The redemption
28 programs — bank, US airlines, international airlines, and hotels.
Include taxes/fees you'd avoid by paying in points.
Usually just the $5.60-$50 phantom fees on awards.
Use the value you'd accept as a fair redemption. 1.5¢ is a common floor for transferable points.
Fill in your points balance and the cash price — we'll tell you if this is a good deal or a bad one.
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I'll email you the Vacation Math Starter Pack (a printable 13-page PDF that includes the full benchmark valuations table above, plus hidden trip costs, the funding formula, and the 1.5¢ rule) plus the Tuesday brief.
How we got these numbers
Benchmark valuations are the median of three major sources published in 2026: The Points Guy monthly valuations, NerdWallet's annual airline mile valuations, and Frequent Miler's Reasonable Redemption Values (RRVs). When sources disagree, we use the lower number so the "good redemption" bar stays honest.
Points vs. Cash — Common Questions
Are points worth more than cash?
It depends on how you redeem them. Chase Ultimate Rewards points are worth 1 cent each for cash back but 1.25–2 cents each toward travel when transferred to partners. The calculator takes the specific redemption you are looking at and tells you the exact cents-per-point value.
How do I calculate cents per point?
Divide the cash price by the number of points required. A $500 flight that costs 50,000 points = $500 ÷ 50,000 = $0.01, or 1 cent per point. The calculator does this automatically and compares your result to the baseline value for your specific rewards program.
What is a good cents per point value?
For most programs, 1 cent per point is the floor — what you get for cash back. Good redemptions are 1.5 cents or more. Chase Sapphire Reserve points used for portal travel = 1.5 cents. Hyatt luxury properties often hit 2–3 cents. Airline first class transfer awards can reach 5 cents or more.
Should I use points or pay cash for a hotel?
Use points when the cents-per-point value beats your program baseline. Pay cash when the hotel is on sale, when the redemption rate is poor (under 1 cent per point), or when you want to preserve points for a higher-value redemption later. The calculator makes this comparison instantly.