VRBO Affiliate Program Review [2024] How Much Money You Can Make

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Turquoise waters. Snow-capped mountains. A rope bridge over a jungle stream. 

No, I’m not describing screensavers! I’m listing popular travel adventures your audience wants to experience.

And you can make money by recommending vacation rentals through the trusted Vrbo platform, which lists over 2 million properties. 

Look, people are traveling more than ever (air travel is up 6% year-over-year according to the latest data1). And all these travelers need somewhere to stay. 

Think you can promote Vrbo properties? 

Then, read my Vrbo affiliate program review to find out exactly how much you can earn, along with the pros and cons.

What Is the VRBO Affiliate Program?

The VRBO affiliate program is part of the larger Expedia Group affiliate program that gives you a way to earn commissions by promoting travel bookings online.

VRBO is part of the Expedia group of travel and booking websites.
Vrbo is owned by Expedia, and in my Vrbo affiliate program review, I’ll explain how to make money by promoting vacation homes, cabins, condos, extended stays, and more!

VRBO, which stands for “vacation rental by owner,” is a rental platform and marketplace. People who own vacation homes list their properties on the site, and then travelers use the platform to book rentals. 

Costa Rica vacation homes available for rent on VRBO.
I booked a fun and unique treehouse private residence in La Fortuna, Costa Rica (NOT pictured above). In this Vrbo affiliate program review, I’ll show you how to make money by recommending places where you’ve stayed to your audience.

It’s easy to allow your social media followers, YouTube subscribers, and travel blog readers to have plenty of choices because Vrbo offers over 2 million vacation rentals around the world. 

You should know that Vrbo doesn’t have its own affiliate program – it’s a part of the Expedia Group. So, in this Vrbo affiliate program review, I’ll be talking about the Expedia Group affiliate program since that’s what you’ll technically be signing up for. Either way, it’s still one of the Highest paying travel affiliate programs.

The Vrbo affiliate portal.
The Expedia Group affiliate program tracks your commissions from Vrbo and other partnering sites.

You can focus your marketing efforts specifically on Vrbo if you want to, or you can also promote other brands under the Expedia umbrella, including Hotels.com, Stayz, Abritel, and Expedia itself.

Don’t want to miss out on new travel affiliate programs to help you make money? Get my free email newsletter:

Is the VRBO Affiliate Program Legit?

The Vrbo affiliate program (which is part of the Expedia Group affiliate program) is totally legit. 

When I signed up, I had no problem being accepted. And considering the reputations of the companies involved, it’s no wonder that the Vrbo affiliate program is legit. 

Let’s start with Vrbo. Check out these fast Vrbo facts:

  • Founded in 1995
  • Over 2 million vacation homes listed
  • Has partnering companies and brands around the world

Remember, Vrbo is part of the Expedia Group. You know Expedia
(the famous booking site). Well, here’s my mini “company profile” on Expedia:

  • Has a $15.17 billion market cap (Expedia is a massive public company listed on Nasdaq)
  • Gets an A- grade from the Better Business Bureau (BBB)
  • Has over 10,000 employees

When you join the Expedia Group affiliate program, you’re teaming up with major players in the travel industry.

Is the VRBO Affiliate Program Worth It? 

Yes, the Vrbo affiliate program is worth it for affiliate marketers who want to make money in the travel niche. 

Why? Because the Vrbo affiliate program is free to join and you get paid for doing what you love – helping your followers travel.

The VRBO affiliate program is also kind of like a secret backdoor into the bigger Expedia Group affiliate program. 

This allows you to promote pretty much every aspect of travel, such as 

  • flights
  • car rentals
  • hotels
  • vacation rental properties
  • travel packages 
  • cruises

And more.

This is great for content creators like us. 

Expedia / VRBO also offers top-of-the-line tools to help affiliates, including a search widget that you can paste directly into your website. Here’s mine:

That’s the kind of thing that makes it easy for your fans to book a trip. 


