How to Save On Chalet Rentals Using Points


Six Canadian points programs can pay for your cottage rental. American Express, Scene+, NBC Rewards, TD Rewards, CIBC Aventura and Aeroplan all accept the expense. Some credit a purchase already charged to your card, while others ask you to book on their own platform.
The travel credit card comparator shows which cards earn them.
| Program | Redemption | Value per point | Cottage rental |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Express Membership Rewards | 1,000 points = $10 statement credit | 1¢ | Yes, on any eligible purchase charged to the card |
| Scene+ (Scene+ Travel) | 100 points = $1 | 1¢ | Yes, lodging, car rentals and activities |
| NBC Rewards | 12,000 points = $100 · 11,000 points once 55,000 are redeemed | 0.83¢ · 0.91¢ | Yes, “lodging or a cottage booked for tourism purposes” |
| TD Rewards (Expedia For TD) | 200 points = $1 | 0.5¢ | Yes, when booked on Expedia For TD |
| CIBC Aventura (Payment with Points) | 4,000 points = $25 | 0.625¢ | Yes, applied to the card balance |
| Aeroplan (HotelSavers) | Depends on the hotel · fourth night free | Variable | Hotels only, more than 300,000 properties |
The same $1,400 week therefore costs 140,000 Membership Rewards points, 140,000 Scene+ points, 168,000 NBC Rewards points or 280,000 TD Rewards points on Expedia For TD.
A chalet works just as well for a group celebration as for a quiet week of remote work. In both cases the mechanics are the same: you book, you pay with the card, then you apply your points to the expense.
Before booking in any region of Quebec or abroad, it’s important to check whether Visa, Mastercard, and American Express credit cards are accepted as payment. Next, find out if the business you’re dealing with is categorized as “Travel” or “Lodging.” Our guide on how points work will answer all your questions.
American Express Membership Rewards points are flexible. Each 1,000 Membership Rewards points deducts $10 from the credit card balance.
All expenses are accepted. This comes in handy if you don’t know whether the owner or the chalet rental platform is considered a travel expense.
This is excellent for expenses with, among others, Airbnb, VRBO, and others. Are you dreaming of a getaway to the Eastern Townships? The process is straightforward:
For example, a chalet rental costs $700. You have 50,000 Membership Rewards points on your American Express Cobalt Card, which is equivalent to $500.
By using these points to offset your balance, your net expense will be $200.
With the TD First Class Travel Visa Infinite Card, TD Rewards points can be used to rent chalets through Expedia for TD. Here, 200 TD points are exchanged to reduce the bill by $1.
The $100 annual TD Travel Credit applies to the first eligible travel purchase of the year: on its own, it covers a night in many off-season chalets.
National Bank lists cottages among its eligible purchases: “hotel, lodging or a cottage booked for tourism purposes,” alongside flights, car rentals and camping. NBC Rewards points therefore cover a private chalet rental.
Book anywhere, pay with your NBC card, then request the discount: 12,000 points give $100, and 11,000 points are enough once you redeem 55,000 points or more in a single transaction. The credit reaches the card within three business days, and the request must be made no later than 60 days after the travel purchase date.
Once the rental is charged to your card, you can apply your Aventura Points to your balance with CIBC’s Payment with Points: 4,000 points give you a $25 payment, or 16,000 points for $100.
The Scene+ program trades 100 points for $1 on Scene+ Travel, the platform run by Expedia: a $700 chalet costs 70,000 points. Points can also be applied as a credit on an eligible Scotiabank card, which takes up to 5 business days on a credit card.
You can also book your chalet via Expedia’s dedicated website with Scene+.
Do you want to rent a cottage in another country? Use the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite +* Card to avoid the 2.5% foreign currency conversion fees.
Marriott Bonvoy is not just for hotels. A lesser-known option is its private home rental platform Homes & Villas by Marriott Bonvoy.

Members of the Marriott Bonvoy loyalty program earn points with the Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card and redeem them on Homes & Villas, where entire homes book with points just like a hotel night.
