Skip to main content
← All stores

Best credit card to use at Airbnb.

Travel

Airbnb is the dominant short-term-rental marketplace, with millions of listings across homes, apartments, cabins, and unique stays in roughly 220 countries. The wrinkle for credit-card rewards is that Airbnb does not code as "hotels" — it codes as a generic travel merchant. That means hotel-category bonuses (Marriott co-brand 6x, Amex Gold hotel rate via Resy collection, Hilton Surpass 12x at hotels) generally do not trigger on an Airbnb charge. The right cards for Airbnb are broad travel-category earners: Sapphire Reserve and Preferred at 3x and 2x travel, Venture and Venture X at 2x flat with no foreign transaction fees, Amex Green at 3x travel, or flat-rate 2%+ cashback cards. Booking through the Chase or Capital One travel portals can layer additional multipliers on top, though portal availability for Airbnb is limited.

  1. #1
    Citi Custom Cashif it’s your top category
    Citi
    5% on travel if it's your top eligible spend category that cycle (up to $500/month, then 1%)
    Automatically on your top eligible spend category each billing cycle
    5%
  2. #2
    US Bank Altitude Connect
    U.S. Bank
    4x points on travel
    Also gas stations and EV charging, up to $1,000/quarter
    4.0%4x points
  3. #3
    American Express Green
    American Express
    3x points on travel
    3.6%3x points
  4. #4
    Bilt Obsidian
    Bilt
    2x points on travel
    3.0%2x points
  5. #5
    Bilt Palladium
    Bilt
    2x points on travel
    3.0%2x points
  6. #6
    Costco Anywhere Visa Business by Citi
    Citi
    3% on travel
    Includes Costco Travel
    3%
  7. #7
    Costco Anywhere Visa by Citi
    Citi
    3% on travel
    Includes Costco Travel
    3%
  8. #8
    Ink Business Preferred
    Chase
    3x points on travel (up to $150,000/year, then 1%)
    Travel, shipping, internet/cable/phone, advertising on search engines and social media (combined)
    3.0%3x points
  9. #9
    USAA Eagle Navigator
    USAA
    3x points on travel
    3.0%3x points
  10. #10
    Wells Fargo Autograph
    Wells Fargo
    3x points on travel
    3.0%3x points

Frequently asked

Does Airbnb count as a hotel for credit card rewards?
No. Airbnb codes as a general travel merchant, not lodging or hotels. Cards that bonus on "hotels" specifically (most co-brand hotel cards, some category bonuses tied to hotel merchant codes) typically do not earn the elevated rate on Airbnb stays. Cards that bonus on "travel" broadly — Sapphire Reserve/Preferred, Venture/Venture X, Amex Green — do earn at their travel rate on Airbnb.
What's the best credit card for Airbnb?
For most people: Chase Sapphire Reserve at 3x travel (or Sapphire Preferred at 2x) if you want flexible points, Capital One Venture X at 2x with travel credits and no foreign transaction fees, or a flat 2%+ cashback card like Citi Double Cash if you want simplicity. Hotel co-brand cards generally don't help here.
Can I earn hotel elite credits or points on Airbnb stays?
No. Airbnb is not part of any hotel loyalty program — stays earn no Bonvoy, Honors, World of Hyatt, IHG One, Wyndham, or Choice points, and don't count toward elite-night requirements. The only rewards on an Airbnb stay come from your credit card.
Edit this pageReport an issue