Finding the right credit card can definitely make the hosting experience smoother, not to mention more rewarding. Aside from benefits like cashbacks, discounts on everyday expenses, and travel rewards, a great credit card can also give you peace of mind with protections to help you run your business.
Here are the 6 best credit cards you should take a look at as an Airbnb host:
- Brex: Best Overall Credit Card
- Chase Sapphire Preferred: Best for Hosts Who Love To Travel
- Citi Double Cash: Best for Uncomplicated Cashbacks
- Costco Anywhere Visa by Citi: Best for Optimizing Supply Runs
- Bank of America Business Advantage Cash Rewards Mastercard: Best for Existing Bank of America Clients
- American Express Business Gold: Best for Medium-Sized Businesses
How We Selected the Best Credit Cards for Airbnb Hosts
Don’t get blinded by the rewards! Picking the right credit card is so much more than that. To narrow it down, we dug deep into what makes a card truly beneficial for Airbnb hosts.
Here's what we looked for in selecting the best credit cards for Airbnb hosts:
- Reward Categories: We chose cards that offer great rewards for travel, dining, and everyday expenses, helping you earn more in categories where you spend most.
- Welcome Offers: We also took a look at generous sign-up bonuses that give you a head start.
- Annual Fees: We accounted for fees, if any, and if they are justified by the value of the rewards and benefits the card offers.
- Host Protection: We considered features like travel insurance, fraud protection, and purchase security that can help safeguard your business.
- Customer Support: We all run into issues, so we chose cards with high-quality customer service to help you manage your account efficiently.
- Redemption Options: We finally narrowed it down to credit cards with flexible ways to use your rewards, allowing you to choose what works best for your lifestyle.
The Brex credit card is our top pick because it delivers unbeatable rewards for various spending categories and offers high credit limits without a personal guarantee. Its combination of flexible management tools and no annual fee makes it a great choice for hosts who want to get the most out of their spending yet still keep things simple.
1. Brex: Best Overall Pick
The Brex corporate card is our number 1 pick for Airbnb hosts. Not only does it have an impressive rewards program, but it has perks designed for business needs.
If you’re looking to earn big on travel, dining, and lodging expenses, this card has you covered—you can get up to 7x the points by using this card on expenses, so the rewards add up quickly.
Plus, with no annual fee and no personal guarantee required (it calculates credit limits based on factors like how much money your business makes), it’ll be a breeze to keep your personal and business finances separate.
Unlike other credit cards, it was created to integrate smoothly with software. It has controls built in so you can manage and customize limits, automatically collect itemized receipts, and track expenses in real-time making expense management easier, especially if you have employees, as Brex allows unlimited users on each account.
The catch is that the card is technically not a credit card and you’ll have to pay your bills in full each month. While this means no interest fees and a hard cap on your expenses—Brex calculates limits in real-time as well—it means you can’t use it for insane credit to leverage your business.
Take note that unlike the other cards on our list, Brex requires that you have an account with them to receive the card. This account is what will be linked to your credit card. You can check out more details and apply directly on the Brex website.
2. Chase Sapphire Preferred: Best for Travel Perks
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is great if you’re a host who needs to travel often, like for hosts with rentals out of state. It offers 2x points on travel and 3x on dining, which means your rewards pile up quickly if you’re on the go.
With a $95 annual fee, you can apply for this card on the Chase website. It also has some special travel perks, like trip cancellation insurance and primary auto rental coverage, which can be real lifesavers when you’re on the road.
While the annual fee might be a turn-off if you don’t travel enough to make the most of the rewards, if you’re a frequent traveler, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card provides solid travel benefits that can make your trips much less stressful.
3. Citi Double Cash: Best for Cashbacks
If you don’t know which reward to pick, you can’t go wrong with a solid cashback. For that, the Citi® Double Cash Card is a fantastic choice. It offers a straightforward approach to earning cash back: 1% on every purchase and an additional 1% as you pay for those purchases, giving you a total of 2% cash back on all eligible purchases.
