Think you can't earn points and miles on vacation rentals? Think again! This complete guide will show you the absolute best ways to earn points and miles on your Airbnb and VRBO stays so you can travel more for less.

While Jason and I LOVE staying at luxury hotels and earning hotel points or elite status for hotel chains, sometimes a standard hotel room is simply not the best option for our family of six. As a blended family with four kids, squeezing into adjoining rooms gets tight. Additionally, having celiac disease means I often need a full kitchen to safely prepare gluten-free meals.

For many of our trips, booking vacation homes or condos through Airbnb and VRBO is a way better route. If you are looking for a nice relaxing family vacation or an extended stay with amenities like your own kitchen and plenty of living space, then booking vacation rentals might be the way to go for you too!

The best part is that with the strategies covered in this post, you do not have to sacrifice earning travel rewards. You can take full advantage of earning points and miles on your Airbnb and VRBO stays. This way you never miss out on racking up the points, regardless of whether your stay is at a hotel or a rental property.

If you want to learn how we find our very favorite Airbnbs and how we use points you have already earned to cover the cost of your vacation rentals, you can see our post here!

If staying at dreamy rental properties on Hilton Head Island or a cabin in the Swiss Alps is on your bucket list, keep reading to learn how to maximize your return on every single VRBO stay and Airbnb booking!

Quick Take: The Best Ways to Maximize Your Rentals

We are going to cover four amazing strategies that you can use to earn the maximum amount of points on your next vacation rental stay. The best part is that you can stack some of these strategies and do them together so you earn even more!

• Use specific loyalty programs designed for vacation homes.

• Use the right travel rewards credit cards to earn maximum credit card points.

• Book through a collaborative airline partner portal to stack and earn airline miles.

• Add credit card offers and statement credits to your cards when they pop up.

1. Use the Right Travel Cards to Earn Points on Vacation Rentals

Without a doubt, one of the most important things you can do if you want to earn the most points on an Airbnb or VRBO stay is to start with the right card. The travel cards listed below will get you double to triple the points on your booking just by using them to pay for your stay. The rest of the strategies in this post will be enhanced by making sure you use the right travel rewards credit cards to start with!

See all the best cards to earn extra on vacation rentals here!

The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

Without a doubt one of the best ways to earn points on your vacation rental stays are by using The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card. It is is one of my top recommended cards for beginners, plus it earns 2x the points on all purchases that code as travel. So this means that you’ll earn 2x on all of your Airbnb and VRBO purchases. This card is an absolute staple in the points and miles world and deserves a good look if you are just getting started. You can also transfer these points to amazing travel partners like Hyatt and Southwest.

American Express® Green Card

The American Express® Green Card will get you 3x the points on every dollar spent on travel, which includes all of your Airbnb and VRBO stays. I love this card because it is an excellent way to rack up American Express Membership Rewards points. You can then use those points to transfer to partners like Delta SkyMiles, Air France, and British Airways!

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

One of the best and easiest reward cards on the market is the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card. This card will get you 2x the miles on ALL your purchases (not just travel expenses). The Venture card is fantastic because it allows you to use your Capital One miles to "erase" your travel purchases. You simply book your Airbnb or VRBO, and then apply your miles as a statement credit to cover the cost, allowing for nearly free vacation rentals!

Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

This card is the swanky older sibling to the Venture Rewards credit card. The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card comes with all of the benefits and 2x earning potential, plus some fantastic luxury offerings. While the $300 annual travel credit must be used through Capital One Travel (where you can book select Premier Collection vacation rentals), you can still use your Venture X miles to erase any direct Airbnb or VRBO purchases from your statement!

2. Book Through Collaborative Airline Portals to Stack and Earn

Ready to take your earning to the next level? Once you are using the right card, you can book through an easy-to-use collaborative airline portal to earn extra airline miles on your Airbnb and VRBO stays!

