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God Save The Points

Elevating your travel

Chase Extends Airbnb “Pay Yourself Back” Points Offer

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Sometimes transferring to partners and finding award availability can be a huge pain. I also probably don’t even have to mention the fact that hotel prices these days are high, and hotel award availability can be very challenging.

You have heard us discuss the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card and the extreme value one can get from collecting the Chase Currency Ultimate Rewards Points. But, one benefit that is not discussed as often is the “Pay Yourself Back” feature that sometimes has promotions for specific categories.

Considering that most of the universe has the low-fee Chase Sapphire Preferred Card , this is a great benefit to remember when you have exhausted other potential miles&points hotel booking options.

“Pay Yourself Back” on Airbnb Until December 31, 2022

That’s right, through 12/31/22, you can choose to use your Ultimate Rewards Points to “Pay Yourself Back” with 25% more point value. This would be a value that is equivalent to booking travel via the Chase Travel Portal.

Chase has extended the bonus and the ability to use your Ultimate Rewards Points for Airbnb from the original expiry date of September 30, 2022.

For the Chase Sapphire Preferred, you would get 1.25 cents per point, while the Chase Sapphire Reserve would allow you to pay yourself back at a rate of 1.50 cents per point.

The easy math is that a $1000 Airbnb purchase would cost a Chase Sapphire Preferred Cardholder 80,000 Points and a Reserve Cardholder 66,666 points.

Why Is This A Better Option Than A Hotel Points Redemption?

Setting aside the fact that you would need to find the availability for the exact room category on the exact dates, multiple rooms can be a drag when you are redeeming for a group or family.

Redeeming a room at a hotel or resort is no big deal when you only have one or two people staying in the accommodation, but the moment you have more people, that often means having to redeem multiple rooms.

Airbnb now offers a huge variety of accommodations, including luxe, castles, historical homes, beachfront, and ski-in/out multi-bedroom options. These options solve the multi-room family or group trip.

Boat Rentals and Experiences

How about staying on a boat? While the boat will remain docked, you can often rent one that is moments from the action. One example might be renting a boat close to the action in Miami South Beach . Sure, the yacht stays docked, but it’s a pretty great idea when multiple rooms in South Beach are super expensive. You can also pay an additional fee for a ride with a licensed captain.

Another thing to not overlook are Airbnb Experiences . Even if you do not need to rent an Airbnb, you might be interested in purchasing experiences during your holiday. This is a great way to get a discount on some neat vacay experiences.

How Do I Pay Myself Back?

The beauty and simplicity of Chase “Pay Yourself Back” is that you only have to make the Airbnb purchase using your Chase Sapphire Preferred or Reserve Card . Once the charge settles (posts) to your account, you can choose the “Pay Yourself Back” option on the Chase Ultimate Rewards Page.

The only warning is that you need the charge to post by December 31, 2022. Of course, you could be booking something on Airbnb well into 2023. It might be a good idea to try to complete any transactions a few days prior to the end of 2022 since you would not want a charge to post after December 31st.

Even if your hotel rewards loyalty program “hunt’ has been unsuccessful, there are still a number of great opportunities on Airbnb using your Ultimate Rewards Points.

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How to Earn or Redeem Points on Airbnb Stays

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Table of Contents

How to redeem points and miles on Airbnb stays

How to earn points and miles on airbnb stays, final thoughts on airbnb + rewards.

Airbnb doesn’t have its own loyalty program, but frequent travelers can still earn and redeem points for their stays. It’s just not the conventional route that you might expect from a more traditional hotel.

That said, using Airbnb can be a bit of a shift for loyalty program members who are hoping to earn and burn rewards on overnight stays. For starters, there’s no such thing as an Airbnb credit card — despite most other major hotels having branded credit cards . However, there are plenty of excellent credit cards to use for Airbnb that don’t actually carry its brand name.

Despite Airbnb not having a loyalty program at all, an Airbnb stay still offers plenty of ways to spend or earn points and miles from the travel credit cards you might already have. Here are the best ways to earn and redeem points on Airbnb stays.

If you already have a nice collection of points and miles accumulated, good news: You may be able to redeem them for Airbnb stays. Some rewards credit cards allow you to book Airbnb nights (which count as travel purchases) with your credit card points.

Capital One rewards for Airbnb stays

With the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card , the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card or Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card , for example, you can book a stay on Airbnb and pay with your card, then redeem points for a statement credit, effectively erasing all or part of the cost from the bill after the charge posts to your account.

Airline miles for Airbnb stays

Want to use airline miles to book? There aren’t a lot of options, as most airlines prefer to partner with hotels, but if you have United MileagePlus award miles, you can use the MileagePlus X app to buy an Airbnb gift card in any amount from $25 to $500 (including the exact amount of your booking) using a credit card or award miles. The e-gift card will be available to use immediately. If your plans change, the cancellation policy states that any refund due will go back on the e-gift card.

