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Planning a family trip and wondering if you can use credit card points to book your Airbnb? The answer is yes, and done right, it can save you hundreds (or even thousands) on your next vacation.
We love a good resort stay, but sometimes a vacation rental is just what a family needs: more space, a kitchen, a washing machine, and separate rooms.
Sometimes, it’s not just about preference, it’s about points value. For example, I’ve seen Marriott hotels going for 70,000 points a night, while a spacious Airbnb in the same area might cost the equivalent of 30,000 points. Or we’re looking at 40,000 points per night for a hotel room, but we’d need two of them for our family of six. In those cases, booking an Airbnb for around 45,000 points and getting an entire home (with room to spare) is a no-brainer. When you’re traveling as a family, square footage, number of beds, and a washer/dryer can be just as valuable as a hotel breakfast.
Want more point-saving tips like this? My beginner’s guide can get you started.
How to Book Airbnb with Credit Card Points
1. Use Points to Erase Airbnb Charges
If you have a travel credit card that lets you redeem points as a statement credit, you can book your Airbnb directly, then “erase” the charge afterward. This is one of the easiest ways to use points for Airbnb stays.
Best cards for this strategy:
- Capital One Venture or Venture X: Earn 2x miles on all purchases and redeem them for Airbnb stays at 1 cent per mile. A $500 Airbnb = 50,000 miles. Why I love the Venture X.
- Other travel rewards cards may allow you to redeem points toward eligible travel purchases. Check your issuer’s terms to confirm whether Airbnb purchases qualify. My list HERE.
Here’s How You Do It
First you login to your app and check how many miles you have.
Next, click the button labeled Cover travel purchases.
The app will then pop-up and show you what purchases can be covered.
Select the charge you would like to cover, then simply redeem right in the app!
Real-life tip: You can even charge the Airbnb before you’ve earned your bonus and use your miles retroactively within 90 days.
2. Redeem Points for Airbnb Gift Cards
Some rewards portals let you redeem points for Airbnb gift cards. While not always the highest value, it’s a solid option if you’re short on time or want a more direct route.
Programs that offer Airbnb gift cards:
- Select bank reward programs
- Capital One (occasionally)
- Cards I would look at for this HERE.
If you have Amex Membership Rewards points sitting in your account, you can redeem them for Airbnb gift cards directly through the Amex portal, typically at around 0.7 to 1 cent per point. It’s not the highest value redemption for Membership Rewards, but if you have a balance you’re not planning to use for flights or hotels anytime soon, it’s a practical way to put those points toward a family vacation rental rather than letting them sit idle.
TRM tip: Watch for sales on Airbnb gift cards at stores like Target or Amazon, especially during holiday weekends or back-to-school sales. You can double dip with Rakuten to stack even more savings.
3. Use Travel Credits from Premium Cards
Most travel portals won’t be able to book you directly with Airbnb. However, if maximizing a portal credit matters to you, Vrbo is a solid option to keep in mind. Capital One Travel does carry vacation rental listings, and those bookings count toward the Venture X’s $300 annual credit; they just won’t be Airbnb properties.
- Capital One Venture X: $300 credit (only valid for bookings through the Capital One Travel portal)
- Cards I would look at for this HERE.
4. Stack Airline Miles When Booking Airbnb
You can actually earn frequent flyer miles when you book Airbnb through select airline portals:
- Delta SkyMiles: 1 mile per $1 spent on stays, plus 3 miles per $1 on Airbnb Experiences and Services (new as of May 2026!)
- British Airways Executive Club: 2 Avios per $1 spent
- Qantas Frequent Flyer: 1 point per $1 spent
It’s an easy way to double dip; you use your card, earn miles, and pay for the stay with points.
Airline Portals That Support Airbnb:
Three airlines now have dedicated Airbnb portals: Delta, British Airways, and Qantas. Of the three, British Airways gives you the best return on stays at 2 Avios per dollar. But Delta’s new 3x rate on Experiences and Services is a big deal, if you’re planning to book a cooking class, a local tour, or any activity for the family through Airbnb, link your Delta and Airbnb accounts first at deltaairbnb.com. Once linked, you have a 10-day window to book both your stay and any experiences at the higher rate. When the window closes, you can simply relink to open a new one.
5. Buy Airbnb Gift Cards in Bonus Categories
Buy Airbnb gift cards using cards that earn more at grocery stores, office supply stores, or drugstores:
- Some cards offer 4–5x rewards at these retailers
- Then use the gift cards toward your Airbnb booking
- Cards I would look at for elevated grocery rewards here
Gift Cards Through Portals
Did you know you can buy gift cards for AirBnB through the chase portal using your points?
