best credit – Airbnb may be an easy way to swap hotels for a more local stay, but the rewards picture isn’t automatic. With no Airbnb-branded cobranded credit card, travelers are left choosing cards that either boost travel-category earnings or offer strong flat-rate return
The point of booking an Airbnb is usually simple: you want a place that feels like yours for a few nights. What’s less straightforward is the credit card decision that sits underneath it.
Airbnb doesn’t have its own rewards program or a cobranded credit card. That means your earnings depend on whatever card you already carry—ideally one that earns bonus rewards on travel purchases or offers a strong flat-rate return. The good news is that Airbnb bookings typically code as travel with major credit card issuers. so eligible travel rewards cards can earn bonus points or miles. The catch is that merchant category coding isn’t guaranteed. so rewards can vary depending on how the transaction is processed.
If you’re trying to make the stay work twice—once as a trip, again as future travel—these are the best credit cards to use for Airbnb bookings, along with why each one stands out.
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
The Chase Sapphire Preferred is built for travelers who want robust earning and the option to move points into travel. It carries an annual fee of $95. New cardholders can earn a welcome offer of 100. 000 bonus points after spending $5. 000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
For Airbnb stays, the earning rate is 3 points per dollar spent. The card earns Chase Ultimate Rewards points, which can be transferred to one of Chase’s travel partners. There’s also a $100 annual hotel credit on bookings made through Chase Travel℠—but Airbnb bookings aren’t available through the portal. so they aren’t eligible for that credit.
TPG credit cards editor Olivia Mittak also used the Sapphire Preferred’s hotel credit to cover a large chunk of an overnight stay after a concert in Bend, Oregon. The article points readers to the full review of the Sapphire Preferred for more details.
Ink Business Preferred Credit Card
For small-business owners looking to earn on Airbnb purchases. the Ink Business Preferred offers a similar 3 points per dollar spent on Airbnb. Its annual fee is $95. and the welcome offer is 100. 000 bonus points after spending $8. 000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
The card’s structure is category-based: on the first $150. 000 spent in combined purchases each account anniversary year in the following categories. it earns 1 point per dollar spent for advertising purchases made with social media sites and search engines. internet. cable and phone services. shipping purchases. and travel. including Airbnb. After that threshold, it earns 1 point per dollar spent.
The piece frames it as a Chase option for Airbnb stays, and also notes that getting approved for a business card may be easier than you think. Readers are directed to the full review of the Ink Business Preferred.
American Express Green Card
Some travel cards keep their bonus categories narrow. The American Express Green Card goes wider, with a broad travel bonus category designed to cover more than just airfare and hotels.
The Green’s annual fee is $150. The welcome offer is 40,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first six months of card membership. For Airbnb stays, the earning rate is 3 points per dollar spent.
The card is described as the most flexible Membership Rewards option for earning bonus points on every dollar spent on Airbnb. It also includes a travel support perk for getting to your rental: up to $209 statement credit toward a Clear+ membership. The article specifies that enrollment is required. the statement credit is offered each calendar year. and it’s subject to auto-renewal.
Wells Fargo Autograph Journey Card
The Wells Fargo Autograph Journey is positioned as a solid, budget-friendly choice with a modest annual fee. Its annual fee is $95, and the welcome offer is 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening.
For Airbnb stays, it also earns 3 points per dollar spent. The article adds that Wells Fargo points can be transferred to multiple transfer partners. While the list is described as shorter than some competitors. it still includes partners such as British Airways Club. Iberia Club. and Virgin Atlantic Flying Club.
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
If you prefer a straightforward approach—no category hunting—the Capital One Venture Rewards is presented as an easy fit. It has an annual fee of $95 and a welcome offer of 75. 000 bonus miles after spending $4. 000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
For Airbnb stays, it earns 2 miles per dollar spent. The article notes that you can redeem your rewards to cover your Airbnb stay at 1 cent per mile. If you don’t want to use rewards specifically for Airbnb bookings. the piece says you can use them to cover any travel purchases made with your card in the last 90 days. or transfer them to one of 15-plus airline and hotel transfer partners.
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
Capital One’s Venture X takes the same simple flat-rate earning and adds higher-end perks. The annual fee is $395, and the welcome offer is 75,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
For Airbnb stays, the earning rate is 2 miles per dollar spent. Like the Venture Rewards, the article says you can redeem miles to cover your Airbnb stay at 1 cent per mile, or cover any travel purchases made with your card in the last 90 days, or transfer them to a Capital One transfer partner.
It also lists the $395 annual fee offsetting perks: a $300 annual travel credit for Capital One Travel bookings, reimbursement for your Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee, access to airport lounges (including Capital One’s growing network), and rental car elite status.
One key point ties most of these cards together: how your Airbnb transaction is processed matters. Even when Airbnb bookings typically code as travel with major issuers, merchant category coding isn’t guaranteed—so the exact payoff can swing depending on how the purchase goes through.
The travel rewards decision doesn’t have to be complicated, though. The guidance here is direct: use a card that earns bonus rewards on travel whenever possible. check whether your card includes trip cancellation/interruption protections that may apply. review Airbnb’s cancellation policy before booking. and consider paying entirely with your credit card instead of gift cards if you want purchase protection.
The bottom line is that the best credit card for Airbnb depends on how you value rewards. Travelers who want to maximize points may lean toward cards like the Sapphire Preferred or Amex Green. Those who prefer simplicity may be happier with the Capital One Venture Rewards or Venture X.
Either way, the premise stays the same: paying with a rewards credit card can help you earn valuable points on your next vacation rental.
Airbnb credit card Chase Sapphire Preferred Ink Business Preferred Amex Green Wells Fargo Autograph Journey Capital One Venture Rewards Capital One Venture X travel rewards points
So basically it still depends on the card… wild.
I don’t get why there’s no Airbnb card?? Like come on, they already take the money anyway. Also I feel like it’ll code as dining or something half the time.
If it codes as travel then great, but if it doesn’t then you’re just wasting points right? Like I swear sometimes my “travel” purchases show up as shopping. Still gonna use the same card tho bc changing cards feels like a lot.
Airbnb should really have their own cobranded thing because otherwise you gotta guess what it codes as?? That sounds like a scam honestly. My cousin said they charge it like a hotel no matter what card you have, but this article says it’s not guaranteed… so which is it? I just want my rewards to work without all this coding nonsense.