While using points on gift cards isn't often a great use of points in terms of value, it may be right for you compared with other options, like if you don’t plan on doing air travel anytime soon.

» Learn more: 3 ways to pay for Airbnb with credit card rewards

If you want to earn points and miles instead of spend them when booking on Airbnb, there are multiple ways to do just that, starting with your favorite airline or frequent flyer program.

Leverage airline partnerships

Several airlines offer miles for Airbnb bookings made through their dedicated platforms.

Delta : Earn 1 mile per $1 spent with Airbnb on all qualifying stays worldwide.

British Airways : Collect 2 Avios per £1/€1/$1 spend. If you’re new to Airbnb, you'll collect 6 Avios per £1/€1/$1 spend as a welcome bonus. You’ll earn even more when you book Airbnb Experiences, accruing 3 Avios for every £1/€1/$1 spent on Airbnb Experiences.

To earn miles, book directly through the booking platform of the airline you’d like to earn with, type in your frequent flyer number and book your Airbnb reservation.

Spend on a smart travel credit card

Prefer to focus on credit card points instead of airline miles? Start with a travel rewards card to earn points on every purchase. The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card , for example, offers 2x points on all travel purchases, including Airbnb bookings.

» Learn more: The best travel credit cards to add to your wallet this year

Save by purchasing discounted Airbnb gift cards

To earn even more, look for cards that offer bonus spending categories at places that sell Airbnb gift cards, like grocery stores or office supply stores. With some cards, these are permanent categories. The Ink Business Cash® Credit Card , for example, offers 5% or 5x points at office supply stores and the American Express® Gold Card offers 4x points at U.S. supermarkets year-round. Terms apply.

If you purchase Airbnb gift cards at these types of retailers instead of charging your booking directly to a rewards card, you could earn more points. Other reward cards, like the Chase Freedom Flex℠ , feature revolving bonus categories that change throughout the year and usually include grocery stores and other retailers.

If you hold the Target Circle™ Credit Card , you’ll get an automatic 5% discount at checkout on all qualifying purchases, which includes gift cards. Since Target typically sells Airbnb gift cards, that’s a straightforward way to only pay $95 for a $100 gift card.

Time it right with promotions

And some of these stores even sell discounted gift cards. During certain times of year, you might find them sold at a 10% discount. If you can pair credit cards that offer bonus rewards at those retailers with an already discounted gift card, you could see big savings.

Be sure to double-check the terms and conditions of the credit card to ensure that gift card purchases are allowed for bonus points.

United flyers have more ways to earn points

You can occasionally double the number of points and miles you earn by purchasing an e-gift card on the United MileagePlus X app. You’ll earn 2x United MileagePlus miles for every dollar you spend on Airbnb gift cards on the app, plus, if you use a travel rewards card, you’ll earn points on it, too.

Extra bonus? If you have a United co-branded credit card like the United℠ Explorer Card , you’ll automatically earn 25% more United miles on every in-app purchase. You can use the digital gift card right away.

You can stack some of these methods to earn even more points and miles. For example, use a travel rewards credit card to purchase an Airbnb gift card, then use the gift card to book on Delta’s, Qantas’ or British Airways’ dedicated shopping portals.

If you’re opting for Airbnb stays instead of hotels for upcoming travel, know that there are still ways to pay for your nights using points and miles — and even more ways to earn them.

How to maximize your rewards

You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are our picks for the best travel credit cards of 2024 , including those best for:

Flexibility, point transfers and a large bonus: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

No annual fee: Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card

Flat-rate travel rewards: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

Bonus travel rewards and high-end perks: Chase Sapphire Reserve®

Luxury perks: The Platinum Card® from American Express

Business travelers: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

on Citibank's application

1%-5% Earn 5% cash back on purchases in your top eligible spend category each billing cycle, up to the first $500 spent, 1% cash back thereafter. Also, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases.

$200 Earn $200 cash back after you spend $1,500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening. This bonus offer will be fulfilled as 20,000 ThankYou® Points, which can be redeemed for $200 cash back.

on Wells Fargo's website

2% Earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases

$200 Earn a $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months.

1x-3x Earn unlimited 3X points on restaurants, travel, gas stations, transit, popular streaming services and phone plans. Plus earn 1X points on other purchases.

20,000 Earn 20,000 bonus points when you spend $1,000 in purchases in the first 3 months - that's a $200 cash redemption value.

Save on Airbnb with Credit Card and Airline Rewards

Use points or miles to save on Airbnb and VRBO rentals. You can also rack up rewards to save on future travel.

