How to Save Money on AirBnB with Credit Card Rewards

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While I've previously sung the praises of the Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card to earn points for hotel redemptions, there are actually credit cards that can help you earn credits toward AirBnB costs. After multiple devaluations of the Marriott program, AirBnB might become a more attractive travel reward.

There isn't really an "AirBnB credit card" in Canada, but there are credit cards that allow you to earn points to redeem as a statement credit - almost every bank will have this kind of card. However, only select credit cards offered by Scotiabank and TD will give you a higher than normal redemption rate if you redeem for a travel-related reward, such as AirBnB.

Last Updated: March 20, 2022
Disclaimer: Some of the links below are referral links, which means I earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. This post is not sponsored by any of the companies mentioned. All opinions are my own.


TD Rewards

Any card that collects TD Rewards will allow you redeem the points as a general statement credit at a rate of 400 TD Points per $1. However, if you apply it to AirBnB (or any other travel expense), you can redeem 250 TD points per $1 spent on AirBnB.

Of course, the best use of TD Rewards is to redeem through Expedia for TD at 200 TD points per $1 booked through Expedia for TD. However, flights and hotels aren't always the same price on Expedia for TD compared to the regular Expedia website, or other Expedia websites - so be cautious before booking.

Credit cards that earn TD Rewards include:

Scotiabank SCENE+ Rewards

Similar to TD, any card that collects SCENE+ Rewards will allow you to redeem SCENE+ as a general statement credit at a rate of 150 points per $1. However, if you apply it to a travel-related expense such as AirBnB, you can redeem at a rate of 100 points per $1.

Credit cards that earn SCENE+ Rewards include:

American Express Membership Rewards

Any card that earns American Express Membership Rewards points can redeem those points at 1000 points for $10 against travel, which includes AirBnB.

Credit cards that earn American Express Membership Rewards include:

HSBC Rewards

HSBC also has a rewards program on its credit cards that allow you to redeem for a travel statement credit. 20,000 HSBC points = $100 in travel statement credit, which includes AirBnB.

Credit cards that earn HSBC Rewards include:

CIBC Aventura

CIBC’s Aventura program allows you to redeem Aventura points as a travel statement credit through Shopping with Points. Once your AirBnB booking is under Pending Transactions, you can redeem Aventura points at a rate of 80 points = $1 before June 15, 2022 (100 points = $1 thereafter).

Credit cards that earn CIBC Aventura points include:

Why is this better than Marriott Bonvoy and other cash back programs?

Whether redeeming travel statement credits on Airbnb is "better" than redeeming Marriott Bonvoy points is really a matter of personal preference! Some people prefer to stay at Airbnbs when they travel and experience the area as a local, while others like the comfort and security of a hotel chain.

While Marriott Bonvoy points can still provide some value, the revamp to the brand over the past couple of years does make it more difficult to maximize value, especially with dynamic points pricing. Not to mention, Bonvoy points are exclusively earned through American Express cards in Canada, which is not as widely accepted as MasterCard or Visa.

Of course, the rewards programs above don't have to be redeemed for Airbnb - they can be applied to cash fares for other hotels, flights, car rentals and similar travel rewards. However, I've singled out Airbnb in this post as they are an accommodation option that doesn't have a specific Canadian credit card supporting it yet, but still can be obtained for free or partially free through credit card rewards.



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