You also get access to Expedia banners like this ad I simply copied and pasted from my Expedia affiliate program dashboard:

How much money can you make with the Vrbo affiliate program?

Vrbo affiliate commission rates aren’t great (1.5% to 4%), and the 7-day cookie window is average at best. 

But thanks to the popularity of these platforms and the tools at your disposal, you could drive a lot of traffic to Expedia-owned sites like Vrbo.

A vacation home in Italy available on Vrbo.
Recommending this Vrbo apartment for a long weekend in Lake Como would earn you about $18 when the commission is 2%.

Generally, these are expensive transactions. A 2% commission rate might seem low, but if someone books a vacation rental for $1,500, you’ll end up earning $30. 

Get a steady stream of $30 commissions, and you’ll have a real money-maker on your hands. 

An example:

Let’s say you have 50,000 followers across all your platforms, like YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, etc. 

If each month, just 1% of your followers book a trip through your VRBO affiliate link, that’s 500 sales per month. 

Let’s say the typical booking costs $1,000. That means you’ve sold $500,000 worth of travel. 

With your 2% VRBO commission, you’d be earning $10,000 per month.

If anything comes across in my Vrbo affiliate program review, it’s that you have very little risk promoting Vrbo and Expedia because they’re famous and they do all the customer service.

If you find that your audience isn’t booking Vrbo, then you can simply stop promoting Vrbo and Expedia.

And it’s pretty easy to add your Vrbo affiliate link to your YouTube video description, link in bio, travel blog, etc.

How Does The VRBO Affiliate Program Work?

It’s time for this Vrbo affiliate program review to explain exactly how the program works.

First of all, let me remind you that Vrbo doesn’t have its own affiliate program. To earn money by promoting VRBO, you’ll use the Expedia Group affiliate program that Vrbo is part of.

As an Expedia Group affiliate, you can earn commissions from:

  • Vrbo
  • Expedia
  • Hotels.com
  • Stayz
  • Abritel
  • FeWo-direkt

Participating in the Expedia Group affiliate program is a simple 3-step process:

  1. Apply. Just head to the Expedia Group affiliate program website and click “Join Now.” The site will then walk you through the application process.
  2. Share affiliate links. Expedia will give you tools that you can use to drive traffic to Expedia-related websites, including Vrbo. You can share links on your website and through social media.
  3. Earn commissions. When users click through your website or posts and go on to complete a qualifying booking, you could earn a commission of up to 4%. 

Notice I said commissions of “up to” 4%. Not all commissions will actually be that high. For example, you could get a 4% commission on a hotel booked through Expedia, but only a 2% commission on a vacation rental booked through Vrbo. 

The commission rates for Vrbo affiliates.
With the Expedia affiliate program, you can earn commissions from 6 different sites, including Vrbo. 

The Expedia Group affiliate program has a 7-day cookie window. So, if someone clicks through your link or widget and lands on an Expedia-owned site, you’ll get your commission as long as they book a trip within 7 days.

Unfortunately, you won’t get paid your commission until after the trip has been completed. So let’s say it’s June 15th, and someone books a trip for November 12th to 20th. There’s no chance you’ll get paid before November 20th, and you might not get paid until 60 – 150 days after the trip has been completed.

This kind of stinks, but I get it. If the person cancels their trip, Vrbo / Expedia doesn’t make any money, so they can’t give you a commission. They have to wait to get paid before they pay you.

Once a commission has been paid out, the money will appear under “earnings” in the Partnerize platform (Expedia uses Partnerize for their affiliate platform). 

Partnerize pays out once a month, but you’ll only receive your monthly payment if you have at least $30 in your account. Otherwise, the money will stay in your “earnings” balance until you reach the $30 threshold. 

That covers the technical details, but how will you actually promote links and earn commissions? 

Short answer: It’s up to you! 

You could write a travel blog or create a website that focuses on a specific destination. You could be a travel influencer who posts links to Vrbo or Expedia. Here’s my guide to SEO for travel bloggers to help you grow your audience. You could do pretty much anything! It’s on you to find a strategy that works.