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Traveling families and groups can generally save on Airbnb and VRBO rentals compared to hotels. And longer stays are often cheaper when booked at vacation rentals. However, if you’re a frequent traveler and you’ve racked up points or miles on travel rewards credit cards or through other loyalty programs, you typically won’t be able to use them to book a vacation rental. But you can harness Airbnb and VRBO co-branded loyalty programs to earn even more points, which you can use for airfare or other travel expenses.

Here’s a guide to earning and redeeming points or miles by booking an Airbnb or VRBO.  And not to get too existential, but are Airbnbs really cheaper than hotels? We have answers.

How to earn points or miles on an Airbnb stay

Two airline loyalty programs will allow you to earn points or miles for Airbnb stays . 

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• Earn Delta SkyMiles® : Book your Airbnb stay through a special portal provided by the SkyMiles program and enter your SkyMiles member number. Earn one mile for each dollar spent on your Airbnb rental, excluding taxes and fees. Each Delta SkyMile is worth about 1.2 cents, according to Bankrate . If you pay with a SkyMiles American Express Platinum Card , you can double the miles you earn and get a 15% discount on Delta flights (booked with the card). 
• Earn British Airways Avios points : Book your Airbnb stays or Airbnb Experiences through the British Airways Airbnb program website . Be sure to enable cookies and follow other directions on the site. You will earn two Avios for each Dollar, Euro or British Pound you spend. Each Avio is worth about 0.7 cents . Use a credit card with British Airways as a travel partner to maximize your rewards. For example, book using cards issued by Capital One and those that offer American Express Membership rewards, Bilt Rewards , Chase Ultimate Rewards and Marriott Bonvoy points . 

Earn rewards for a VRBO stay

VRBO , the vacation rental competitor to Airbnb, also has partnerships that can earn you rewards .

United MileagePlus : Book your VRBO property through the United/VRBO portal to earn three United MileagePlus miles for each dollar spent at VRBO. MileagePlus miles are each worth about 0.9 cents . Access the portal through the terms and conditions page of the program .

One Key Rewards : VRBO participates in the One Key Rewards program. When you sign up for the free program, you earn OneKeyCash when you book eligible travel on Expedia, Hotels.com, and Vrbo. One Key bookings earn 2% points back for each dollar spent. You can use these rewards on future bookings . If you book on Expedia.com, you may be able to use your travel card or enter your airline loyalty program to stack your rewards. 

Can you redeem rewards for an Airbnb or VRBO stay?

Some travel experts may recommend buying Airbnb gift cards with reward credit card redemptions, but that approach is complicated and rarely worth the trouble. Others may suggest cashing out miles or rewards to pay for Airbnb or VRBO rentals, but that's a waste of rewards that will likely get a better return when spent on travel. For example, if you have a lot of Chase Ultimate Rewards, you could cash them out for one cent per point to pay for an Airbnb rental, but depending on your card, you might get 1.25 or 1.5 cents for purchasing other travel on the card.

If your travel credit card has an annual travel credit, you may be able to get credit for your Airbnb or VRBO purchase. For example, the Chase Sapphire Reserve® card provides $300 in travel credits per year, allowing you to get reimbursed for up to $300 in Airbnb or VRBO expenses. Be sure to check with your credit card company that these vacation rentals will qualify for the travel credit, as terms change often.

Another way to make your Airbnb or VRBO stay count is to use a flat-rate cash back credit card ; at least you will earn 2% or 3% back on your stay.

Are Airbnb and VRBO rentals cheaper than hotel rooms?

It has been a given that vacation rentals like Airbnb would save money over a hotel room. That assumption, at least for one or two travelers, may now be wrong. A 2023 study by the U.K. consumer website, Which? , found that a hotel room is cheaper than a one-bedroom Airbnb or VRBO rental in 38 of 50 destinations. 

However, the study did not consider how much travelers could save by having a kitchen in a vacation rental. For those staying in expensive cities like London or Paris, eating in can save substantially over dining out. And many vacation rentals have washing machines and dryers. If you're in a hotel, you could pay a premium to have a laundry service wash your clothes. Or you might have to trek to a laundromat  — the last thing anyone wants to do on their vacation.

The study also failed to compare the cost of large vacation rentals to the corresponding number of hotel rooms. Families often opt for vacation rentals because they tend to get a better deal than on multiple hotel rooms.

However, the outlook for Airbnb and VRBO properties is in flux, especially in large cities.

Given the tight housing market and lack of affordable housing in the U.S. and abroad, several cities are trying to reduce the number of vacation rentals, which could raise prices in the long term. 

For example, New York City implemented strict short-term rental rules last September, saying that the 10,000 such units diminished the city's supply of rental housing. By the end of September, the city had approved just over 400 applications from landlords seeking to register their apartments legally as Airbnb or VRBO properties, according to Gothamist . 

