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Strategy

# The Best Way to Pay for your Airbnb

April 26, 2025

[← Back to Blog](https://earnitback.com/blog/)

## 📝 TL;DR

1.  **Buy discounted Airbnb gift cards on GCX** (≈ **3.9 %** below face value).
2.  **Use your highest cashback card** (Kroger Card - 5%, Smartly Card - 4%, US Bank Altitude Reserve - 4.5%, BoA Unlimited Cash Rewards - 2.625%)
3.  **Click TopCashback (2.4 %)** just before you book.

## As things stand, that’s an 11.1% discount, though it could be higher or lower depending on GCX’s and TopCashback’s discounts.

## 1️⃣ Discounted Airbnb credit

| **GCX Marketplace** | **3.9 %** off e-gift cards | Anything ≥ 2 % | Always on; no cap | Use Apple/Google Pay with the Kroger Mastercard for 5% cashback (OG Smartly card, US Altitude Reserve, BoA UCR as back ups).

> Math: 3.9 % discount + 5 % cashback ≈ 9 % off before you even visit Airbnb.

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## 2️⃣ Cashback / points portal (add 2.4 %)

Check the top cashback portal: [https://www.cashbackmonitor.com/cashback-store/airbnb/](https://www.cashbackmonitor.com/cashback-store/airbnb/)

-   **TopCashback** is paying **2.4 %** on Airbnb at time of writing.

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## 3️⃣ Buying gift cards directly from Amazon etc

-   **Staples / Office Depot** - Pay full price, but **Chase Ink Cash** earns **5%** - Ink Cash (5× UR) - Year-round, unlimited
-   **Amazon.com** - Pay full price, but **Prime Visa** earns **5%**
-   **Kroger stores** - Full price, but **Kroger Mastercard** earns **5%** at Kroger stores (up to $3 k/yr)

As of writing, the best case is 11% discount. That could increase if you can find better Airbnb gift card discounts or better portal offers. The Kroger card has spend limits so either get a second one yourself or through a P2. Or if your second best option is a 2% cashback card, this is still the best route to go down but some may find buying directly from Amazon, Staples, Target (with a 5% Target card) and using a cashback portal simpler.

Here are the figures as things stand: 5% cashback card (on Amazon etc) + TopCashBack = 7.4% 2% cashback card + GCX + TopCashBack = 8.2% 2.625% cashback card + GCX + TopCashBack = 8.8% 5% cashback card + GCX + TopCashBack = 11.1%

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