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We tend to focus much of our coverage on hotel
Unfortunately, it's not always practical or affordable to choose a hotel when you travel. Sometimes, it makes more logistical sense to book a vacation rental. Whether you're traveling with a group and you need more space than a hotel room can provide, or you're staying for an extended period and you want access to a kitchen, vacation rentals can help make travel feel like home.
If you want to earn
Here are the best credit cards for vacation rentals.
Best Credit Cards for Vacation Rentals
While many travelers work toward top-tier hotel elite status every year, I typically book Airbnbs because they offer more space, are pet-friendly, and let me immerse myself in a destination rather than just visit it. I normally use my
Best overall: Citi Strata Premier® Card
I live in Airbnbs roughly 11 months of each year, and I've done that for the past five years. That's a lot of time in Airbnbs worldwide. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that the Citi Strata Premier® Card — a card I've had since 2019 — actually earns bonus points on Airbnb purchases.
As a cardholder, you earn 10X points per $1 on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked through CitiTravel.com; 3X points per $1 spent on air travel and other hotel purchases; and 3X points at gas stations, EV charging stations, restaurants, and supermarkets. Nowhere in that list does Citi mention bonus points on vacation rentals. However, when you read the fine print for “3X points per $1 spent on air travel and other hotel purchases,” Citi lists the following:
“Includes purchases at airlines, hotels (not booked through the Citi Travel site via cititravel.com), and travel agencies.”
Airbnb is coded as a travel agency, which means you can earn 3X
- Earn 60,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months of account opening, redeemable for $600 in gift cards or travel rewards at thankyou.com.
- Earn 10 Points per $1 spent on Hotels, Car Rentals, and Attractions booked on CitiTravel.com.
- Earn 3 Points per $1 on Air Travel and Other Hotel Purchases, at Restaurants, Supermarkets, Gas and EV Charging Stations.
- Earn 1 Point per $1 spent on all other purchases
- $100 Annual Hotel Benefit: Once per calendar year, enjoy $100 off a single hotel stay of $500 or more (excluding taxes and fees) when booked through CitiTravel.com. Benefit applied instantly at time of booking.
- No expiration and no limit to the amount of points you can earn with this card
- No Foreign Transaction Fees on purchases
- 10X on Hotels, Car Rentals, and Attractions booked through CitiTravel.com
- 3X – Earn 3 Points per $1 spent on Air Travel and Other Hotel Purchases
- 3X – Earn 3 Points per $1 spent on Restaurants
- 3X – Earn 3 Points per $1 spent on Supermarkets
- 3X – Earn 3 Points per $1 spent on Gas and EV Charging Stations
- 1X – Earn 1 Point per $1 spent on All Other Purchases
The Citi Strata Premier beats the other cards on this list because of its other bonus-earning categories. The chance to earn 3X at gas stations, restaurants, and grocery stores worldwide makes this a strong contender to be the only card in your wallet if you want to earn bonus points on most transactions.
Plus, the $95 annual fee is easily offset by a $100 annual hotel benefit on stays of $500 or more booked through CitiTravel.com.
Related: Citi Strata Premier full review
Runner-up: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Although the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is one of our favorite beginner cards, it wasn't a very strong choice for vacation rentals until its 2026 refresh. Before, the Sapphire Preferred offered 2X
However, cardholders now earn 3X points on vacation homes at Airbnb, Vrbo, Plum Guide, HomeAway, Homestay.com, and Vacasa, making it one of the first cards we know of to offer a dedicated bonus category solely for vacation rentals. Since AwardWallet users typically redeem Ultimate Rewards points for 2.07¢ apiece, that's roughly a 6.2% return on your vacation home spending.
- Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, 3x on vacation homes at top brands, 3x on gas & EV charging, 3x on top streaming services and online groceries (excluding Walmart, Target, and wholesale clubs), 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases.
- Earn up to $100 in statement credits each account anniversary year for hotel stays through Chase Travel.
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Coverage, Emergency Evacuation and Transportation, and more.
- Get a year of complimentary Apple TV when activated by December 31, 2026 - a value of $180.
- Complimentary DashPass membership, a $120 value for 12 months. Enjoy $0 delivery fees and reduced service fees on eligible DoorDash orders, plus exclusive Chase savings on grocery, everyday essentials, and more. Activate by 12/31/29.
