The best credit card for Airbnb and vacation rentals
On vacation rental bookings, Chase Sapphire Reserve earns the most with no point counted above a cent: $4.00 per $100. It stays on top when points are valued, too.
Ranked first with no point or mile counted above a cent, what a dollar of cash back pays. A point the published valuations put lower, as most hotel points are, is counted at that lower figure. Below that, the same cards with points valued in full. Counts as: Airbnb, Vrbo.
The short version
- Earns the most: Chase Sapphire Reserve, $4.00 per $100 (4x), with a $795 annual fee.
- If you value points: the same card stays on top, its points at 2.00¢ each.
- Best with no annual fee: Wells Fargo Autograph, $3.00 per $100 (3x).
- Is the fee worth it? Only if you spend over $79,500 a year on Airbnb and vacation rentals, counting this category alone and no point above a cent. Below that, the free card wins.
Counting no point above a cent
| # | Card | EarnsThe rate the card advertises here, in its own currency: cash back, points or miles. | Point valueWhat one point is counted at in this table: the published valuation, but never more than a cent. | Per $100What $100 of spending earns with no point or mile counted above a cent, what cash back pays. This is what the first table is ranked by. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Sapphire Reserve
Chase, $795/yr
Booked directly with the airline or hotel
|
4x | 1.00¢ / pt | $4.00 |
| 2 |
Autograph
Wells Fargo, No annual fee
|
3x | 1.00¢ / pt | $3.00 |
| 3 |
Robinhood Gold Card
Robinhood, $50/yr
Base rate — no bonus category applies here
|
3% | 1.00¢ / pt | $3.00 |
| 4 |
Ink Business Preferred
Chase, $95/yr
Travel and internet, cable and phone — the first $150,000 each account year, shared with shipping and advertising. Up to $150,000 per year, then the base rate
|
3x | 1.00¢ / pt | $3.00 |
| 5 |
Pathfinder Rewards
PenFed, $95/yr
Travel — 4x for PenFed Honors Advantage members
|
3% | 1.00¢ / pt | $3.00 |
| 6 |
IHG One Rewards Premier
Chase, $99/yr
Gas, restaurants and travel
|
5x | 0.60¢ / pt | $3.00 |
| 7 |
Classic Green Card
American Express, $150/yr
Travel, including airfare, hotels, campgrounds, car rentals and cruises
|
3x | 1.00¢ / pt | $3.00 |
| 8 |
IHG One Rewards Business
Chase, $200/yr
Travel — through 31 December 2026; from 2027 only airline tickets bought directly and car rentals
|
5x | 0.60¢ / pt | $3.00 |
If you value points
Some points are worth more than a cent if you transfer them to airlines and hotels. Here each rate is multiplied by its currency's full published valuation, the figure in the Point value column. The last column is where the card sat above.
| # | Card | EarnsThe rate the card advertises here, in its own currency: cash back, points or miles. | Point valueWhat one point or mile in this currency is worth, in cents: the median of the published valuations we read. Every ranking multiplies by it. | Per $100What $100 of spending earns, in dollars: the rate multiplied by what the currency is worth. This is what the table is ranked by. | MoveWhere this card sat in the first table, which counts no point above a cent. Up means its full published valuation lifts it. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Sapphire Reserve
Chase, $795/yr
Booked directly with the airline or hotel
|
4x | 2.00¢ / pt | $8.00 | Same |
| 2 |
Ink Business Preferred
Chase, $95/yr
Travel and internet, cable and phone — the first $150,000 each account year, shared with shipping and advertising. Up to $150,000 per year, then the base rate
|
3x | 2.00¢ / pt | $6.00 | Up from 4 |
| 3 |
Classic Green Card
American Express, $150/yr
Travel, including airfare, hotels, campgrounds, car rentals and cruises
|
3x | 2.00¢ / pt | $6.00 | Up from 7 |
| 4 |
Autograph
Wells Fargo, No annual fee
|
3x | 1.50¢ / pt | $4.50 | Down from 2 |
| 5 |
Bilt Mastercard
Bilt, No annual fee
|
2x | 2.00¢ / pt | $4.00 | Up from 11 |
| 6 |
Blue Business Plus
American Express, No annual fee
2x on every purchase, with no bonus categories to track. Up to $50,000 per year, then the base rate
|
2x | 2.00¢ / pt | $4.00 | Up from 13 |
| 7 |
Sapphire Preferred
Chase, $95/yr
Travel booked anywhere else
|
2x | 2.00¢ / pt | $4.00 | Up from 20 |
| 8 |
Venture Rewards
Capital One, $95/yr
Base rate — no bonus category applies here
|
2x | 1.80¢ / pt | $3.60 | Up from 21 |
Cards that pay more here with a condition attached
Not ranked above because each needs a chosen category or a specific store. If that fits how you shop, these can beat the table.
- Custom Cash (Citi) — 5x if you choose Vacation Rentals as your category; Up to $500 per billing cycle, then the base rate.
- Customized Cash Rewards (Bank of America) — 3% if you choose Vacation Rentals as your category; Up to $2,500 per quarter, then the base rate.
- Business Advantage Customized Cash Rewards (Bank of America) — 3% if you choose Vacation Rentals as your category; Up to $50,000 per year, then the base rate.
How to use this list
- Check the store codes as Airbnb and vacation rentals. Issuers pay by how the store is registered, not by what you bought. This page counts: Airbnb, Vrbo.
- Start with cards you have. Your highest one in the table is your card for vacation rental bookings today.
- Read the notes under each card. A cap or "US only" can change the answer.
- Then consider a new card, judged on your whole year of spending.
Why two rankings
The first table never counts a point above a cent, so no estimate of what a transfer is worth can lift a card there; a point worth less than a cent is still counted at less. The second uses the full published valuation, an estimate with a date on it. If you redeem points for cash or gift cards, trust the first. If you transfer them to airlines and hotels, the second is closer.
Point values: published industry valuations, most recently read 2026-09. We track The Points Guy, Upgraded Points, NerdWallet, Frequent Miler and AwardWallet.