With no annual fee, the Citi® Double Cash Card is a good choice for hosts who want to keep things simple. You can apply for the card directly on the Citi website.
Note that while the cashback terms are quite generous and easy to understand, this card doesn’t offer higher cashback rates in specific categories, so if you’re looking for more targeted rewards (i.e., you spend a lot in specific categories), there are better cards out there.
Another thing to note is that the cash back earned is through the form of Citi ThankYou® Points, which is much less flexible than other reward options. But for hosts who value a decent cashback rate that’s simple and to the point (with no annual fee as well), the Citi® Double Cash Card is a reliable option.
4. Costco Anywhere Visa by Citi: Best for Stocking Your Airbnb
A lot of hosts stock their Airbnb’s essentials at Costco. If you’re one of them, the Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi will be a great fit.
With no annual fee as long as you have a Costco membership, it’s a good option for those who do their supply runs (and even furniture purchases) at Costco.
You can apply for this card directly on the Citi website. It offers 4% cash back on gas (up to $7,000 per year), 3% on restaurants and eligible travel, 2% on Costco purchases, and 1% on everything else. So even if you’re not spending money at Costco, you do get pretty great perks with this card.
The catch is that the rewards come as an annual certificate redeemable only at Costco. Additionally, you have to be a Costco member to enjoy the benefits (although we wouldn’t suggest this card if you aren’t already shopping at Costco anyway).
Despite the limitations, if Costco is where you spend most of your money, this card can help offset hosting costs significantly.
5. Bank of America Business Advantage Cash Rewards Mastercard: Best for Bank of America Clients
The Bank of America® Business Advantage Cash Rewards Mastercard® is a fantastic choice for hosts just starting out. For one, it has no annual fees so it allows you to save while still racking up rewards.
It has a very simple cashback system: you get 1.5% back on all of your purchases, which can be redeemed on your statement or through a check, among other options.
Plus, you get the opportunity to earn 2.62% back in all categories, "if you have a business checking account with Bank of America and qualify for Preferred Rewards for Business Platinum Honors tier".
There are other Bank of America cards that give higher rewards, like the Business Advantage Customized Cash Rewards credit card that gives you 3% cash back on categories of your choice. This can be a great option if you know the categories of your highest expenses. However, we like the simplicity of this card, and it can be a great option for those who already bank with Bank of America.
6. American Express Business Gold: Best for Mid-Sized Businesses
The American Express® Business Gold Card is a great fit for Airbnb hosts who know what they spend on and want to maximize their rewards. You can earn 4x points in two categories where you spend the most each billing cycle from a list of six, like advertising, gas, or restaurants.
Note that this only applies for the first $150,000 in combined purchases from the top 2 categories hosts spend on in each calendar year. Any more than that, and you’ll only accrue 1x the points.
This card also has a very high $375 annual fee. You can apply for it on the American Express website.
While it has a lot of great perks, this annual fee will turn off a lot of small business owners. That’s why it’s great for hosts with mid-sized portfolios. Property owners with very large portfolios will probably exceed that $150,000 cap, and hosts just starting out will probably benefit from a card that has a lower, or even no, annual fee.
Bottom Line
Picking the right credit card for your Airbnb business really depends on your spending habits and financial goals. Are you after high travel rewards, generous cash back, or nifty business perks? There's a card out there that can make managing expenses easier. By choosing the right one, you can get the most out of every purchase and enjoy benefits that help you run your business more smoothly.
Choosing the right credit cards for your Airbnb is just the first step in maximizing your rental’s potential.
With SummerOS, you can streamline daily operations by centralizing tasks like guest communication, property management, and owner relationships into one platform, making it easier to manage your business efficiently. With Summer Forecast, you’ll gain advanced data insights, including revenue projections, occupancy trends, and market comps, to help you optimize pricing, evaluate new investments, and improve overall property performance.
Whether you're an individual host or managing a full vacation rental portfolio, Summer helps you make smarter decisions and boost your revenue. Explore SummerOS and Forecast today!