- Receive one statement credit of up to $120 every four years as reimbursement for the application fee charged to your card for a Global Entry, TSA Precheck® or NEXUS application.
- Transfer points to leading airline and hotel loyalty programs.
- Member FDIC
- 5X points on Lyft rides through September 2027
- 5X points on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠
- 3X points on dining at restaurants worldwide
- 3X points on gas and EV charging
- 3X points on vacation homes at top brands like Airbnb, Vrbo and more
- 3X points on eligible streaming services
- 3X points on online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs)
- 2X points on all other travel
- 1X point per dollar spent on all other purchases
Beyond its lucrative earning potential, cardholders enjoy a variety of benefits, including the newly refreshed $100 Chase Travel hotel credit that fully covers the $95 annual fee. Unfortunately, even though you can book vacation rentals through Chase Travel, these bookings won't trigger the credit. To qualify, it must be a traditional hotel.
The other thing that sets Chase apart is its travel and purchase protections. If you're looking for trip cancellation and interruption insurance, trip delay insurance, or baggage delay insurance, this is the card to have.
Related: Sapphire Preferred full review
Best for general travel purchases: Wells Fargo Autograph Journey® Card
The Wells Fargo Autograph Journey® Card (Rates & Fees) is an underdog in the points and miles community. Although Wells Fargo might not have as many transfer partners as other programs (Wells Fargo's 10 to Bilt's 24), the Autograph Journey is a fantastic card with a low $95 annual fee.
Cardholders earn at the following rates:
- 5X points per $1 spent with hotels
- 4X points per $1 spent with airlines
- 3X points per $1 spent on other travel and restaurants
- 1X points per $1 spent on other purchases
Airbnb and other vacation rentals will fall into the 3X travel earning category, and it's one of the very few cards left that earns unlimited 3X rewards on general travel purchases.
- Apply Now to take advantage of this offer and learn more about product features, terms and conditions.
- Earn 60,000 bonus points when you spend $4,000 in purchases in the first 3 months - that's $600 toward your next trip.
- Earn unlimited 5X points with hotels, 4X points with airlines, 3X points on restaurants and other travel, and 1X points on other purchases.
- $95 annual fee.
- Book your travel with the Autograph Journey Card and enjoy Travel Accident Insurance, Lost Baggage Reimbursement, Trip Cancellation and Interruption Protection and Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver.
- Earn a $50 annual statement credit with $50 minimum airline purchase.
- Up to $1,000 of cell phone protection against damage or theft. Subject to a $25 deductible.
- Find tickets to top sports and entertainment events, book travel, make dinner reservations and more with your complimentary 24/7 Visa Signature® Concierge.
- 5X points per $1 spent with hotels
- 4X points per $1 spent with airlines
- 3X points per $1 spent on other travel and restaurants
- 1X points per $1 spent on other purchases
You'll also enjoy a $50 annual statement credit with a $50 minimum airline purchase. Other benefits are relatively light, but it offers up to $1,000 in cell phone protection against damage, theft, or unintended separation, subject to a $25 deductible. Ideally, you'll never need to make a claim, but it's good to know you're covered if you do.
Related: Autograph Journey full review
Best business card: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card is one of our favorite business credit cards because of its earning potential. You'll earn 3X Chase Ultimate Rewards points on the first $150,000 spent on travel and select business categories each account anniversary year.
Vacation rentals count as travel purchases, so you can earn 3X points on Airbnb stays up to $150,000 spent each year.
- Earn 100k bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- Earn 3 points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent on travel and select business categories each account anniversary year. Earn 1 point per $1 on all other purchases
- Earn 5x total points on Lyft rides through 9/30/27.
- With Zero Liability you won't be held responsible for unauthorized charges made with your card or account information.
- Redeem points for cash back, gift cards, travel and more - your points don't expire as long as your account is open
- Go further when you book with Chase Travel℠. Enjoy competitive rates, seamless booking and premium benefits.
- Purchase Protection covers your new purchases for 120 days against damage or theft up to $10,000 per claim and $50,000 per account.
- Receive complimentary access to DashPass by DoorDash.