Gift cards via my favorite bank’s portal: If you have points from my favorite bank, you can redeem them for Airbnb gift cards through a certain travel portal. One nice perk is that the gift cards never expire and work on any new booking, making them a great way to use up points you’re sitting on.
United MPX App: Through the United MileagePlus X app, you can buy Airbnb e-gift cards and earn 2 United Miles for every dollar you spend — on top of whatever your credit card already earns you.
6. The Quadruple Dip: Maximum Stacking on an Airbnb Booking
If you really want to maximize, here’s how to stack four layers of rewards on a single Airbnb stay:
Step 1: Buy an Airbnb gift card through the United MileagePlus X app; you’ll earn 2 United miles per dollar spent on the gift card.
Step 2: Have a United co-branded credit card linked to your MileagePlus X account? This automatically adds a 25% bonus on top of those miles, no extra work required.
Step 3: Pay for the gift card with a card that earns bonus points on travel or everyday spending — you’re earning your card’s rewards on top of the United miles.
Step 4: Use that gift card to book through the Delta or British Airways Airbnb portal — and earn Delta SkyMiles or Avios on the stay itself.
That’s four earning layers on one booking. It takes a little setup the first time, but once you’ve done it, it becomes second nature. This is the kind of stacking that makes a big family Airbnb — the kind that costs $500 or $800 for a week — work really hard for you in rewards.
7. Book Vacation Rentals Through Travel Portals
Some bank travel portals include condos and vacation rentals:
- Capital One Travel occasionally shows vacation rentals
- Other portals may include homes and condos depending on the location
- Cards I would look at for this here
Redemption values are usually around 1 cent per point, not the best, but sometimes worth it for simplicity.
8. Book Vacation Rentals Through Shopping Portals
Many people don’t realize you can sometimes earn extra rewards when booking vacation rentals through shopping portals.
For example, Vrbo is often available through portals like Rakuten, which occasionally runs elevated offers. I recently saw Rakuten offering 6% cash back (or 6x Membership Rewards points if your account is set up that way) on Vrbo bookings.
If you’re already planning to book a vacation rental, clicking through a shopping portal first can be an easy way to stack extra rewards on a purchase you were making anyway.
Portal rates change all the time, so it’s worth checking Rakuten before booking to see if there’s an elevated offer available.
9. Use Hotel Vacation Clubs with Points
If you want a resort feel with more space, hotel vacation clubs can be a great option. Many include villas or suites with kitchens and laundry. Great cards for booking these hotels can be found HERE.
Worth checking out:
- Marriott Vacation Club – Especially near Disney and beach locations. More on booking Marriott stays
- Hyatt Residence Club – Directly bookable with World of Hyatt points, no transfer needed. About 60 properties across the US, with a heavy concentration in Hawaii and Colorado — great for beach and ski trips. Multi-bedroom units are available, which can be exceptional value for larger families. Note that most properties have a minimum stay requirement of 2–3 nights, so plan accordingly. Read: The Mom’s Guide to Hyatt.
- IHG Holiday Inn Club Vacations – Some properties available. Read: Guide to IHG
- Choice/Bluegreen Vacations – A few good options if you search
- Hilton Grand Vacations – May require phone booking or special promotions
These often include resort perks like pools, kids’ activities, and great locations.
Final Thoughts: Is Using Points for Airbnb Worth It?
Here’s the thing about Airbnb and points: the math often works in your favor in a way that hotels simply can’t match for families. A hotel room that costs 40,000 points per night adds up fast when you need two of them. A spacious Airbnb with room for everyone — a kitchen, a washer and dryer, separate bedrooms — might run 45,000 points total for the whole stay. That’s not a small difference. That’s the difference between one vacation and two.
Done right, your points go further here than almost anywhere else.
My personal favorite combo:
- Use Capital One Miles to erase Airbnb charges directly in the app
- Stack the quadruple dip on bigger bookings (United MPX + portal + credit card + airline miles)
- Book Airbnb Experiences through the Delta portal for 3x SkyMiles on top of whatever the kids are doing anyway
- Check Rakuten before any Vrbo booking for elevated cash back or Amex points
Don’t forget to layer in:
- Airline portals (Delta, British Airways, Qantas) to earn miles on stays
- Amex Membership Rewards for gift cards if you’re sitting on a balance
- Cards with grocery or office supply bonus categories for gift card purchases
With a little planning, a family Airbnb stop being just a place to sleep — it becomes one of the smartest ways to spend your points.
Want to know which cards I recommend for Airbnb and vacation rentals? Here’s my list of favorites for flexible family travel.
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