Other locations are changing development laws to discourage Airbnb or VRBO. The city of Providence, RI has approved a new housing development with the caveat that the apartments can never be used for vacation rentals .  

Vacation rentals have also piled on the fees in recent years. Those fees for cleaning a property after you leave or for extra guests can add up. And starting on April 1, Airbnb is adding a 2% cross-currency fee . This fee applies to guests who book rentals in a different currency than that of the host country. 

To Airbnb or not to Airbnb?

If you are traveling as a large family or group, Airbnb or VRBO may still be your cheapest bet in some locations, especially if you plan on doing your own cooking and laundry. But with current market conditions and fees, it makes sense to compare the price of a vacation rental with a hotel. 

• 5 Ways to Save Money on Vacation Rental Properties
• New Airbnb Camera Ban, 2% Cross-Currency Fee Coming Soon
• Would You Buy Airbnb's New 'Rooms' Option? Why I'll Still Be in a Hotel
• 5 Great Places to Buy a Vacation Home

Ellen writes and edits personal finance stories, especially on credit cards and related products. She also covers the nexus between sustainability and personal finance. She was a manager and sustainability analyst at Calvert Investments for 15 years, focusing on climate change and consumer staples. She served on the sustainability councils of several Fortune 500 companies and led corporate engagements. Before joining Calvert, Ellen was a program officer for Winrock International, managing loans to alternative energy projects in Latin America. She earned a master’s from the U.C. Berkeley in international relations and Latin America. 

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10 ways to use points to book vacation home rentals

W hen traveling with your family or a large group of friends, vacationing "together" and not in separate hotel rooms using your points and miles can get a bit complicated. Luckily, there are vacation rental platforms aside from Airbnb and Vrbo that will let you use your hard-earned points and miles to book entire homes instead of paying cash.

Vacation home rentals have always been a great tool to have in your travel toolbox. At TPG, we've been curious about the best ways to use your points to book a vacation home rental because plunking down cash gets old in a hurry.

And just like choosing the best home rental for you takes some skill, figuring out the best way to redeem your points for a home rental isn't as simple as reading an award chart and hitting "book now" — but it absolutely can be done. Keep reading to find out the best ways to use your points to book vacation home rentals.

Redeem fixed-value points for vacation rentals

If you have a credit card that earns fixed-value points in your wallet, such as the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card , those are some of the best types of points to use to pay for vacation home rentals.

For example, the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card earns 2 miles per dollar on all purchases and allows you to redeem those points at 1 cent each toward travel. However, it may not be the best use of Capital One miles, as TPG values them at 1.85 cents apiece ; nevertheless, you can redeem those miles for travel . But be aware that while vrbo.com sometimes codes as travel, it doesn't always code as travel, depending on who owns and manages the property, so proceed with caution in that regard.

Related: 12 tips for choosing the perfect beach house rental

Another card that is great for stacking points for home rentals? The Bank of America® Premium Rewards® credit card . For TPG Director of Content Summer Hull , this card turned out to be a points powerhouse for home rentals and any other charge that didn't fall under any one particular umbrella.

It earns 1.5 points per dollar on non-bonus charges and 2 points per dollar on travel and dining. But it gets better if you bank with Bank of America, as your deposits with the bank can earn you up to a 75% bonus on points earned with this card via the bank's Preferred Rewards program .

Since I'm in that top tier for banking with Bank of America, it bumps up my earnings on everyday charges to about 2.63 points per dollar and on travel or dining to 3.5 points per dollar. This is now one of my go-to cards for everyday spending, and I'll be able to just cash the points out at 1 cent each to offset what I spend on a home or cabin rental — or anything else.

Use Marriott points with Homes & Villas

If you have Marriott Bonvoy points or a credit card that allows you to transfer your points to Marriott (as with American Express Membership Rewards or Chase Ultimate Rewards ), another avenue for redeeming points to book a vacation home rental lies with the Homes & Villas by Marriott program .

Related: Best Marriott credit cards

Your per-point redemption value may not be as great as some other uses, so do the math before redeeming. However, if you have Marriott points you aren't sure what to do with, it can be an easy way to lock in a fabulous home rental using your hotel points.

Just know that while you are booking via Marriott's program, your individual bookings will be turned over to property management companies that handle it from that point on.

Related: Best credit cards for home rentals

Use Wyndham points with Vacasa

At the beginning of 2021, Wyndham announced a partnership with Vacasa , a vacation rental management company. This partnership allows you to use your Wyndham Rewards points to book over 15,000 vacation rentals around North and Central America.

With Wyndham's fixed award chart — even on home rentals — it'll cost 15,000 Wyndham points per bedroom per night. That means a studio or one-bedroom costs 15,000 points per night, a two-bedroom costs 30,000 points per night, a three-bedroom costs 45,000 points per night and so on. This can actually be a much better value than using your points on a traditional hotel room, as some properties cost as much as 30,000 points per night — for just a studio hotel room.

