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These days, budget travelers don’t need to choose between scraping together enough points and miles for a brand-name hotel room or paying cash for a lower-cost option. Many banks now offer an appealing alternative that’s somewhere in the middle: You can redeem credit card rewards for Airbnb stays, often because of how payment networks code these purchases.
The homesharing platform offers plenty of affordable lodging options, such as renting a private room in a house or apartment, which makes it easy to stretch rewards further. And landing a rental with a kitchen could help you save plenty on dining out.
Here’s how you can cover that next Airbnb stay with credit card points.
How to pay for Airbnb with points
1. Cash in flexible travel rewards points
Co-branded hotel credit cards generally limit you to redeeming points within that particular hotel chain, while general travel credit cards offer more flexibility.
Take the Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card, or any of the cards in Capital One’s lineup of Venture cards (including the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card, the Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card - Miles Boost and the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card), for example. These cards allow you to redeem points or miles for credit that can be applied to a broad range of travel purchases made on your card, including Airbnb purchases. That’s because payment networks classify spending at Airbnb in the same way as hotel purchases, confirms Airbnb.
Certain other home-share company purchases are classified as spending on real estate agents, which, unlike hotel spending, typically aren’t considered travel purchases.
Top cards for booking Airbnb stays
Annual fee
$0.
$95.
$395.
$0.
Earn rates
- 1.5 points per $1 spent.
- 3 points per $1 spent on travel purchases booked through Bank of America.
• 5 miles per $1 on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.
• 2 miles per $1 on all other purchases.
• 10 miles per $1 on hotels and rental cars through Capital One Travel.
• 5 miles per $1 on flights and vacation rentals through Capital One Travel.
• 2 miles per $1 on everything else.
• 5 miles per $1 on hotels, vacation rentals and car rentals booked through Capital One Travel.
• 1.25 miles per $1 on all purchases.
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2. Redeem rewards for Airbnb gift cards or cash back
Points and miles aren’t the only way to pay for Airbnb. You can also use cash-back rewards — say, the ones you earned on cards like the Citi Double Cash® Card or the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express — to cover these expenses (or any other expenses, for that matter).
Another option: See if your issuer offers Airbnb gift cards as a redemption option. At the time of this writing, for example, Chase featured Airbnb gift cards in its travel booking portal. In the past, other issuers have also made these cards available.
Keep in mind that Airbnb gift cards can only be used to cover new reservations, experiences or services and do not apply to other charges, according to Airbnb’s website.
Also be aware that redeeming rewards for cash back or gift cards (as opposed to booking travel) is sometimes a ho-hum redemption on some cards, especially certain travel cards. You’ll often get less than 1 cent per point or mile.
But if you have expiring points and don’t have travel plans anytime soon, it can make sense to spend them on gift cards for future Airbnb stays, especially since Airbnb gift card balances do not expire.
3. Take advantage of travel statement credits
Carry a fancy credit card? Your annual travel credit might make your next Airbnb stay more affordable.
Chase Sapphire Reserve®
Such is the case for cardholders of the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, a travel card that carries an annual fee of $795.
The card comes with a travel statement credit of $300 that renews each account anniversary year. The benefit is applied automatically, and a broad range of travel expenses are eligible, including Airbnb, the issuer confirms.
» Learn more: The best Airbnb credit cards
Pay for other vacation rentals with credit card rewards
Airbnb isn’t the only game in town any more. You can book homeshares and vacation rentals through a few bank travel portals. There’s also Vrbo, which is linked with Hotels.com and allows you to earn points and status with your bookings.
Capital One Travel
The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card comes with an annual $300 travel credit, but the catch is you must use it for bookings on Capital One Travel.
If you search for a stay, you can easily switch to vacation rentals and find one that fits your needs using a set of filters. Even better, these stays will qualify for the Venture X card’s annual travel credit. You can also pay for a stay with a combination of Capital One miles and cash.
And while the other Venture cards, including the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card, don’t have statement credits, you can redeem your rewards for a local homeshare booked directly through Capital One. It’s worth checking in a few spots to make sure you’re getting a good deal.
Vrbo with One Key cards
Vrbo (which stands for “vacation rentals by owner”) is similar to Airbnb in how it works. It has a loyalty program called One Key Rewards, complete with a pair of credit cards that earn rewards that you can redeem for homeshares on Vrbo.
The rewards you earn, called OneKeyCash, can also get you stays through Expedia and Hotels.com, so it’s quite robust if you regularly use these booking platforms.
The main differences between Airbnb and Vrbo are that Vrbo rentals tend to focus on vacation destinations and family or group trips, whereas Airbnb is everywhere and has more options for solo travelers and couples. However, both platforms have plenty of listings.
In fact, if you prefer Vrbo, you can apply the tips above to Vrbo listings instead, especially if you like the associated loyalty program and credit cards.
Make your own 'Airbnb credit card'
Although there is no official co-branded Airbnb credit card on the market, booking your stays with certain travel rewards cards can help lessen the financial sting of an Airbnb rental, because let's be honest, those cleaning fees are a bummer.
Making your own Airbnb credit card means choosing a rewards program that matches your spending and travel habits, then using your rewards to offset your Airbnb stays.
This can be an excellent strategy if you’re the main travel planner in your group and seek experiences that traditional hotels usually don’t offer, such as large kitchens, whole houses or unique accommodations far off the beaten path. Plus, Airbnb now offers experiences and additional services such as city tours and personalized classes.
In short: Spending on the cards recommended above can be a smart money move for Airbnb loyalists.
How to maximize your rewards
You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are some of the best travel credit cards of 2026:
- Flexibility, point transfers and a large bonus: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
- No annual fee: Wells Fargo Autograph® Card
- Flat-rate travel rewards: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
- Bonus travel rewards and high-end perks: Chase Sapphire Reserve®
- Luxury perks: American Express Platinum Card®
- Business travelers: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
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