Coinbase just turned its credit card into a travel rewards play. The exchange launched a new travel portal on June 16 that lets Coinbase One Card holders book flights, hotels, and car rentals while earning 5% back in Bitcoin on every purchase, with no monthly cap on rewards.
Here’s the thing: that 5% rate and uncapped structure make this arguably one of the more aggressive travel rewards programs on the market right now, crypto or otherwise. Traditional travel cards from the likes of Chase and Amex typically top out around 3-5x points per dollar, but those points come with redemption headaches and devaluation risk. Coinbase is just giving you Bitcoin.
How the travel portal works
The portal lives inside the Coinbase app and is mobile-only. It was developed in collaboration with Booking.com and is powered by Rocket Travel Inc., which handles travel booking infrastructure for a number of financial institutions.
To earn the 5% Bitcoin reward, users must pay for their bookings using the Coinbase One Card, which operates on the American Express network. Rewards accrue as pending Bitcoin until the transaction settles, and they’re subject to adjustment if a booking gets cancelled or refunded.