Redeem: The ultimate guide to earning and redeeming Wyndham Rewards

The process, however, to book a vacation rental with your points is quite cumbersome. While you can search for homes and availability directly on the Vacasa website , you cannot confirm a reservation immediately, like you normally can with a regular hotel room. Instead, you need to call Wyndham at 800-441-1034, and the representative will ask you a bunch of questions, including your Wyndham Rewards number and your desired location.

If you already know the home rental you want to book, you can also give them the listing number straight from the Vacasa site. Having a home rental already in mind will definitely speed up the process.

Related: Redeeming Wyndham points with Vacasa is a great deal — with a catch

Unfortunately, due to blackout dates, there's no way to know whether or not a property is available to book with points in the reservation calendar, and you'll need to wait for the Wyndham representative to look up your specific dates.

TPG contributor Jennifer Yellin has booked different vacation homes at ski resorts in New England and is about 50-50 with properties being able to be booked with points (even though they are all available for a paid reservation).

Once you confirm a vacation rental and date that works, the representative will lock in your reservation with points and explain the cancellation policy. When using Wyndham Rewards points for a vacation rental, you'll typically have to cancel at least 30 days in advance. As long as you cancel within the window, all points will go straight back to the account they came from and there are no additional fees. However, if you cancel within the 30-day window, you'll forfeit all points redeemed.

Truthfully, if you are looking to redeem your hotel points for a vacation rental, this has the potential to be one of the best programs out there. Especially since you can easily earn Wyndham points from Wyndham Rewards credit cards or transfer your Capital One miles to your Wyndham account at a 1:1 ratio.

Redeem Ultimate Rewards points for vacation rentals

Just as you can redeem your Chase Ultimate Rewards points for as much as 1.5 cents each when booking flights and hotels via the Chase travel portal, you can do the same for home rentals. Though Chase no longer has a designated "vacation rental" tab on its travel portal dashboard, if you search under "Hotels," type in the area, dates and number of guests, you will see a list of hotels as well as a few vacation home rentals.

Unfortunately, there is no filter to search for vacation homes so you will have to scroll, but the option is available on the Chase travel portal.

For example, I searched for a "hotel" in Park City, Utah, for Jan. 8 to Jan. 10, 2025, for six guests and found a vacation rental available for $454 per night (not including taxes and fees).

If you hold the Chase Sapphire Reserve® , you can redeem your points at a fixed value of 1.5 cents each, which means one night at this vacation property (before taxes and fees) will cost you about 30,266 Ultimate Rewards points.

Use Hyatt points with Hyatt Homes & Hideaways

Hyatt launched its own collection of rental homes in late 2023, branded Homes & Hideaways by World of Hyatt. At the moment, Hyatt appears to only offer popular locations within the U.S. (think Hawaii, Florida, Colorado, etc.). Hyatt will eventually expand the program to international destinations.

Booking a stay at one of these properties confers many of the same perks as staying at a Hyatt hotel, such as 5 base points per dollar (plus any elite status bonuses), elite night credits and the ability to earn American Airlines miles when linking your account. You can redeem Hyatt points for award nights at any of these properties — though, after experimenting with some dummy bookings, the value proposition doesn't seem to be as high as with traditional Hyatt hotels.

Because you can transfer both Bilt Rewards and Chase Ultimate Rewards points to Hyatt at a 1:1 ratio, it's not difficult to accrue the points you need for a free night.

Homes & Hideaways gives customers a fixed purchase rate of 1.2 points per dollar. For example, if you book a three-night stay at a villa for $5,000, expect to pay about 416,667 points. TPG values Hyatt points at 1.7 cents apiece; therefore, if you redeem your Hyatt points for a Homes & Hideaways vacation rental, you are not maximizing their value.

Related: How to earn points with the World of Hyatt program

Use Choice points with Bluegreen Vacations

Choice Privileges partners with a vacation rental company called Bluegreen Vacations through its Ascend Hotel Collection . It operates primarily within the U.S., though there's one property in Aruba (you can see the map of all locations on Bluegreen's website ).

Bluegreen Vacations offers cheap award prices for surprisingly large accommodations. Take a look at the above example of a three-bedroom suite for just 25,000 points at the Bluegreen Vacations Christmas Mountain Village in June 2025.

You can earn Choice points with Choice credit cards , or you can transfer American Express Membership Rewards points to Choice at a 1:1 ratio (though we don't usually recommend this; Amex points can be worth considerably more than Choice points, depending on how you use them).

