Lazy Hacks for Airbnb: How to Earn Rewards on Every Stay
Tl;dr: Airbnb doesn’t have a rewards program, but you can still earn 5% or more in rewards by stacking optimized credit cards, airline booking links, and shopping portal bonuses.
While hotels can be great—especially when points are involved—I’ve often found that Airbnbs offer more space, more unique experiences, and better value. Especially abroad. We've stayed in downtown flats in Lisbon and Lyon, an old winery in Sicily, a shipping container in the woods in Portugal, and comfy condos in Porto and the Sierra Nevada. All of them were more affordable—and more memorable—than nearby hotels.
That said, hotel chains make it easy to rack up rewards. The Fairfield Inn in Bogotá might not win any style awards (I assume; I haven’t looked it up), but if you’re earning 10x Marriott points, plus credit card points, plus maybe some shopping portal bonus–it starts to look pretty appealing.
Airbnb, meanwhile, has no rewards program, and most credit cards don’t offer bonus points on bookings. But that doesn’t mean your stay can’t be rewarding. Here are our favorite hacks to earn extra rewards—ranked by laziness level, because I know not everyone wants to scour the internet for an extra 1%.
1) Pay with the right card
Laziness level: 🦥🦥🦥🦥🦥
Value: +1-2 points per dollar
Most cards only earn 1 point per dollar on Airbnb bookings. But a few do better—either because they count Airbnb as “travel” (which it usually is, but check your issuer’s rules), or because they offer strong base rewards. Here are some of the best:
Amex Green: 3x points on travel
Citi Custom Cash: 5% on travel (if highest spending category for the month, on up to $500)
IHG Premier: 5x on travel
Capital One Venture X: 2x on all base purchases
Citi Double Cash: 2% on all base purchases
Wells Fargo Active Cash: 2% on all base purchases
Bilt Mastercard: 2x on Rent Day (1st of the month)
Use any of these and you’re already ahead—no portals or gift cards required.
2) Click through an airline Airbnb portal
Laziness level: 🦥🦥🦥🦥
Value: +1 point per dollar
Just click through the Delta or British Airways Airbnb portal before you book, and you’ll earn 1 SkyMile or Avios for every dollar you spend. That’s it—nothing else changes.
DeltaAirbnb.com – 1 SkyMile per $
British Airways Airbnb Portal – 1 Avios (apparently it’s still Avios in the singular 🤷♂️) per $
I recommend Delta: the miles are generally more valuable, easier to redeem, and never expire. Bookmark the site so you don’t forget.
📚 Stacks with everything else on this list.
3) Buy gift cards through MileagePlus X
Laziness level: 🦥🦥🦥
Value: +1-4 points per dollar
You can buy Airbnb gift cards through the United MileagePlus X app (different from the shopping portal), which typically offers 2 United miles per dollar. But it gets better—promotions can bump that up to 4 miles per dollar, which is when I usually jump.
📚 Stacks with a rewards card like Venture X (2x on everything) or Bilt (2x on Rent Day) plus an airline portal, so if you time it right, you can triple dip.
4) Buy discounted gift cards through a shopping portal
Laziness level: 🦥
Value: +0-2 points per dollar (typically), plus a discount (sometimes)
This one takes a little more effort, but the upside can be solid. Shopping portals occasionally offer points or cashback on gift card purchases—including discounted Airbnb gift cards. Some real examples I’ve seen:
242 Skymiles for buying a $500 gift card for $484 via Sam’s club
200 AAdvantage miles for a $100 Airbnb gift card purchase via Staples
1% cashback at Rakuten or Swagbucks on discounted gift cards via CardCash
2% cashback at Rakuten for gift cards via Giftcards.com
Pro tip: Sign up through our referral links to get a bonus on your first purchase at Rakuten or Swagbucks. These sites let you earn extra rewards or cash back when buying Airbnb gift cards, often at a discount.
Rakuten’s offer fluctuates, so if it’s below $40 when you check, I suggest starting with Swagbucks and waiting to join Rakuten when the bonus is higher.
📚Stacks with airline Airbnb portals and rewards cards, just like the MileagePlus X method—so it’s another way to triple dip if you’re willing to do a little hunting.
The lazy(-ish) stacking dream
If I know I’ve got an Airbnb stay coming up, I’ll keep an eye on MileagePlus X for bonus offers on gift cards. If it’s the usual 2x, I’ll just set a calendar reminder for Rent Day and buy the gift card, earning 2x Bilt points, 2x United miles, and a Delta Skymile. An easy 5x, worth at least 7¢ per dollar.
Want to optimize? Wait for the 4x United miles promo, then pay with Venture X for another 2x. Add the Delta portal click-through, and you’re looking at 7x total.
Want to keep it lazy? Skip Rent Day and MileagePlus timing—just buy a gift card when it’s convenient, then pay with Venture X or Double Cash. Still gets you around 5x, just in slightly less valuable rewards.
Is this all too much? Just use a Citi Custom Cash and let it do the work—as long as travel is your top spending category that month, you’ll earn 5% back on up to $500. No portals, no gift cards, no planning.
Lazy take
Airbnbs can beat hotels in a lot of ways—more space, more personality, and often better value. And while they don’t come with elite perks or a built-in rewards program, you can still stack up meaningful rewards with surprisingly little effort.
Whether you’re earning 5–7 points per dollar with gift cards and portal hacks, or just swiping a Custom Cash for 5% back, you don’t have to give up rewards to stay in the places you actually want to stay.
-🦥
If you found this guide helpful, consider bookmarking it for your next trip—or send it to that friend who still earns 1 point per dollar on everything.
Flexible hacks like these are a big reason we love the Venture X. It’s our #1 card overall. Read why here.