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Here’s now we’ve used credit card points to book hotels in Prague, Berlin, Tokyo, Vancouver B.C. and London:

Germany

For the Berlin marathon:

1. opened a Capital One Venture card.
2. We were traveling with six people total, so we booked an airbnb for six on the card.
3. Put other normal spending on the cards until we hit the minimum spend requirement. Paid off the card.
4. Used bonus earnings to ‘erase’ our portion of the airbnb charge. (airbnb codes as travel & makes the charge erasable)

Tokyo

For the Tokyo Marathon:

1. opened Chase Sapphire Preferred credit cards (earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening).
2. Put our regular spending on the cards until we hit the minimum spend requirement. Paid off the card.
3. Used Chase Ultimate Rewards to book The Park Hotel in Tokyo.

London

For the London Marathon:

1. opened a Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card (Earn 130,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $2,000 in purchases on the Card in the first 3 months of Card Membership, terms apply).
2. Put our regular spending on the card until we hit the minimum spend requirement. Paid off the card.
3. Used Hilton points to book Waterloo Hampton Inn.

Vancouver, BC

For the Vancouver Marathon:

1. opened a Capital One Venture card.
2. booked an airbnb on the card.
3. Put other normal spending on the cards until we hit the minimum spend requirement. Paid off the card.
4. Used bonus earnings to ‘erase’ the airbnb charge. (airbnb codes as travel & makes the charge erasable)

Prague

For a Prague trip:

1. opened a Barclay card* during a sign-up bonus.
2. We were traveling with six people total, so we booked an airbnb for six on the card.
3. Put other normal spending on the card until we hit the minimum spend requirement. Paid off the card.
4. Used bonus earnings to ‘erase’ our portion of the airbnb charge (airbnb codes as travel & makes the charge erasable)

*Barclay isn’t offering this card anymore, but the Capital One Venture card operates similarly.

What are you waiting for? Book your stay at an international hotel or Airbnb using credit card points today!

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