How to Pay for a Beachfront Condo with Rewards

PHOTO: Condos line the beach in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. (photo via Pixabay/vonpics)

Renting a beachfront condo is one of the best vacation ideas for families with kids. With your own condo, you’ll have multiple bedrooms to sleep in, a kitchen to prepare meals and all the comforts of home.

And if you’re on the beach, it’s only a short walk to get outdoors and have some fun. Once the kids get tired or unruly, you can snatch them up and head back “home” in a hurry, too.

While there’s no denying the fun of a beachfront rental getaway, that doesn’t mean renting an oceanfront condo is cheap. Fortunately, you can use credit card rewards to cover the expense.

Here are three ways to do it:

Get a Rewards Card that Offers Flexible Travel Credit

One of the easiest ways to cover the cost of a rental condo with rewards is signing up for a travel credit card that offers flexible travel credit.

With the Barclaycard Arrival Plus World Elite MasterCard or the Venture card from Capital One, for example, you can earn 2x points or “miles” per $1 spent. These points are directly redeemable for most beachfront condos, provided they code as a travel purchase when you pay.

Another option is the Discover it Miles credit card, which offers 1.5 miles for every dollar you spend with no annual fee. The best part of this offer, however, is the fact that Discover will double the miles you earn after your first year, resulting in a net cashback haul of 3 percent.

Sign Up for a Cash-Back Credit Card

Cash-back credit cards offer another way to pay for beachfront condos—or any other expense you want—with rewards. Since you can redeem all your points for cash back or a statement credit, it’s easy to parlay rewards into a beachfront stay.

One of the highest-paying cash-back credit cards without an annual fee is the Citi Double Cash card. This card offers a flat 2 percent back on everything you buy—1 percent when you make a purchase and another 1 percent when you pay it off.

READ MORE: 6 Vacation Rentals With Amazing Outdoor Spaces

Sign Up for an American Express Card That Earns Membership Rewards

Another way to rent a beachfront condo with rewards is signing up for an American Express credit card that doles out Membership Rewards points. This is especially beneficial since American Express partners with Airbnb.

According to American Express, cardmembers can “use their American Express login and Membership Rewards points to book accommodations, ranging from city lofts to rural yurts, provided by local hosts on Airbnb. After choosing an accommodation, Card Members may enter an eligible American Express Card at checkout and choose to use all or some Membership Rewards points on their next gateway.”

It’s important to note that only American Express cards that earn points are eligible for this promotion, however. This excludes cash-back credit cards like the Blue Cash Everyday Credit Card from American Express.