- Member FDIC
- 3X points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent in combined purchases on travel, shipping purchases, Internet, cable and phone services, advertising purchases made with social media sites and search engines each account anniversary year
- 1X point per $1 on all other purchases
Once again, the Ink Preferred doesn't have nearly as many ancillary benefits as some other cards, but it also only charges a $95 annual fee. You'll still enjoy many of Chase's famous travel protections, and you can get a complimentary DoorDash DashPass membership for at least one year when you activate by December 31, 2027.
Related: Ink Preferred full review
Best for earning potential: U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card
The U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card is another underdog in the points and miles community, but it earns more on vacation rentals than any other credit card on this list. Cardholders enjoy unlimited 4X on other travel purchases.
The main drawback with U.S. Bank has always been that it doesn't offer transfer partners. However, U.S. Bank made waves by surprise-launching transfer partners in mid-2026. Frustratingly, only cards that are closed to new applicants can access them.
If Altitude Connect cardholders could transfer their rewards, it could easily become one of the best cards for vacation rentals and other general travel purchases.
- 5X points on prepaid hotels and rental cars booked through the Altitude Rewards Center
- 4X points on other travel, including airlines, hotels, rental cars, cruises, taxis, trains, and limousines.
- 4X points at gas stations and on electric vehicle charging (on up to $1,000 in spending each quarter)
- 2X points at grocery stores, grocery delivery, dining, and streaming services
- 1 point on all other eligible purchases
The Altitude Connect doesn't charge an annual fee and comes with perks like four free visits to Priority Pass lounges each year and a TSA PreCheck application fee credit of up to $100 every four years.
Related: Altitude Connect full review
Best for VRBO: One Key™ Card
If you prefer VRBO over Airbnb, it's hard to beat the One Key™ Card (Rates & Fees). You'll earn 3% in OneKeyCash on Expedia, Hotels.com, and Vrbo purchases.
You'll also enjoy complimentary Silver status, which comes with perks like savings of 15% or more on over 10,000 hotels worldwide.
Rates & Fees
- 3% in OneKeyCash on Expedia, Hotels.com, and Vrbo
- 3% in OneKeyCash at gas stations, grocery stores, and on dining
- 1.5% in OneKeyCash on other purchases
Wells Fargo also offers the One Key+™ Card (Rates & Fees), which earns the same rates on VRBO stays but charges a $99 annual fee. However, this could be an option if you prefer complimentary Gold status and $100 in OneKeyCash on each account anniversary.
Related: One Key Card full review
Bottom Line
Whether you're a digital nomad or you simply prefer to live like a local when you travel, using one of the best credit cards for vacation rentals can make your stay much more rewarding. Every single card on this list charges an annual fee under $100, so it doesn't take much to earn bonus points or extra cash back on your bookings.
$95Rates & Fees
- 10X on Hotels, Car Rentals, and Attractions booked through CitiTravel.com
- 3X – Earn 3 Points per $1 spent on Air Travel and Other Hotel Purchases
- 3X – Earn 3 Points per $1 spent on Restaurants
- 3X – Earn 3 Points per $1 spent on Supermarkets
- 3X – Earn 3 Points per $1 spent on Gas and EV Charging Stations
- 1X – Earn 1 Point per $1 spent on All Other Purchases
$95Rates & Fees
- 5X points on Lyft rides through September 2027
- 5X points on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠
- 3X points on dining at restaurants worldwide
- 3X points on gas and EV charging
- 3X points on vacation homes at top brands like Airbnb, Vrbo and more
- 3X points on eligible streaming services
- 3X points on online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs)
- 2X points on all other travel
- 1X point per dollar spent on all other purchases
$95Rates & Fees
- 5X points per $1 spent with hotels
- 4X points per $1 spent with airlines
- 3X points per $1 spent on other travel and restaurants
- 1X points per $1 spent on other purchases
Page Contents
- Best Credit Cards for Vacation Rentals
- Best overall: Citi Strata Premier® Card
- Runner-up: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
- Best for general travel purchases: Wells Fargo Autograph Journey® Card
- Best business card: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
- Best for earning potential: U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card
- Best for VRBO: One Key™ Card
- Bottom Line
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: Citi Strata Premier® Card (Rates & Fees), Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (Rates & Fees), and Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card (Rates & Fees)