Your Aeroplan points also cover accommodation through Aeroplan HotelSavers, a platform with more than 300,000 hotels. It’s the option to choose if your getaway involves a hotel rather than a chalet.
The offer covers primary and supplementary cardholders of a co-branded Aeroplan credit card: for four consecutive nights redeemed entirely with points at a participating hotel, one night costs no points. Selected partner hotels also ask up to 30% fewer points. Air Canada lists the offer for bookings made through December 31, 2026.
Paying for the rental with a card that carries trip cancellation insurance protects the money you commit if the stay falls through. Among the cards in this guide, the National Bank World Elite Mastercard leads with up to $2,500 in cancellation coverage and $5,000 in interruption. The TD First Class Travel Visa Infinite Card follows at $1,500 in cancellation. That said, the coverage assumes the trip is charged to the card, and the certificate of insurance says whether a private rental fits its definition of a trip.
A cash back card also lowers the cost of your stay, with no points redemption to plan. For groceries and gas during a week at the chalet, one of the best is the SimplyCash® Preferred Card from American Express.
It earns 4% cash back at gas stations and grocery stores, and 2% on everything else. Purchases at superstores and warehouse clubs earn 2%. The 4% grocery rate applies to the first $30,000 in purchases each year, then drops to 2%.
Example: with $800 in groceries and $250 in gas each month, you earn $504 in cash back per year, or about $384 after the $9.99 monthly fee ($119 per year in Quebec). The welcome offer adds up to $200 in the first year, and cash back is credited once a year.
If you prefer Mastercard, the BMO CashBack® World Elite® Mastercard® earns 5% on groceries on the first $500 of each statement, and 3% on gas and EV charging on the first $300. On the same budget, it earns about $426 per year, or $287 after the $139 annual fee, which is waived in the first year. It requires a personal income of $80,000 or a household income of $150,000.
Finally, if you’re driving to explore a region, there are also tips to help you save at the pump. Find them in our guide: How to Save on Gas Prices in Canada.
Using your reward points for a chalet rental in Canada can save you a lot of money, depending on your strategy.
Our recommendation: Start by checking if your dream chalet in Quebec accepts your credit card type (Visa, Mastercard, or American Express), then choose the rewards program that offers the best redemption value for your vacation budget.
Don’t forget to plan ahead, as the best savings with points often require early booking, especially for popular destinations like the Laurentians and Charlevoix.
Chalets with these amenities are plentiful throughout the province. To find chalet listings that match your preferences, you usually just need to select the filter or category option on booking sites.
The website MonsieurChalets.com offers a wide selection of mini chalets that are pet-friendly across the province. Several conditions must be met, depending on the location, including the animal’s weight and proof of vaccination.
Yes, with the programs that credit a purchase already charged to the card: American Express Membership Rewards, Scene+, NBC Rewards and CIBC’s Payment with Points. Expedia For TD and Scene+ Travel ask you to book on their own platform instead. Aeroplan HotelSavers only covers hotels, never a private rental.
Count on 140,000 American Express Membership Rewards points, 140,000 Scene+ points, 168,000 NBC Rewards points (154,000 once you redeem 55,000 points or more at once), 224,000 Aventura points or 280,000 TD Rewards points on Expedia For TD.
National Bank gives you 60 days from the travel purchase date to request the discount. With CIBC, you redeem while the transaction is still pending on the account. American Express and Scene+ credit a purchase already charged to the card, with no deadline stated.
No. The offer covers participating hotels on Aeroplan HotelSavers, for four consecutive nights redeemed entirely with points. It applies to primary and supplementary cardholders of a co-branded Aeroplan credit card, for bookings made through December 31, 2026.
A cash back card. The SimplyCash® Preferred Card from American Express returns 4% at grocery stores and gas stations, and the BMO CashBack® World Elite® Mastercard® 5% on groceries on the first $500 of each statement. The money comes back with no redemption to plan.
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