Use Amex points via Amex Travel

American Express Select Homes + Retreats is a fancy collection of homes that are available exclusively to those who hold The Platinum Card® from American Express and The Business Platinum Card® from American Express . You can either purchase your stay with your eligible Platinum card to earn 5 points per dollar (on up to $500,000 of these purchases per calendar year, then 1 point per dollar), or you can use Amex points to book your stay.

Click on "Vacation Rentals" on your Amex travel dashboard to see the select locations and properties available.

At present, American Express Select Homes + Retreats are only found in 12 areas around the U.S. You'll find them in the Panhandle area of Alabama and Florida; Maui, Hawaii; Charleston, South Carolina; and other popular vacation spots. As is the case with many programs on this list, Amex's offering isn't even in the same galaxy as Airbnb in terms of volume — but it provides properties you may not be able to find elsewhere.

Here's the issue: You'll only get a value of 0.7 cents per point for your booking. TPG considers American Express Membership Rewards points to be worth an average of 2 cents each — meaning this is a horrendous use of points in most cases.

Related: Redeeming American Express Membership Rewards for maximum value

Capital One vacation rentals

Capital One recently unveiled two collections of vacation rentals: Premier and Lifestyle . The collection(s) you can access depends on which Capital One credit card you hold.

If you've got either the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card or the Capital One Spark Miles for Business , you can access the Lifestyle collection. If you've got either the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card or the Capital One Venture X Business , you can access both the Lifestyle and the (more fancy) Premier collections.

When you book a stay through Capital One, you'll receive bonus perks such as experience credits ($100 for Premier Collection stays, $50 for Lifestyle Collection stays), early check-in and late checkout when available, and destination experts to help you round out your trip. You'll also earn 5 miles per dollar when paying for your stay — or you can redeem Capital One miles to offset your bill at a rate of 1 cent per mile.

Again, using rewards to pay for your reservation isn't ideal, as TPG estimates Capital One miles to be worth 1.85 cents each toward travel when transferring to airline and hotel partners.

Related: Redeeming Capital One miles for maximum value

Redeem points for Airbnb gift cards

Another way to redeem points for a home rental is to cash in your points for a home rental gift card. Airbnb gift cards, for example, are available via several points programs.

Be careful when redeeming points for gift cards, as it isn't always the best return per point, but it is an option. With Chase Ultimate Rewards , you can redeem points for Airbnb gift cards at 1 cent each. While that is not a great use of points if you're looking to maximize your points, which TPG values at 2.05 cents apiece, it is an option if you want to save on your next vacation rental.

This story talks a bit more about redeeming points for gift cards and similar cash-out options.

Related: Maximizing points and miles to beat inflation and save money

Don't forget multibedroom hotel residence options

While not a home rental in the true sense, don't forget that multiple hotel loyalty programs have redemption options for multibedroom residences. You probably won't have a backyard and a pool with these, but the odds are good for a kitchen.

Many hotel chains, such as Hyatt and Marriott, offer multibedroom residence-style redemptions, though availability is more limited than when booking a standard hotel room. Keep in mind that Hyatt allows you to book suites online with points , too.

Bottom line

Your points can get you more than just flights and traditional hotel rooms — you can use them to book vacation home rentals.

If you know for sure you want to go that route, now may be the time to take stock of your wallet and see if you have the best card for this goal. The perfect program for you may vary as there are many different credit cards and loyalty programs that will allow you to use rewards toward that next vacation home rental.

Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.

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I Cut My Hotel Price in Half Using Costco Travel and Still Earned Solid Travel Rewards

Brett Holzhauer

Content Contributor

8 Published Articles

Countries Visited: 22 U.S. States Visited: 29

Katie Seemann

Senior Content Contributor and News Editor

343 Published Articles 46 Edited Articles

Countries Visited: 28 U.S. States Visited: 29

Costco Travel Remains a Staple in My Toolbelt

Booking through costco travel, booking through marriott, final thoughts.

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When you’re a seasoned points and miles fan, it can become a ritual to simply book all your flights and hotel directly through the airline or hotel brand. This is typically more beneficial than not, as you earn loyalty status and also get direct customer service if something goes wrong.

But occasionally, I’ve found it to be beneficial to book through Costco Travel. Although I typically use this service for rental cars only, I’ve found some solid value in the last few months by using Costco’s all-in-one travel portal.

Here’s what you need to know about how I saved money through Costco Travel for my upcoming Mexico trip.

It’s shocking to me when I tell people about Costco Travel since many people don’t even know it’s a benefit. While it’s not always the best route to go, it’s a great resource to keep in mind when you’re looking for the best deal for your next trip.

On the platform, you can book hotels, rental cars, cruises, and theme park-related getaways, and you don’t need a membership to look through the website to see the available deals. However, you do need a membership (or a friend with a membership) to book through Costco Travel .