That said, if you want marketing strategies from a top travel marketing veteran (me), get my email newsletter, where I share my best insider tips:

Expedia / Vrbo will help you succeed by giving you tools like:

  • A “Creator Toolbox” with property images and commission stats
  • Performance data so you can see how many bookings you’re producing
  • Trackable affiliate links to earn more commissions
  • Search widgets that help people find Expedia Group properties on your website
  • Customizable banners to promote Expedia Group while giving your site a professional look
The creator toolbox available to Vrbo affiliates.
Expedia’s Creator Toolbox makes it easy for affiliates to customize their content around specific rental properties. 

See why my VRBO affiliate program review is so enthusiastic? The Expedia Group doesn’t just say, “Here are some links – you do you.” They give you what you need to actually earn commissions.

I highly recommend that you promote the Vrbo affiliate program via your email list. What, you don’t have an email list? Holy macaroni, what are you waiting for? 

The algorithms don’t care about you. Own forever access to the audience you’ve worked so hard to build. Check out the best email marketing software. For travel creators, I’d start with Kit. Check out my Kit review to learn more.

If you don’t yet have a website, see these:

What Is the Catch With The VRBO Affiliate Program? 

The catch with the Vrbo affiliate program is that it takes 60 to 150 days after the customer’s trip has been completed for you to get paid. Whoa. 

So, the Vrbo affiliate program is NOT a way how to make money fast.

Instead, you can check out: 

Is the VRBO Affiliate Program Safe?

The Expedia affiliate program (which includes Vrbo) is 100% safe. I can’t find any reports of Expedia ripping off its affiliates. 

I would never publish a positive Vrbo affiliate program review if I thought the program was a scam. My whole goal here is to help you make money online.

Now, there have been scams involving Expedia – but they’re run by imposters, not Expedia itself. To stay safe, make sure you sign up for the affiliate program through the official Expedia website.

But what about keeping your business safe? For that you want the best LLC service. This article on Why do you need an LLC explains the reasons why an LLC is a smart move. And to protect your house while traveling, learn how to avoid using home address for LLC. You can get started with my LLC checklist and complete LLC 101 starter guide.

And if you’re working remotely, check out the best VPN services to stay safe online. 

One thing I do is use the best business credit cards to earn points for free travel. This also keeps my business expenses separate from my personal ones, so they are easier to track. 

I also use the best banks for small business to keep my finances organized and protected.

VRBO Affiliate Program Pros and Cons

Alright, folks – it’s time for this Vrbo affiliate program review to cut to the chase. Here are the pros and cons to consider before applying for the Expedia Group affiliate program.

Pros:

  • You can link to 6 different sites through a single affiliate program. The program includes Vrbo, Expedia.com, Hotels.com, Stayz, Abritel, and FeWo-direkt.
  • You’ll have tons of properties to promote. There are over 3 million listings available with the Expedia Group.
  • Affiliates get access to incredible tools. From widgets you can post on your website to detailed performance data, you’ll get serious help in the hunt for commissions. 

Cons:

  • The commission rates are average (at best). The maximum rate is 4%, but some bookings offer as little as 1.5%.
  • The cookie window is just 7 days. If someone books a trip 8 days after clicking your link, you won’t get a commission. My optimistic take: At least the cookie window isn’t 24 hours like it is with some affiliate programs!
  • It takes a long time to get paid. You might not receive your commission until 60 to 150 days after the trip has been completed. 

VRBO Affiliate Program Reviews

I couldn’t find a user-written Vrbo affiliate program review online, but for a good reason: Vrbo is actually part of the Expedia Group affiliate program.

I did find some interesting Expedia Group affiliate program reviews!

On Quora, someone said it’s “relatively easy” to become an Expedia affiliate. They also provided details on the application process. 

A person on Quora shared their personal experience with joining the Expedia affiliate programs.
Someone on Quora explained the process for joining the Expedia Group affiliate program. I, too, found it easy to get accepted.