Not only do these portals make booking a breeze, but every dollar spent on your vacation rental earns airline miles that can be put toward future airfare. Here is the lowdown on some of the best options out there.

Airbnb Airline Portals

Here is a list of the different airlines that have partnered with Airbnb. To use any of these portals, you want to make sure you have an active loyalty number with the associated airline. 

Delta + Airbnb : (1 dollar = 1 Delta SkyMile)

The Delta + Airbnb Portal is one of my favorites. We love flying Delta, and I enjoy being able to stack and earn Delta SkyMiles any way that I can. To earn miles on your next Airbnb booking, all you need to do is book through their collaborative portal and input your Delta SkyMiles number. Every dollar that you spend (excluding taxes and service fees, though cleaning fees do count) will earn you an additional mile! This means if you are using the right card, you can earn triple to quadruple the points on your booking.

British Airways + Airbnb : (1 dollar = 2 Avios)

This Airbnb Partnership with British Airways is a fantastic way to earn Avios points that can be used on partner flights like American Airlines! You will need to click on their specific Airbnb link and enter your British Airways loyalty number. By doing so, you can earn 2 Avios per US dollar, British pound, or Euro spent.

ANA + Airbnb : (Earn miles on stays in Japan)

If East Asia is on your list to travel to and you will be staying at an Airbnb in Japan, then you might want to consider taking advantage of the partnership between ANA and Airbnb. This Japanese airline offers some amazing flights from the US to Japan! This program only counts for Airbnbs booked in Japan. You generate a code to use when booking your Airbnb, which signals the ANA loyalty program to credit your account.

Qantas + Airbnb : (1 AUD = 1 Qantas point)

This Australia-based airline offers a fantastic return on your Airbnb stay. For every $1 AUD that you spend, you will earn a Qantas point. You can also earn bonus points on your very first Qantas Airbnb booking! In order to earn these miles, you need to have a Qantas frequent flyer account and start your booking through their dedicated portal.

VRBO Airline Portals

While VRBO has fewer airline collaborative portals than Airbnb, the ones they do have pack a punch and will help you earn miles for nearly any destination in the world.

United Airlines + VRBO : (1 dollar = up to 3 United miles)

Arguably the most lucrative airline collaborative portal is the United + VRBO portal. When using this portal, you can earn up to 3 United miles for each dollar spent on your VRBO stay! The booking process requires you to find and select your rental property through their collaborative website. When you are checking out and paying, you simply enter your United loyalty account number.

3. Look for Credit Card Offers and Statement Credits

Credit card companies like American Express, Chase, and Capital One frequently have special add-on offers that you can activate on your card. A regular offer we see is a percentage back (sometimes up to 5 percent) on an Airbnb or VRBO booking when you add the offer to your card and use it at checkout.

These offers act as statement credits, putting cash directly back into your pocket. It is very important to note that these offers are targeted and not always available. To check if an offer is available to you, log into your credit card account online or via the app and scroll through your available offers before you book!

4. What About Earning Hotel Points on Vacation Rentals?

A common question we get is whether you can earn hotel points instead of airline miles when booking vacation homes. The landscape here is changing!

For a long time, you could use Wyndham Rewards to book Vacasa vacation rentals, which was an amazing sweet spot. However, Wyndham recently ended its partnership with Vacasa. If you want to earn or redeem hotel points for vacation homes, your best options are now directly through hotel-branded rental platforms.

For example, Marriott Bonvoy has a program called Marriott Homes & Villas. This platform allows you to book private rental properties and earn Marriott Bonvoy points just like you would for a traditional hotel room. You can also redeem your Marriott points for these stays! If brand loyalty is important to you and you want the consistency of a major rewards program, this is a phenomenal alternative to Airbnb and VRBO.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I get points directly from Airbnb? Airbnb has dabbled with their own rewards structure in the past, but the return is not nearly as lucrative as using a dedicated travel strategy. To make the most of your Airbnb booking, it is best to use a credit card that earns 2x to 3x the points on travel purchases. This way you earn flexible, transferable points.  

