Earn up to 15% back on hotels and rental cars with TopCashBack
Editor's Note
Whether you are booking last-minute travel or simply want to try to save money on your next trip — and who doesn't? — make sure you browse the TopCashBack shopping portal first. (If you use our Tell-a-Friend referral link, you can get a $25 bonus.)
Currently, the cash-back shopping portal is offering increased earning rates for many travel brands. In some cases, you can earn up to 15% back on your purchases. You can then redeem cash back you've earned through PayPal or an Automated Clearing House transfer to your bank account. Alternatively, you can choose to redeem your earnings as a gift card and receive up to a 5% bonus on your cash back.
Let's take a closer look at what travel merchants offer increased earnings at TopCashBack.
Earn up to 15% on hotel stays
You can save on major hotel chains with a lower earnings rate, including 15% on IHG Hotels & Resorts bookings. However, keep in mind that TopCashBack specifically states that only select brands, including InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn Express, Holiday Inn, Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts, Even, Hotel Indigo, Staybridge Suites, Candlewood Suites and Avid, are eligible for earning. Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants (in North and South America), Mr & Mrs Smith hotels, Six Senses properties, Army Hotels and all hotels in Israel are excluded from earning.
Individual properties under the IHG umbrella are also offering specific cash-back offerings, including 9% cash back at Voco, Crowne Plaza, Hotel Indigo, Holiday Inn, Even and InterContentinal properties.
ALL — Accor Live Limitless is offering up to 6% cash back on some stays, too. Fairmont Hotels and Resorts, Raffles Hotels & Resorts and Swissotel Hotels & Resorts bookings earn 3% cash back, while those for other Accor brands in the U.S. earn 6% cash back.
Additionally, you can earn 6% cash back at Marriott, 9% cash back at Hilton, 5.05% cash back on Best Western bookings and 10.1% cash back on international hotel stays at Radisson Hotel Group properties.
If you already have a hotel booked with one of these groups, see if it makes sense to cancel and rebook your reservation — it's not a bad idea if you can cancel your current stay without penalty and if the rates are similar (or lower, if you're lucky) to your original reservation.
Save on rental cars with TopCashBack
There are also a handful of increased rental car earnings on TopCashBack. Most notably, you can earn 10.1% cash back with Hertz and Sixt, 5.05% cash back on Dollar rentals and 2.02% cash back at most other major U.S. rental car companies, including Enterprise, Avis, Budget and National.
The site is also showing 8.08% cash back on Europcar rentals in the U.K., the U.S., France, Germany, Italy, Australia, New Zealand, Belgium, Spain and Portugal.
Regardless of where you rent, charge your rental car to a credit card that offers a rental car damage waiver. This will effectively cover any damage incurred to a rental car, so you don't have to claim it on your car insurance. Plus, you can save money by not purchasing a damage waiver from the rental car company. Be sure to carefully review your credit card's insurance policy to know what is and isn't covered.
Bottom line
TopCashBack is offering increased earnings at many hotel and rental car companies that may help you stretch your travel budget further.
If you already have a hotel or rental car booked, consider canceling and rebooking through TopCashBack to take advantage of increased cash-back earnings. And if you think you might need a hotel or rental car in the near future, it might be worth reserving it now to get in on increased TopCashBack rates. You can always cancel if you book a flexible rate.
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| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 5X | New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Pros
- Valuable dining and food-related credits
- Flexible rewards with airline and hotel transfer partners
- Multiple travel and purchase protections
- No foreign transaction fees
- Access to Amex Offers for additional savings (enrollment required)
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- Pay It® lets you tap in the American Express® App to quickly pay for small purchase amounts throughout the month and still earn rewards the way you usually do. Plan It® gives you the option to split up big purchases into equal monthly payments with a fixed fee. You’ll know upfront exactly how much you’ll pay.
- Updated! $120 Dining Credit: Earn up to a total of $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the Gold Card at Grubhub (including Seamless), Buffalo Wild Wings, Five Guys, The Cheesecake Factory, and Wonder. This can be an annual savings of up to $120. Enrollment required.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year at over 10,000 qualifying U.S. Resy restaurants after you pay for eligible purchases with the American Express® Gold Card. That’s up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: Earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin’ locations. Enrollment required.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Enjoy up to $120 in Uber Cash annually with your Gold Card. Just add your Card to your Uber account and you'll get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an Amex Card for your transaction.
- New! As an American Express® Gold Card Member, you can enjoy complimentary Hertz Five Star® Status. Enjoy benefits like skipping the counter at select locations, adding an additional driver at no additional cost*, and vehicle upgrades**. Benefit enrollment and Hertz Gold+ registration are required. *Additional drivers must meet standard rental qualifications and must be a spouse or domestic partner to qualify as complimentary. Other additional drivers subject to fees. **Benefits are subject to availability and vary by location. Additional Hertz program Terms and Conditions including age restrictions apply.
- Take advantage of a $100 credit towards eligible charges* at over 1,300 upscale hotels worldwide when you book The Hotel Collection through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App **. *Eligible charges vary by property. **The Hotel Collection requires a two-night minimum stay.
- Book your travel through the Amex Travel App with added peace of mind – backed by American Express® service and support. Only for American Express® Card Members.
- Whenever you need us, we're here. Our Member Services team will ensure you are taken care of. From lost Card replacement to statement questions, we are available to help 24/7.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.