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Does Chase Sapphire Preferred treat hostels as hotels?

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TheConductor
Established Contributor

Does Chase Sapphire Preferred treat hostels as hotels?

So, for business, I typically stay in hotels and rack up reward points.

 

But for personal travel, I prefer to stay in hostels most of the time. I'm a single gent, so it's a more social way to travel, plus it's more economical and allows me to take longer trips for the same money. (e.g. my last European excursion was 6 months)  Typically I'll use my hotel reward points to get a couple of hotel nights every couple of weeks, just to get some peace and quiet and a shower you don't have to wear flip-flops in. But still, I'm spending most of my time in hostels.

 

So then, my question is, I know CSP includes hotels as one of the things you earn double points for in the Travel category. But does CSP (or any other travel reward card) treat hostels as hotels for the purposes of earning reward points?  

 

Also, similar question: how do they process independent short-term sublease sites like Airbnb, HomeAway, VRBO, etc? Because that's another resource I sometimes use.

 

 

If they offer bonuses on this stuff, that would just be a nice little extra benefit further inspiring me to work my way up to applying for the CSP.

 

Yes, that's right. I want one of the world's most primo credit cards so I can whip out that metal card when I'm slumming it in backpacker enclaves and other people's apartments. I'm just weird that way.  Smiley Wink

Starting: EQ 622 (myFICO 7/7/12), EX 696 (TU FAKO 8/14/12), TU 621 (CK TransRisk 7/24/12), Total CL $1k on 2 TLs
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Message 1 of 6
5 REPLIES 5
melbaro
New Contributor

Re: Does Chase Sapphire Preferred treat hostels as hotels?

I wish I could help. However, I felt it was necessary for me to log in and tell you that I like your style. I've had some great times in hostels..in Amsterdam...this was years ago of course. Smiley Wink

Message 2 of 6
MountainHiker
Established Contributor

Re: Does Chase Sapphire Preferred treat hostels as hotels?

I stayed at a hostel in MiamiBeach just for the experience and was pleasantly surprise at how much fun it turned out to be. Met a lot of great people of all ages(20-60) mostly from Europe, Australia and Latin America. The key to this type experience is picking the right Hostel.There are some well appointed and well ran Hostels. But there are also Hostels similar to the movie Animal House. To this day I have contacts and standing invitations to visit Sweden,the Netherlands,Sydney Australia to name a few.BTW, many Hostels have single room stays just like hotels but much cheaper.

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Message 3 of 6
jsucool76
Super Contributor

Re: Does Chase Sapphire Preferred treat hostels as hotels?


@MountainHiker wrote:

I stayed at a hostel in MiamiBeach just for the experience and was pleasantly surprise at how much fun it turned out to be. Met a lot of great people of all ages(20-60) mostly from Europe, Australia and Latin America. The key to this type experience is picking the right Hostel.There are some well appointed and well ran Hostels. But there are also Hostels similar to the movie Animal House. To this day I have contacts and standing invitations to visit Sweden,the Netherlands,Sydney Australia to name a few.BTW, many Hostels have single room stays just like hotels but much cheaper.


I'm sure there is plenty of hostels similar to the movie "Hostel." Smiley Tongue 

 

I would just call up chase customer service and ask them. It all depends on how the business codes the transaction, so it would also most likely vary hostel by hostel. I've only stayed in a hostel once, but it seems like the type of thing where not all hostels are created equal, so they might not all operate with the same transactional coding for credit cards. 

Message 4 of 6
TheConductor
Established Contributor

Re: Does Chase Sapphire Preferred treat hostels as hotels?


@jsucool76 wrote:

I would just call up chase customer service and ask them. It all depends on how the business codes the transaction, so it would also most likely vary hostel by hostel. I've only stayed in a hostel once, but it seems like the type of thing where not all hostels are created equal, so they might not all operate with the same transactional coding for credit cards. 


Yeah, guess I will do that.  If I can, I like to avoid calling up customer service when I'm not even a customer yet, but this question is apparently too esoteric to get an answer here.  

 

Thanks for the feedback, everyone!  Glad to hear I'm not the only one who likes the vagabonding style of travel now and then.

Starting: EQ 622 (myFICO 7/7/12), EX 696 (TU FAKO 8/14/12), TU 621 (CK TransRisk 7/24/12), Total CL $1k on 2 TLs
Current: EQ 709 (CCT 2/4/15), EX 704 (CCT 2/4/15) , TU 702 (CCT 2/4/15), Total CL $110.3k on 14 TLs Goal: 740+ x3
My Wallet: Amex BCP $30k, Chase United Explorer $16k, Amex SPG $13.5k, Barclaycard Ring MC $12.5k, Chase CSP VS $12.2k, Discover it $10.5k, C1 Venture VS $6.5k, Chase Slate $3.5k, Amex Hilton Surpass $2k, Barclaycard Apple V $2k, Chase Freedom V $1100, BoA Cash Rewards V $500, Citi BestBuy $500
My Loans: Prosper $25k/36mo, Prosper $17k/36mo
My Business: Chase Ink VS $5k, Amex BRG NPSL (> 10k),
Message 5 of 6
Dustink
Valued Contributor

Re: Does Chase Sapphire Preferred treat hostels as hotels?



Yeah, guess I will do that.  If I can, I like to avoid calling up customer service when I'm not even a customer yet, but this question is apparently too esoteric to get an answer here.  

 

Thanks for the feedback, everyone!  Glad to hear I'm not the only one who likes the vagabonding style of travel now and then.


You might have better luck calling the hostel first and asking them what kind of merchant they are. If there transactions get coded like hotels or not. There may even be some that code as non profits, which in that case the flexperks card would be the best. You can click it in my signature if you don't know what it is.

 

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