If you’re buying something with a rewards credit card, there’s a good chance you’re earning some sort of points or cash back reward on your purchases. Some cards even offer more points for certain spending categories. But did you know you can earn even more points beyond that? Here’s a scenario I recently went through booking an Airbnb for an upcoming trip where I earned 680 points on a $104 stay (an amazing 6.5 miles/dollar):

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Where All the Points Came From

The breakdown of points was as follows:

104 Delta Skymiles
261 United points
313 Chase Ultimate Rewards Points

Airbnb does not offer its own co-branded credit cards like all of its hotel competitors, but it does have partnerships with 2 airlines: British Airways and Delta. British Airways offers 3 points/dollar spent at Airbnb and Delta offers 1 points/dollar. Accessing either offer requires going to the airline’s website and using their direct link to Airbnb.

The British Airways offer definitely seemed like a better deal, especially because Avios can be used to book American Airlines flights, which I’d prefer over flying Delta (United is always my first choice for international flights but sometimes you have to be flexible). However, when I went to the booking through the British Airways Airbnb link, the price was a few dollars more expensive than on the US site. This difference, though small, was enough to completely negate the value of the Avios points I’d earn. Instead, I followed Delta’s link, where there was no markup over going to Airbnb directly.

The United points came from buying an Airbnb gift card on the MileagePlus X app that offered 2 miles/dollar + a 25% bonus for being a United co-branded credit card holder (I have the United Explorer card). On the app, you are able to buy a gift card for the exact amount you need down to the penny and the funds can be immediately redeemed on Airbnb’s website. Keep an eye on the MileagePlus X app because the number of points per dollar vary day to day, so you can score a great deal if you’re lucky.

The best part about the MileagePlus X app purchase was that I received the 25% bonus just for having a United credit card but I didn’t even have to use it for the purchase. Instead, I used my Chase Sapphire Reserve card, which gives me 3 points/dollar on all travel purchases (sometimes more depending on the purchase). Sometimes gift card purchases get tricky with what category they code at to the credit card company, but in this case, it still coded as travel just like any other Airbnb purchase.

Steps to Book

I know I just threw a lot at you, but here’s the exact breakdown of what you need to do to book how I did.

Sign up for Delta and United accounts if you haven’t already (it’s free and only takes a couple minutes).
Download the MileagePlus X app.
Go to delta.com/Airbnb and enter your Skymiles number to be taken to their Airbnb site.
Find the accommodation you want to stay in.
Begin the checkout process and make note of the exact total due.
Go to the MileagePlus X app and buy an Airbnb gift card for that amount (ideally with a card like the Chase Sapphire Reserve that gives you extra points on travel).
Open a new tab on Airbnb to redeem the gift card.
Refresh your checkout page on Airbnb and the redeemed Airbnb credit should show up as a payment option – select that option.
Book your stay!
Be patient – the points can take days or even weeks to be available in your accounts.

The MileagePlus X app sells gift cards to hundreds of stores, but I only recommend going this route if you are sure you’re going to use it or would be able to find a future use for it. For example, I know that even if I had to cancel this Airbnb stay, I’d be able to use that credit for another Airbnb down the line. However, if I bought a gift card to a clothing store and I ended up returning some of the clothes, who knows if I’d ever use the remaining balance.

I was only booking for 1 night and found a very inexpensive Airbnb, so the number of points earned on this stay isn’t enough to buy a flight or hotel stay, but the same steps apply whether you’re booking a $100 stay or a $5000 one, so maximizing your points can get you a long way.