Traveling to a foreign country can be expensive: flights, lodging, and fees associated with currency exchanges. Airbnb is reportedly attempting to make the experience a little less costly for its customers by piloting a program that offers lodgers a prepaid reward credit card to use on their trip.
All About Airbnb reports that the so-called “experience card,” which hasn’t launched yet, provides visitors traveling to New York City a prepaid travel money card loaded with $1,000 and aims to persuade them to spend more at local stores and restaurants.
The program, which was briefly advertised on the Airbnb website and then taken down, is purportedly free to sign up for and includes no international exchange fees or credit checks.
Airbnb’s card allows users to make purchases online and at physical stores. However, the card does come with some restrictions: it can’t be used to withdraw cash from an ATM, for car rentals, on recurring expenses, hotels and other things.
To spur commerce in the city – and to persuade guests to use the card – the company will provide them with a map of exclusive recommendations.
As an incentive to use the cards, Airbnb will also reportedly offer 10% cashback in the form of Airbnb Travel Credits to be used on a future trip.
Travelers won’t have to pay for the card upfront either. All About Airbnb reports that customers will only be required to pay for the card after their trip, and that payment can be made in the guest’s local currency using the payment method associated with their Airbnb account.
by Ashlee Kieler via Consumerist
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