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AirBNB
The previous two Vacation rental options we spoke about had very straightforward methods of paying with points. Unfortunately, Airbnb isn’t as straightforward. But what it lacks in ease of paying with points, it makes up for in availability and variety of options.
The Good NEws
- Airbnb has an expansive global portfolio, and nearly everywhere you travel there are airbnb options.
- The new “Display Total Price” tool allows you to have less surprise charges.
- There’s a number of ways to both spend and earn points with an Airbnb purchase.
The Bad News
- You have to jump through a few hoops to spend or earn points for Airbnb.
- The added fees with many Airbnb’s can make this a higher points spend or more expensive purchase.
Paying for The Rental
And now the reason you are reading this…. How can I get an Airbnb for nearly free with points? There are two options for purchasing an Airbnb on points.
- Use your Capital One card to make the purchase directly through Airbnb. Airbnb codes as travel in Capital One and therefore you can use the travel purchase eraser on a Venture or Venture X card to erase your purchase, essentially paying with points.
- Use the Chase Travel Portal to buy Airbnb gift cards to pay for your stay. These are sold at a rate of $25 gift card for 2,500 points. This would utilize a lot of points. Lets say your stay is 2,000, that is 200,000 points.
Of the two options, we would choose the Capital One option. The Airbnb gift cards end up costing an exorbitant amount of points that you could easily utilize elsewhere, like flights.
Your other option is to pay in cash. If you are paying in cash, be sure to use the option that earns you the most points.
- Purchase with your Chase Sapphire Preferred and earn 2x points on travel, or your Chase Sapphire Reserve and earn 3x points. Chase and Amex and Capital One all code Airbnb as a Travel expense, and you will get those points accordingly.
- Use Airline Shopping Portals to purchase your airbnb. Through these portals you’ll receive 3 British Airways Avios points per dollar spent, 1 Delta Skymile per dollar spent, 1 Qantas mile per $0.70 spent, and 1 ANA mile per $1.75 spent. These are often underutilized but great ways to expand the points you receive per purchase.
Summary
All in all, Capital One provides an alluring option to paying for Airbnb and Airbnb’s expansive global reach makes them a strong contender for the vacation rentals market. Unfortunately, outside of Capital One, Airbnb doesn’t make the most sense as a points and miles purchase. Even when it is available, it is very expensive. Thankfully, there are several ways to earn with your purchase of an Airbnb. Through High-Reward Travel credit cards, or through shopping portals you can get a good return on your investment.
Vacation Rentals – Homes and Villas by Marriott