Does Airbnb count as travel for credit cards? Yes! Airbnb and VRBO both regularly code as "travel" for most major credit card companies like Chase, American Express, and Capital One. This is great news because it means you can take advantage of higher category multipliers and travel bonuses.

Does Chase give points for Airbnb? Yes! Chase gives points for Airbnb and VRBO bookings because they code as travel purchases. You want to use the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card to receive 2x the points.

Add Your Airbnb and VRBO Discount Offers or Category Multipliers to Your Card When They Come!

American Express, Chase, and Capital One frequently have special add-on offers that you can add to your card. A regular offer I see is 5% off an Airbnb or VRBO booking when you add the offer to your card and then use that card at checkout. It is very important to note that these offers are not always available and while they have been frequent, there is no guarantee that they will be offered again. To check to see if an offer is available to you, simply log into your credit card account online and look at the different add-on offers available! 

How do I use my Capital One miles on Airbnb? Using your Capital One miles on Airbnb or VRBO is incredibly simple. Just charge your vacation rental purchase to your Capital One Venture card. Once the charge posts to your account, you can "erase" it using your miles. You get a flat rate of 1 cent per point when you redeem this way.

Common Questions about earning points and miles on Airbnb and VRBO Bookings!

Do I get points on Airbnb?

You can earn specific “T-points” that are through Airbnb although these are not nearly as lucrative. To make the most of your Airbnb booking it is best to use a credit card that earns 2-3x the points on your travel purchases. This way you can earn points that are flexible, lucrative, and transferable.

Does Airbnb count as travel for credit cards?

Airbnb and VRBO both regularly code as “travel” for most major credit card companies like American Express, Chase, and Capital One. This is great because this means that you can take advantage of higher category multipliers and bonuses. 

Does Chase give points for Airbnb?

Yes! Chase does give points for Airbnb and VRBO bookings as they code as travel purchases. You need to use either the Chase Sapphire Reserve® to receive 3x the points on your vacation rental bookings or the Chase Sapphire Preferred®  to receive 2x the points on your vacation rental bookings! 

Do you get 3x points for Airbnb on Chase Sapphire Reserve®?

You no longer get 3x the points on your Airbnb and VRBO stays through the Chase Sapphire Reserve®. This multiplier was done away with after the refresh in 2025. You can however use the $300 credit for vacation rentals as long as they code as travel.

Do you get double points for Airbnb on Chase Sapphire?

You will get double the points for Airbnb and VRBO purchases if you use the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card!

Which Chase credit card is best for Airbnb?

If you are looking to earn the maximum amount of points on your Airbnb or VRBO stay through a Chase credit card then you want to use the Chase Sapphire Reserve®. Just make sure that you take advantage of all of the bonus offerings to help offset the higher annual fee. 

Does Amex give points for Airbnb?

Absolutely! If you use the

Can I earn Capital One Miles by booking Airbnb and VRBO?

You can easily earn Capital One Miles by using your Capital One Venture Rewards or the Capital One Venture X Rewards card on your vacation rental purchases. Each purchase you make with a venture card will help you earn double the points. 

How do I use my Capital One Points on Airbnb?

Using your Capital One Miles on Airbnb or VRBO is really simple. Just charge your vacation rental purchase to a Capital One Venture card and you can erase your charge with the miles that you have. When you do this, you will get roughly 1 cent per point you use. You can also use the $300 Venture X Annual Credit to put towards your vacation rental purchases.  We go over exactly how to do this on this post here!

The Bottom Line

By using these strategies alone or stacking them together, you can easily maximize the points and miles you earn on your Airbnb and VRBO purchases. Whether you are using the right credit card to earn American Express Membership Rewards or utilizing a United VRBO portal to earn airline miles, every little bit adds up.

That way, you know you are making the absolute most of your spending and will be rewarded for it in the form of more travel later!

Happy Travels & Hugs!

Kam