If you find a Costco Travel deal worth booking and aren’t a member, simply ask a friend or family member with a Costco membership for their login. I’ve booked rental cars, cruises, and hotels for friends and family through Costco Travel plenty of times with no issue at all. The entire booking can be in someone else’s name, and if you have an Executive Membership, you will earn 2% back to your yearly membership reward.

Regardless of how or where you travel, Costco Travel is worth playing around with, as there can be some great deals.

How I Saved Money Through Costco Travel

Although I recently wrote about how travel prices really haven’t jumped all that much when adjusted for inflation , seeing larger numbers never sits well psychologically. To add insult to injury, I’ve been pretty “points broke,” so I found myself using cash rather than credit card rewards for my recent travels.

When an opportunity came up to book a nice 5-day getaway in Cancun (a short 1.5-hour flight from Fort Lauderdale, Florida), I jumped right at it. But wow, some of these hotels are charging absurd prices. So I did some digging and found an incredible deal through Costco Travel. Here’s how the numbers shake out for a 5-night stay at the JW Marriott Cancun Resort & Spa and how much it would be if I booked directly through Marriott.

For a 5-night stay for 2 people at the JW Marriott Cancun, I paid $1,905.71, or $381 per night. It was still a bit pricey, but there’s more to take into account.

When booking travel through Costco Travel, you will likely see several promotions or discounts that further incentivize you to book through their portal. And this deal was no different.

For this deal, I’m getting the following perks:

• A $112 Costco gift card
• Private transportation to and from the airport
• $50 daily resort credit during the stay
• $50 spa credit

For the sake of this example, I won’t be counting the resort and spa credits, as booking through Marriott offers the same benefit. But I figure that a $112 Costco Gift Card is essentially a cash rebate. And since I have a Costco Executive Membership, I will earn 2% back on the purchase price, or $38 back. So my out-the-door cost for this stay is $1,755 .

For the $1,905 purchase, I used my Ink Business Preferred ® Credit Card , which earns 3x per $1 spent on travel (and select business categories up to the first $150,000 spent each year), netting me 5,715 Chase Ultimate Rewards Points. At a 2 cents per point valuation , that’s an additional $114 in value for my next trip.

The way I see it, I paid $1,755 for this trip and earned some valuable Chase Ultimate Rewards along the way.

Here’s the sticker shock if I were to have booked through Marriott directly for the same room. For the same 5-night stay when booking direct, I would have paid double — $4,036.

This is for the Transportation Package in Cancun , and while it may say $3,315 for the stay, it slyly adds in the government taxes and fees at checkout, bringing the total to just over $4,000.

This package comes with roughly the same benefits that Costco Travel was offering, with resort and spa credits and transportation to and from the airport. However, it doesn’t come with the Costco gift card.

But, if I were to book directly with Marriott, I would earn 10 Marriott Bonvoy points per $1 — earning me 40,360 Marriott points. And if I used my Ink Business Preferred card for this purchase as well, I would earn 12,108 Chase Ultimate Rewards points. With our points valuation , this would be $282 and $242 in earned value, respectively.

So, with all factors considered, including the rewards I would earn booking the trip, I would have paid $3,512 — double what I paid going through Costco.

The only benefit I would get booking through Marriott and not Costco Travel is earning toward Marriott elite status . But as I rarely stay at Marriott properties and don’t have status, it wasn’t part of my consideration.

Like any purchase you make today, it’s worth shopping around to see if there are better deals out there. Although it may pain you to make a third-party booking where you can’t take advantage of your loyalty status benefits, your wallet will thank you later. With all that money saved, you can definitely afford an extra hot dog on your next trip to Costco.

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About Brett Holzhauer

Brett is a personal finance and travel junkie. Based out of Fort Lauderdale, he’s had over 100 credit cards and earned millions of credit card rewards. He learned the tricks of the trade from his mom, and has taken many steps forward. He wasn’t exposed to much travel as a kid, but now has a goal of reaching 100 countries in his life. In 2019, he sold all of his possessions to become a digital nomad, and he says it was one of the best decisions he ever made. He plans to do it again at some point in his life.

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This bonus value is an estimated valuation calculated by UP after analyzing redemption options, transfer partners, award availability and how much UP would pay to buy these points.

Which purchases count as travel with Chase Sapphire Preferred and Chase Sapphire Reserve?

Editor's Note

Thanks to its plethora of premium travel perks, the Chase Sapphire Reserve is well-known in the travel credit card space. The Chase Sapphire Preferred is the Sapphire Reserve's mid-tier sibling that features a $95 annual fee — which is also the more affordable card considering the Reserve's annual fee is $550 — and remains a top pick, winning Best Travel Rewards Credit Card for the sixth straight year at the 2023 TPG Awards .

