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Best credit cards for earning rewards for Airbnb and Vrbo stays

Written by Edited by
Published on March 19, 2025 | 4 min read

The advice in this article is offered by the team independent of any bank or credit card issuer. This article may contain from our partners, and terms may apply to offers linked or accessed through this page. as of posting date, but offers mentioned may have expired.

Group of friends relaxing together in living room
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There are plenty of reasons why people love booking vacation homes on sites like Airbnb and Vrbo, including both charm and affordability. Fortunately, a number of travel credit cards offer rewards on vacation rentals beyond just hotel chains.

Considering that 1 in 4 Americans (27 percent) said they would go into debt to travel this year in Bankrate’s 2024 Discretionary Spending Survey, earning and saving extra cash on lodging for your next trip wouldn’t hurt. While a co-branded Airbnb or Vrbo rewards credit card is still only a pipe dream, there are general rewards credit cards that can help you earn or use points, miles or cash back when booking a vacation rental.

Check out our picks for Airbnb and Vrbo rewards cards.

Top cards for earning rewards on Airbnb and Vrbo stays

Best for credits and bonuses

Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

Cardholder rating

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4.5

Bankrate score

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5.0
Bankrate review
Recommended credit score:740 – 850
Apply nowLock

on Capital One's secure site

See Rates & Fees

Intro offer

Earn 75,000 miles

Rewards Rate

2 Miles – 10 Miles

Annual fee

$395

Regular APR

19.99% – 29.24% (Variable)

Best for flat-rate rewards

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

Cardholder rating

star icon star icon star icon star icon star icon
star icon star icon star icon star icon star icon
4.1

Bankrate score

star icon star icon star icon star icon star icon
star icon star icon star icon star icon star icon
4.9
Bankrate review
Recommended credit score:670 – 850
Apply nowLock

on Capital One's secure site

See Rates & Fees

Intro offer

Earn 75,000 miles + $250 Capital One Travel credit

Rewards Rate

2 Miles – 5 Miles

Annual fee

$95

Regular APR

19.99% – 29.24% (Variable)

Best for flexibility

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

Cardholder rating

star icon star icon star icon star icon star icon
star icon star icon star icon star icon star icon
4.2

Bankrate score

star icon star icon star icon star icon star icon
star icon star icon star icon star icon star icon
4.9
Bankrate review
Recommended credit score:670 – 850
Apply nowLock

on Chase's secure site

See Rates & Fees

Intro offer

60,000 bonus points

Rewards Rate

1x – 5x

Annual fee

$95

Regular APR

20.49% – 27.49% Variable

Best for luxury travel perks

Chase Sapphire Reserve®

Cardholder rating

star icon star icon star icon star icon star icon
star icon star icon star icon star icon star icon
4.4

Bankrate score

star icon star icon star icon star icon star icon
star icon star icon star icon star icon star icon
5.0
Bankrate review
Recommended credit score:740 – 850
Apply nowLock

on Chase's secure site

See Rates & Fees

Intro offer

60,000 bonus points

Rewards Rate

1x – 10x

Annual fee

$550

Regular APR

21.49% – 28.49% Variable

Best for earning cash back

Citi Double Cash® Card

Bankrate score

star icon star icon star icon star icon star icon
star icon star icon star icon star icon star icon
4.2
Bankrate review
Recommended credit score:670 – 850
Apply nowLock

on Citi's secure site

See Rates & Fees

Intro offer

$200 cash back

Rewards Rate

1% – 5%

Annual fee

$0

Regular APR

18.24% – 28.24% (Variable)

compare
Compare

Comparing the best credit cards for earning Airbnb and Vrbo rewards

Card name Best for Annual fee Recommended credit score Airbnb or Vrbo perks
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card Credits and bonuses $395 (See Rates and Fees) 740-850 Redeem rewards as statement credit for travel-related expenses
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card Flat-rate rewards $95 (See Rates and Fees) 670-850 Redeem rewards as statement credit for travel-related expenses
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card Flexibility $95 670-850 2X points on travel purchases, including Airbnb and Vrbo stays
Chase Sapphire Reserve® Luxury travel perks $550 740-850 $300 travel credit and 3X points on travel purchases (after earning $300 travel credit)
Citi Double Cash® Card Earning cash back $0 670-850 2 percent cash back on every purchase

Credit cards for Airbnb and Vrbo rewards typically require a good-to-excellent credit score. If you have bad or fair credit, consider our top picks for travel cards for bad credit.

How to choose the best cards for Airbnb and Vrbo rewards

  • Compare annual fees. Luxury travel cards with high annual fees tend to offer high earning rates when booking through the card issuer portal, among other perks. But you usually can’t book Airbnb or Vrbo stays through issuer portals, which means you’ll earn a lower rate on those purchases. Unless you can maximize what a high annual fee gets you, a lower annual fee card might make more sense for these vacation rental purchases.

  • Consider extra perks. If you like stopping by airport lounges or flying through security with TSA PreCheck or Global Entry, then an upper- or mid-tier travel card makes sense for you. But if you prefer a no-frills, no-annual-fee card, consider a flat-rate cash back rewards card to earn on your vacation rentals.

  • Look at rewards redemption flexibility. The travel rewards cards above offer more flexibility for redeeming rewards than a co-branded credit card might. And Airbnb and Vrbo don’t have co-branded cards — yet. On the other hand, the Citi Double Cash Card has the most straightforward redemption options, although cash back is usually worth less than points or miles.

  • Maximize welcome offers. If a card lets you earn a sizable welcome bonus, you could turn around and use it as a statement credit to cover a recent Airbnb or Vrbo purchase. After all, these bonuses might be worth between $200 and $750, which could cover multiple nights at a vacation rental for your next trip. Again, just keep in mind that cash value isn’t worth as much as points or miles.

How to earn points, miles and cash on Airbnb and Vrbo stays without a rewards card

You might be able to earn rewards on Airbnb and Vrbo purchases through another loyalty program without having to use a rewards card to book your stay.

Book an Airbnb with your airline membership

Despite rumors of an Airbnb loyalty program, there isn’t one yet. But you can earn airline miles through booking with Airbnb. For example, Delta offers SkyMiles members 1 mile per $1 spent with Airbnb when booking through the Delta Airbnb portal. And the British Airways Airbnb portal lets you earn 2 Avios per $1 spent with Airbnb.

Book a Vrbo with its loyalty program

One Key is a loyalty program among Expedia, Hotels.com and Vrbo. The program is free to join, and members can earn 2 percent in OneKeyCash on eligible Vrbo purchases. That cash can be redeemed at a 1:1 value for your next vacation rental.

What’s next?

The bottom line

Vacation rentals like Airbnb and Vrbo can be more convenient for large groups or travelers who want it to feel like home. Even though these brands don’t earn exclusive rewards with a credit card yet, you can still get 2X to 3X points, miles or percent cash back on your bookings with the right travel or cash back card.

Your next vacation or staycation awaits.

Frequently asked questions