But, the biggest benefit of vacation rentals applies when it’s time to go to sleep. If you’re traveling with children or extended family and don’t want to share sleeping space, you can book a vacation rental with more than one bedroom. Many properties you can rent through Vrbo or HomeAway offer much lower rates than you’d find if you tried to book a similarly-sized hotel room. And you may even get the amenities of a big resort, such as a pool, hot tub, gym, or on-site restaurant. While one of the biggest gripes people have about vacation rentals is that they’re not as easy to book with rewards points, you can pay for rental condos with points if you have the right rewards credit card. Here are four rewards cards that work perfectly, allowing you to redeem points for vacation rental stays. [This article was first published on The Simple Dollar in 2020. It was updated in March 2022.] Redeeming your miles is also easy as pie since you can use the miles to erase all or part of travel purchases from your bill. The key to making this work is ensuring your vacation rental will code as travel on your credit card statement. Pros
2x miles per dollar for every purchaseSimple redemptionLucrative welcome bonus
Cons
Some vacation rentals may not code as travel
Redeeming your miles is also easy since you’ll cash them in at a rate of one cent per mile to cover travel expenses on your bill. So, you can use your Discover it® Miles to pay for your vacation rental when you’re ready, then cash in your miles to cover part or all of the expense. Pros
1.5x miles per dollar for every purchaseDouble the rewards for the first yearSimple redemption
Cons
Few travel protectionsCan only redeem statement credits for travel, gas, or dining purchases made in the last 180 days
On the redemption side, you can redeem Chase Ultimate Rewards® points for statement credits at a rate of one cent per point. For that reason, you can redeem your points for any purchase you want, including vacation rentals. But, you may also be able to book vacation rentals through the Chase Ultimate Rewards® portal, depending on where you stay. While options are limited in some cases, it’s not uncommon to see two- or three-bedroom condos bookable directly with points. The advantage of booking through the portal is that the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card offers 25% more value when you book with points. So, you may fork over fewer points for the same condo with this strategy. Pros
Good rewardsFlexible redemption optionsSolid travel protections
Cons
$95 annual fee
Like a few other cards on this list, this one lets you redeem your points for statement credits to cover travel expenses. Unlike many hotel rewards cards, this flexibility allows you to price shop and compare vacation rentals to find the best deal, instead of being locked into one hotel brand. If you find a vacation rental you like for a price you can live with on Airbnb or Vrbo, for example, you can use your card to book it and then redeem your points once the charge posts. But, you have the option to shop around for a lower price, so you could book with other travel vendors like Expedia, TripAdvisor, or Priceline, too. Remember that any travel expense will work, so you could also use your points to book a vacation rental, flights, or a traditional hotel. The choice is up to you. Pros
1.5 points for every purchaseRedeem for statement credits to cover travel expenses
Cons
Few travel benefits