I also found a Reddit thread where someone said they’d briefly joined the Expedia Group affiliate program, only to get removed a few hours later. 

A person on Reddit shares that they were removed from Expedia group affiliate programs.
A Redditor asks why they weren’t allowed to stay in the Expedia Group affiliate program. This person seems to be unable to join any affiliate program, not just Vrbo / Expedia.

Someone responded by saying the person’s site traffic might not be high enough. They suggested starting with other travel advertisers while reaching out to Expedia affiliate representatives on LinkedIn.

A person on Reddit shares tips for joining the Vrbo affiliate program.
Someone with an absurd Reddit name offers tips for joining the Expedia affiliate program / Vrbo.

I want my Vrbo affiliate program review to make it clear that you can make good money promoting vacation homes whether you’re 

Common Questions About The VRBO Affiliate Program

VRBO Affiliate Program Alternatives / VRBO Affiliate Program Competitors / Alternatives To VRBO Affiliate Program / Similar To VRBO Affiliate Program? 

Here are my reviews on the top alternatives to the Vrbo affiliate program (which is a part of the Expedia Group affiliate program):

How Much Does VRBO Pay Affiliates / How Much Do VRBO Affiliates Get Paid?  

Vrbo affiliates (or Expedia Group affiliates) get paid commissions of up to 4%. But not all commission rates will be that high. For example, you could earn 4% on hotels, 2% on vacation rentals, and 1.5% on rental cars. 

To learn how to maximize your affiliate commissions, join my free email newsletter. I’ve successfully worked in affiliate marketing for over a decade:

Does VRBO Have an Affiliate Program? 

Yes, but Vrbo doesn’t have its own affiliate program. Vrbo is part of the Expedia Group affiliate program (since Expedia owns Vrbo). So, if you sign up for the Expedia Group affiliate program, you can access affiliate links for the properties listed on Vrbo. 

If you want to know how to make money as an attractive female or how to make money as an attractive male, get your fancy face on YouTube or Instagram showcasing beautiful travel destinations. Then, monetize your travel content with the Vrbo affiliate program.

Or if you’re feeling frisky, learn how to make money on OnlyFans, or how to make money on OnlyFans as a couple, or how to make money on OnlyFans as a guy by letting people know about risque travel experiences like clothing-optional all-inclusive beach resorts. Just don’t point and say you want the shrimp.

Is The VRBO Affiliate Program a Scam? 

The Vrbo affiliate program (which is part of the larger Expedia Group affiliate program) isn’t a scam. It’s a legit way to earn a commission rate of up to 4% just by promoting travel bookings online. 

As a whole, affiliate marketing is a legit way:

Affiliate marketing is one of my favorite low-cost business ideas with high profit. 

This is a terrific business to start with 10k. Or, really, you can start travel affiliate marketing with no money with $0 if you know how to build an audience organically. 

Affiliate marketing is one of the most profitable online businesses, period. It’s a legit way how to turn 10k into 100k. 

Making money with the Vrbo affiliate program is one of the business ideas for women who love to travel. In fact, I worked for a couple who ran an affiliate marketing blog focused on travel. They made millions of dollars when they put their online business for sale. 

If you’re not doing this full-time, I’d say travel vlogging with affiliate marketing is one of the most fun hobbies to make money. 

VRBO Affiliate Program Sign Up?

You can sign up for the Vrbo affiliate program through the Expedia Group affiliate program website. Just head to the site and click “Join Now” to start the application. You’ll be signing up for the larger Expedia Group program, which includes Vrbo.  

VRBO Referral Program? 

The Vrbo referral program is part of the Expedia Group affiliate program (because the Expedia Group owns Vrbo). If you’re accepted into the program, you could earn commissions of up to 4% by promoting travel bookings on Vrbo and other Expedia-owned sites. 

If you want to make money from referral programs, check out my big list of affiliate referral bonus apps and learn how to earn 20 dollars per referral.

And here’s how to make money online for beginners.

Related:

Sources:

1 – https://www.ustravel.org/research/monthly-travel-data-report