Earn Free AirBnB Stays with Chase Ultimate Rewards
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Note: Some offer details in this article have expired and the offer is no longer available through Credit Cards House .
For nearly a decade, Airbnb has been opening up new options for travelers. Instead of being limited to hotel rooms, you have the ability to stay in someone’s home. This is a great option for families or anyone else that wants to be able to spread out with more space while on vacation. Even though staying in a luxurious hotel can be nice, feeling more at home during your travels can be even nicer.
However, if you frequently use credit card rewards to travel for free, it can be a tough decision to pay cash for an Airbnb stay. Luckily for you, there is now a way to book with Airbnb using points earned through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.
Using Gift Cards to Book Free Airbnb Stays
Chase Ultimate Rewards can be redeemed in a variety of ways. One way is to purchase gift cards redeemable at your favorite restaurants and retailers. Recently, Airbnb gift cards were added to the mix, which is great news for anyone that loves using Airbnb.
You will have the option to redeem points for $25, $50, or $100 gift card denominations. Points for these gift cards can be redeemed at a 100:1 ratio. That means each $100 Airbnb gift card will cost 10,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points.
Ways to Earn Chase Ultimate Reward Points
If you are looking to earn a lot of Chase Ultimate Rewards quickly, then the best way is with credit cards. There are several cards available, but one of the more popular options is the Chase Sapphire Preferred® card.
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Benefits
When you sign up for the Chase Sapphire Preferred® card you will earn 60,000 Ultimate Reward points after making $4,000 in purchases in the first three months. In addition to this large signup bonus, you will also receive 2x points when you use the card on Airbnb and other travel purchases or when you eat out at restaurants (including delivery services and take out). All other purchases made with the card will earn 1x points.
While redeeming your Ultimate Reward points on Airbnb gift cards is a great option for travelers, there are other options available as well. You have the option to transfer your points at a 1:1 ratio to the following airline and hotel transfer partners:
- Air France/KLM Flying Blue
- British Airways Avios
- Hyatt Gold Passport
- IHG Rewards Club
- Marriott Rewards
- Ritz-Carlton Rewards
- Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
- Southwest Rapid Rewards
- United MileagePlus
- Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
With all these great airline transfer partners, you could use a portion of your point balance to book a flight and the rest to pay for your Airbnb stay.
With your Chase Sapphire Preferred® card, you will also have the ability to book travel directly through the Chase Ultimate Rewards platform. This option will give you a value of 1.25 cents per point.
Where the Chase Sapphire Preferred® really stands out is with the travel benefits it offers its cardholders. To start, you will receive auto rental collision damage waiver. Each time you rent a car and use your card, you will receive primary coverage. One of the requirements is that you decline all coverages offered by the rental company.
Another very useful benefit of the Chase Sapphire Preferred® card is trip cancellation/trip interruption insurance. If your trip is cut short or cancelled for a covered reason, then you could receive a refund for most non-refundable travel expenses. Airbnb allows their hosts to set their own cancellation policies, but many times they can be strict. If your plans fall through and you’re locked into a reservation, you could be out a lot of money. Having trip cancellation/trip interruption insurance can be a savior for your wallet.
Do you frequently travel outside of the United States? If so, then the Sapphire Preferred card offers no foreign transaction fees. This could add up to a big savings depending on the amount you travel.
The Bottom Line
If you’re looking to add a new credit card to your wallet, then the Chase Sapphire Preferred® needs to be on your short list of options. Not only will the sign-up bonus provide you with enough points to be converted into $600 worth of Airbnb gift cards, but you can get all the benefits for an annual fee of only $95.
First published , last updated
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ashton Stewart is a Denver based freelance writer specializing in travel, credit cards and personal finance. With nearly 10 years of writing experience his work has appeared in many of the industries top publications. He holds a bachelor of arts degree in economics. He also runs OneSmartDollar.com. When not working Sean enjoys spending time with his wife, daughter and dog Charlie and can frequently be found on his bike or snowboard.
Editorial Note: Any opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author's alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any card issuer.
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