Best Credit Cards for Airbnb for 2024

The cost of an Airbnb stay can really add up, easily totaling $1,000 or more for a stay of several days or longer when you tack on cleaning fees, pet fees and taxes. So, booking an Airbnb stay can be a great way to reach the minimum spending requirement for a credit card sign-up bonus. When choosing the best credit card for Airbnb, consider the size of the sign-up bonus and its cash value, and whether you’ll spend enough on travel for it to make sense.

Flexible travel credits are valuable for Airbnb loyalists because they give you a statement credit to offset the cost of travel, which can include an Airbnb booking. That’s one reason the Chase Sapphire Reserve won our top pick for best Airbnb credit card: you could earn its annual travel credit right away by booking an Airbnb stay worth at least that amount on the card.

Some cards offer specific travel credits, which generally means they won’t cover the cost of an Airbnb. For example, the Chase Sapphire Preferred hotel credit applies only to hotels booked on the Chase Ultimate Rewards® travel portal.

Consider which type of rewards you’d rather earn: cash back, points or miles. You’ll have to decide which redemption option best fits your budget and lifestyle.

Frequent travelers might prefer flexible credit card points or miles from popular programs like Amex Membership Rewards® and Chase Ultimate Rewards®, which can be transferred to airline and hotel programs to maximize redemption value. On the other hand, cash back credit cards are best for cardholders who value straightforward rewards and don’t like to spend time crunching numbers and scouring award charts.

Chances are that you don’t spend enough money on Airbnb to dedicate an entire card to Airbnb purchases. So, consider each card’s bonus earning categories to figure out which card fits best with your everyday spending.

For example, if you’re an Amazon Prime subscriber and frequent Amazon shopper, the Prime Visa may be a good fit for your everyday purchases. However, others might prefer a simpler card that offers a 2x earning rate on all categories.

Some credit cards with high annual fees also offer valuable benefits. These premium travel cards may also come with high-end travel perks, such as travel insurance and high-value travel credits. For example, the Chase Sapphire Reserve^® has a $550 annual fee, but it comes with luxe perks, including airport lounge access, and you earn 3x points on general travel purchases.

But you don’t have to pay a high annual fee to earn rewards on Airbnb stays. You can get 5% back by buying Airbnb gift cards on the $0 annual fee Prime Visa, then use the gift cards. And there are some other great no-annual-fee travel cards that can help you earn a lot of points on travel purchases.

Another valuable perk to consider when comparing Airbnb credit card offers is travel insurance. Many rewards cards offer protections such as trip delay or cancellation insurance, which could be a good feature to have on an Airbnb credit card.

With Airbnb, different hosts have different cancellation policies and timelines. In some cases, you can’t get a full refund if you cancel after a certain date. Good coverage on a card may protect you in certain cases, such as if you get sick right before a trip.

Our pick for the best credit card for Airbnb is the Chase Sapphire Reserve card. While this card has a pricey annual fee, it’s offset by a $300 general travel credit. The card also has a good sign-up bonus, a high rewards earning rate on travel, and travel protections. If this card isn’t a match for you, there are no-annual-fee credit cards and cards with lower fees on our list that may be better for less frequent travelers.

You don’t need a credit card for Airbnb. While Airbnb accepts credit cards, including Amex, Visa and Mastercard, they also take Apple Pay, Google Pay and PayPal. So, for example, you could pay using a debit card or prepaid card you’ve added to your Apple Pay or pay with funds from a bank account using PayPal’s Instant Transfer feature.

You can dispute any charge on your credit card including Airbnb charges. This is called a chargeback, and your bank typically will temporarily refund you the money, request details and investigate the issue to decide if you get to keep the refund. Once you file a chargeback, Airbnb will no longer refund you directly. If you were unhappy with your stay or had a problem, it may be best to try to resolve the issue with Airbnb first before involving your credit card company.

It depends on the credit card, but Airbnb is generally considered a travel purchase for the purpose of rewards card travel categories and travel credits. Most card issuers with a travel bonus rewards category use a fairly broad definition of travel that includes hotels, motels, timeshares, vacation rentals and more. But read the fine print and check with your issuer if you’re unsure if a particular purchase counts as towards a travel credit.

No, you generally can’t change your credit card on Airbnb after booking, but it depends on the situation. If you made a reservation and your card was charged, you can’t change the payment method after the fact. But if you made a request to book and are waiting on the host to confirm, you can cancel and make a new request with a different payment method. If you are using a payment plan or doing a long-term stay, you can change your credit card for future payments.

Yes, you can book an Airbnb on someone else’s credit card. If you pay for an Airbnb reservation with another person’s card, you’ll need to provide Airbnb with the relevant details, which may include: the name on the credit card, the address of the cardholder, the card number, the expiration date and the security code.