Your Guide to Using Points on Airbnb & VRBO

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Our Favorite Ways to Save on Short-term Rentals

Planning a family vacation often means considering short-term rentals like Airbnb and VRBO for the added space and amenities. While direct point redemptions can be complex, there are several methods to leverage your credit card rewards for significant savings. Here’s a breakdown of practical approaches to help you maximize your points when booking these rentals.


1. The Power of Travel Erasers: Capital One's Flexible Points

  • How it Works: Some credit cards, like Capital One cards with travel eraser features, allow you to redeem points for statement credits against eligible travel purchases. This means you can use your points to offset the cost of your Airbnb or VRBO rental.
  • The Math: With Capital One, 1,000 points typically equal $1 in travel redemption.
    • Example: If your Airbnb costs $650, you could use 65,000 Capital One points to cover the entire expense!
  • Key Takeaway: While not always the highest redemption value, Capital One's travel eraser offers valuable flexibility, allowing you to use points for any travel-coded expense when needed.

2. Leveraging Chase Sapphire Reserve's Travel Credit

  • The Chase Sapphire Reserve offers a valuable $300 annual travel credit. This credit automatically applies to purchases coded as travel, which can include Airbnb and VRBO bookings. All you have to do is charge the fee on your Reserve card and you will receive a statement credit, up to $300. You don't even have to use the credit all at once. You can charge several smaller amounts until you've exhausted the credit.
  • The credit is available when you open your card and will reset every year on your card anniversary.
  • Important Note: While this is a great benefit, ensure the card's overall value aligns with your travel needs and you can justify the higher annual fee of $550.

3. Vacasa & Wyndham Rewards: A Point-Redemption Pathway

  • Did you know you can use Capital One and CitiBank points to book Vacasa properties through Wyndham Rewards?
  • How it Works: Transfer your points to Wyndham Rewards and redeem them for stays at participating Vacasa short-term rentals.
  • Point Tiers:
    • 15k Wyndham Rewards points per bedroom per night for properties with an average cost of $250 or less.
    • 30k Wyndham Rewards points per bedroom per night for properties with an average cost between $250.01 and $500.
    • Properties over $500 are not eligible.
  • Examples:
    • 1-bedroom condo ($235/night): 4 nights = 60k Wyndham Rewards points.
    • 2-bedroom condo ($350/night): 4 nights = 240k Wyndham Rewards points.
  • Pro Tip: Look for properties with lofts to maximize space while staying within the 1-bedroom point tier as the points needed can jump drastically when choosing a 2 bedroom.
  • Booking Process:
    • Find your desired Vacasa property on their website.
    • Call Wyndham Rewards to confirm availability and book using your points.
    • Crucial: Confirm availability before transferring points, as transfers are irreversible. Once you transfer points to a transfer partner, they cannot be transferred back. It's a one-way street.

4. Maximizing Points on Airbnb/VRBO Payments

  • Even without specific points redemptions, you can still rack up rewards on short-term rentals.
  • Gift Card Strategy:
    • Purchase Airbnb gift cards at office supply stores using the Chase Ink Cash card to earn 5x Chase Ultimate Rewards points.
    • Apply the gift cards to your booking.
    • Example: A $2,000 stay earns 10,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points.
  • Credit Card Multipliers:
    • Use a credit card with a high multiplier on travel purchases. It’s important to note that some cards have multipliers on travel booked in the portal while others offer the multiplier for any travel purchases. The Travel Freely app does a great job of clarifying those differences.
    • Our Recommendations:
  • Travel Insurance Consideration:
    • Don't forget to factor in the card's travel insurance benefits when choosing a card. It could be a deciding factor!

Final Thoughts

Short-term rentals offer fantastic family travel options; with these tips, you can make them even more budget-friendly. Remember to always compare options, understand the terms and conditions of your credit card benefits, and plan ahead to maximize your points and savings.

Happy travel! ✈️🌍

The Travel Savvy Family

- Wander More, Spend Less



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