Points 101
Everything you need to know to stop leaving money on the table.
No jargon. No complexity. Just the stuff that actually matters.
What are points worth?
Not all points are created equal.
Chase Ultimate Rewards
2.05¢
per point
The gold standard for business owners.
Amex Membership Rewards
2.00¢
per point
Best for high category spenders.
Capital One Miles
1.85¢
per point
Most flexible for transfers.
Hyatt Points
1.65¢
per point
Best hotel value by far.
United Miles
1.35¢
per point
Great for international business class.
Delta SkyMiles
1.20¢
per point
Useful but overrated.
Marriott Bonvoy
0.80¢
per point
Use only for sweet spots.
Hilton Honors
0.40¢
per point
Last resort. Avoid if possible.
The three buckets
Every point you earn falls into one of three categories.
Cashback
Simple. Fixed. The worst deal for high spenders. 1% back on $500k in annual spending gets you $5,000. The right card strategy gets you $30,000 in travel.
Transferable Points
This is where the money is. Chase, Amex, and Capital One issue these. You control where they go. Flexibility creates value.
Airline & Hotel Points
Locked to one brand. Delta miles stay Delta miles. Useful when you know the sweet spots. Limited otherwise.
The math
Here is what your spending is actually worth.
What most business owners earn
What EarnedTravel clients earn
Monthly spend
$40,000
Monthly spend
$40,000
Card type
1% cashback
Card type
Optimized card stack
Monthly return
$400 cash
Monthly return
120,000 points
Annual return
$4,800
Annual return
1.4 million points
What you get
Statement credit
What you get
Business class to Europe for two
How to use points
Earning points is only half the job.
Most people never use them right. Here is the short version.
Transfer at the right time.
Move points to an airline or hotel partner when a transfer bonus is live. Some partners offer 20 to 40 percent more value during promotions.
Book through the partner, not the portal.
Booking directly through an airline's award chart almost always beats booking through your bank's travel portal.
Use them before they devalue.
Points lose value every year as airlines quietly raise the cost of redemptions. The best time to use your points is sooner than you think.
Get the weekly points briefing.
One email a week. What cards are winning, what deals are live, and what your points are worth right now.