Vacation rentals aren’t just great for space, kitchens, and longer stays. They can also be an underrated opportunity to earn a huge stack of points and miles if you know where to book (and how to layer bonuses).
Here’s how to maximize points and miles on vacation rentals, step-by-step.
Start Here: Think in Layers (Portal + Card + Program)
When booking vacation rentals, the goal is to stack earnings across three levels:
- The shopping or travel portal (Rakuten or Rove)
- The vacation rental rewards partner (when available)
- Your credit card rewards on top
Now let’s walk through the best ways to do it.
VRBO — Earn Points via Rakuten or Rove
Unlike Airbnb, VRBO can be booked through shopping portals — which opens the door to big earning multipliers.
- Rakuten — cash-back or Amex Membership Rewards
- Rove Miles — transferable travel rewards platform
Both platforms run rotating bonuses, and VRBO rates are often among the best-paying travel categories, ranging from 2x-15x points per dollar.
You can stack rewards, meaning you can earn points on Rakuten or Rove on top of your credit card earnings.
If you’re new to either platform, you can also pick up a welcome bonus just for signing up:
- Rakuten — 5,000-point or $50 bonus when you join free through our link
- Rove — 1,500 bonus miles when you create a free account through our link
Once you’re set up, simply:
Search VRBO inside Rakuten or Rove
→ Click through the portal to VRBO
→ Complete your booking normally through whichever portal is giving you the highest multiplier that day.
Nothing about the booking process change. You will still be redirected to the VRBO website and pay the same prices, but now you’re getting rewarded for it.
Booking.com, Priceline & Other Third-Party Platforms (Yes — Rentals Count Too)
Another underrated strategy is booking vacation rentals through hotel and travel OTA platforms instead of direct owner sites.
Platforms like Booking.com, Priceline, etc now include apartments and vacation homes.
Both Rakuten and Rove offer extra points earnings on these categories as well.
Vacation rentals can easily run $800–$2,500+
…and portal multipliers apply to the entire booking value.
If you stack that with:
A travel rewards credit card
A bonus category card
or a card with broad everyday earnings
You’re suddenly turning a vacation rental into one of your highest-earning transactions of the year.
Airbnb — How To Earn Avios + Stack With Gift Cards
Unlike VRBO, Airbnb doesn’t appear in most portals — but you can still earn miles through British Airways Avios.
Airbnb partners with British Airways so you can earn 2 Avios per $1 spent on Airbnb bookings when you book through their partnership page.
Here’s how it works:
Link your Avios account
→ Click through the BA Airbnb portal
→ Complete your Airbnb booking as normal
Your Avios will post after the stay.
This earning stacks on top of your regular credit card rewards.
So even before stacking further, this is already more rewarding – but you can still take it a step above.
Advanced Strategy: Triple-Dipping With Airbnb Gift Cards
This is where things get interesting.
The Avios page does not list exclusions for Airbnb gift cards, which means in many cases you may be able to:
- Buy Airbnb gift cards through a rewards portal
- Earn miles or points on the purchase
- Use those gift cards to pay for your stay
- Still earn Avios on top of that
Right now, Airbnb gift cards are available on Rove at around 3.2x miles per dollar (offers change frequently, so rates may vary).
That means your potential earning stack could look like:
3.2x Rove Miles + 2x Avios + Your credit card earnings = 6.2x-7.2x points per dollar spent!
This turns an ordinary Airbnb stay into a serious earning opportunity.
That said, whenever you’re stacking gift cards and airline partner earnings, it’s always smart to:
- Contact Avios support via chat or email
- Confirm that paying with gift cards still qualifies (even though the terms don’t mention it)
- Save the written confirmation for your records
Most programs allow it unless explicitly restricted, but having documentation protects you in case there’s ever a dispute.
Final Thoughts
Vacation rentals used to be an area where travelers missed out on rewards, but today, with the right booking strategy, they can actually become some of the highest-earning stays in your travel year.
And across all rentals, always pay with a strong rewards credit card to layer on an additional multiplier.
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