homes gets a broader rollout in July, Chase Sapphire Reserve (see rates and fees) and Chase Sapphire Reserve for Business℠ (see rates and fees) (launching June 23) cardholders will also have access to the program.
Related: Current Chase Freedom Unlimited and Freedom Flex welcome offers
If you have the Chase Sapphire Reserve, keep in mind that the redemption value for booking through Chase Travel will soon change, and there will be several other refreshed perks (and a higher annual fee).
How much can you earn?
Freedom and Ink cardholders can earn Ultimate Rewards points for using Vacation Homes at the same rate as booking flights or hotels. For Freedom cardholders, that means 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel. If you have one of the Chase Ink Business cards, your earning rate (if any) will vary based on which card you have.
When the Chase Sapphire Reserve personal and business cards come into the fold in July, those cards will earn 8 points per dollar spent on Chase Travel purchases. For the Chase Sapphire Reserve card, that is a drop of 2 points per dollar from the previous earning rate, but Chase is hoping some of the card's other new perks will woo you.
Bottom line
Now that Chase is entering the vacation rental business, travelers can book apartments, condos, beach houses and other accommodation types through the Chase Travel portal, and earn points while they do it.
Related reading:
TPG featured card
at Bilt's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 1X | Choose to earn up to 1X points on rent and mortgage payments with no transaction fee |
| 2X | Earn 2X points + the option to earn 4% back in Bilt Cash on everyday purchases |
Pros
- Choice to earn up to 1 Bilt Point per dollar spent on rent and mortgage payments
- Elevated everyday earnings with both Bilt Points and the option to earn Bilt Cash
- $400 Bilt Travel Portal hotel credit per year (up to $200 biannually)
- $200 Bilt Cash annually
- Priority Pass membership
- No foreign transaction fees
Cons
- Moderate annual fee
- Designed primarily for members seeking a premium, all-in-one card
- Earn points on housing with no transaction fee
- Choose to earn 4% back in Bilt Cash on everyday spend. Use Bilt Cash to unlock point earnings on rent and mortgage payments with no transaction fee, up to 1X.
- 2X points on everyday spend
- $400 Bilt Travel Hotel credit. Applied twice a year, as $200 statement credits, for qualifying Bilt Travel Portal hotel bookings.
- $200 Bilt Cash (awarded annually). At the end of each calendar year, any Bilt Cash balance over $100 will expire.
- Welcome bonus (subject to approval): 50,000 Bilt Points + Gold Status after spending $4,000 on everyday purchases in the first 90 days + $300 of Bilt Cash.
- Priority Pass ($469/year value). See Guide to Benefits.
- Bilt Point redemptions include airlines, hotels, future rent and mortgage payments, Lyft rides, statement credits, student loan balances, a down payment on a home, and more.