No matter which Sapphire card you have, Chase clearly defines what counts as travel. Both cards generously award for travel booked through the Ultimate Rewards portal and all other travel purchases.

We'll go over the purchases that count (and don't count) toward earning bonus points in this guide.

How many points do the Chase Sapphire Reserve and Preferred cards earn on travel?

The Chase Sapphire Reserve awards 10 points per dollar on hotels and car rentals booked through the Ultimate Rewards portal and 5 points per dollar on flights booked through the Ultimate Rewards portal.

But suppose you're looking to book directly with the airline, hotel or another company or get awarded for other travel purchases like taxi rides and parking fees. In that case, you'll still earn 3 points per dollar on these purchases.

The Sapphire Preferred earns 5 points per dollar on all travel purchases booked through the Ultimate Rewards portal and 2 points per dollar on other travel purchases.

You'll also earn a boosted rate of 10 and 5 points per dollar spent on Lyft rides on the Reserve and Preferred, respectively (through March 2025).

'Travel,' according to Chase

The Ultimate Rewards portal is powered by Expedia , allowing you to book various types of travel. For "all other travel purchases," here's how Chase defines it:

Merchants in the travel category include airlines, hotels, motels, timeshares, car rental agencies, cruise lines, travel agencies, discount travel sites, campgrounds and operators of passenger trains, buses, taxis, limousines, ferries, toll bridges and highways, and parking lots and garages.

Compared to bonus categories from other credit cards, Chase's travel category is extremely generous.

While cards such as the American Express® Gold Card and The Platinum Card® from American Express offer bonus points for airfare purchases made directly with the airline (with a spending cap of $500,000 on the Amex Platinum per calendar year), the Sapphire Preferred and Reserve cards let you earn a bonus on virtually every trip-related charge.

The travel category encompasses a wide variety of purchases, from hotels and airfare (which doesn't have to be booked directly with the airline) to cruises, tolls and even parking fees. Uber and Airbnb purchases count as travel as well.

The following purchases do not apply toward the 2 or 3 points per dollar bonus categories on these cards, but most of them shouldn't be a huge surprise or disappointment:

Some merchants that provide transportation and travel-related services are not included in this category; for example, real estate agents, educational merchants arranging travel, in-flight goods and services, on-board cruise line goods and services, sightseeing activities, excursions, tourist attractions, RV and boat rentals, merchants within hotels and airports, public campgrounds and merchants that rent vehicles for the purpose of hauling. Purchases from gift card merchants or merchants that sell points or miles will not qualify in the travel category.

A few notable travel-related charges that have not been posted as travel for the purposes of bonus points with Chase for TPG staffers in the recent past include an RV rental as well as some vacation rentals via Vrbo and similar services. Whether a vacation home rental automatically codes as travel depends on whether an individual or a conglomerate operates it. In the latter case, that charge may code as "professional services" instead of travel.

If you're ever unsure whether a given purchase counts as travel, it could be worth making a small charge and checking whether it earns any bonus points on your online Chase account.

Additionally, suppose you feel like a travel purchase should have earned bonus points but didn't. In that case, you can always try calling or secure messaging Chase and requesting consideration for that charge to be awarded points as a travel charge. Even if you don't get the outcome you're looking for, you'll at least get some clarity on how certain charges are coded and can plan future spending accordingly.

What does Chase typically count as travel purchases?

• Campgrounds
• Car rental agencies (excludes RV and boat rentals)
• Cruise lines
• Discount travel sites
• Parking lots and garages
• Passenger trains
• Toll bridges and highways
• Travel agencies
• Vacation rentals (including some VRBO rentals operated by an individual )

What does Chase typically not count as travel purchases?

• Educational merchants arranging travel
• Gift card merchants
• Inflight goods and services
• Merchants that rent vehicles for the purpose of hauling
• Merchants within hotels and airports
• Onboard cruise line goods and services
• Purchasing points or miles
• Public campgrounds
• Real estate agents
• RV and boat rentals
• Sightseeing activities
• Tourist attractions
• Vacation rentals ( some VRBO rentals operated by a conglomerate rather than an individual )

Bottom line

Cardholders of the Chase Sapphire Reserve and Chase Sapphire Preferred have plenty of opportunities to earn 3 or 2 points per dollar spent, respectively, on "other travel purchases." Based on TPG's valuations , that means you could be getting a return of up to 6.1% on these purchases, and you can put your points to use with Chase's airline and hotel partners .

On top of that, these Chase cards have some of the most generous travel and purchase protections on the market, making either card a valuable addition to your wallet.

Apply here: Chase Sapphire Reserve with a 60,000-point sign-up bonus after you spend $4,000 in the first three months of account opening Apply here: Chase Sapphire Preferred with a 60,000-point sign-up bonus after you spend $4,000 in the first three months of account opening

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