What are your credit card points and miles worth? A deeper dive into how to get the best value for your points.

In my first post, we talked about how to start earning points and miles so you can travel for a fraction of the cost – or even “free” – using credit card rewards and loyalty programs. If you missed it, you can read it here.

Now let’s take it a step further. This time we’re digging into the different types of points systems – what they are, how they work, and how to pick the ones that’ll get you the best trips for your hard earned points.

Because here’s the thing: some points stretch further than others. Knowing which is which keeps you from burning more miles than you need.

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Not all points are created equal

The points and miles universe is diverse: different types of rewards exist, and each ecosystem offers unique value. Overall, there are 3 main types of currencies in the credit card points and miles world: transferable currency points, airline miles and hotel points. 100,000 points in one ecosystem is not always equal to 100,000 in another. 

Before we dive into the differences between the three, here is a term you may hear again and again in this world: cents per points or CPP. This metric is used to measure the monetary value of loyalty points or miles when used for an award redemption. Basically, calculating how much “cash value” you would get for each point/mile. Essentially 100 points is “worth”  $1.00 and 10,000 points is “worth” $100, or is it? 

Let’s start with the most valuable of the 3.

Transferable currency points

Transferable currency points are THE MOST valuable of all the points in this credit card points and miles world. We earn these points through the major banks and sometimes through a few lesser ones. Examples of these ecosystems include: Chase, American Express, Capital One, Citi Bank and Wells Fargo. When in doubt, start with transferable currencies.

These points are the most valuable for several reasons. First off, we have the most flexibility with these points. We can redeem these points for cash, gift cards, or use them in the portal to redeem points for flights, hotels, and even car rentals. However, what can be the most valuable is when you transfer them to partner airlines and hotels (we will talk about this below). Each ecosystem has its own transfer partners but this is where the magic can happen. 

According to The Points Guy as of August 2025: these are the average cents per point valuations of each of the main ecosystems.  As you can see, American Express membership rewards points are much more valuable than Wells Fargo Rewards.

Personally, I use these values only as a guideline for where I would like my cents per point/CPP base rate to fall.  I say “like” because in the grand scheme of things, it’s a guideline only. Thus far, in 2025, I have however had, as low as 0.44 CPP value at a Hilton (Frequent miler and Gondola has an average CPP of 0.41 for Hilton as of Aug 2025) and as high as 34.5 CPP on a Virgin Atlantic Upper Class flight home from London to JFK. On average overall, my 2025 CPP, thus far fell at 3.99 CPP. 6.57 CPP for airlines and for 1.17 CPP hotels. 

So in essence 50,000 Amex points could equal $500 if cashed out or used to buy gift cards – or – you could use them to get 1 CPP value in their portal, valued at $500, which is an average redemption – or – you could transfer them to a partner and a get much greater value, potentially, if done right. Isn’t that why you are here? To get MORE value in your points and miles?

Transfer Partners

Let’s talk about transfer partners briefly, what they are and why these are “where the magic happens,” as I like to say.  A transfer partner is where you can take the transferable currency points and move them to a partner airline or hotel. For example moving your Chase UR points to United or Hyatt or your Amex points to Air Canada or Hilton. 

When you move your points to a partner, oftentimes you can get a much higher points valuation then what you see above. The best and most valuable example of this would be moving your Chase UR points to Hyatt that can be worth 1.7 (August 2025 TPG) cents per point. Once you get your feet wet, you might even make an even bigger splash with 3 cents per point or sometimes even much higher, as I did with Virgin Atlantic at 34.5 CPP, making your points stretch even further. 

One of my best hotel redemptions thus far for hotels was the Grand Hyatt Kauai. I transferred my Chase UR points to Hyatt for this stay. We went in 2023 and loved the property so much, we decided to stay one more night. Our CPP ended up being 4.3 and this was our first “luxury” hotel stay all on points and miles. We were IMPRESSED! 

I do have some Hyatt properties coming up in 2026 in Japan at over 7 CPP and I have heard they are quite worth it. They are not Grand Hyatt’s, even though they do exist over there, but personally, I am not always looking for high end luxury. I’d rather stretch my miles further for more travel and “free”. 

Now, with this said, you might look at the transfer partners for airlines and say, I live in the United States, these partners don’t pertain to me. Partners like Air Canada, Virgin Atlantic, KLM/Flying Blue or even British Airways. But YES! YES THEY DO! I can book United flights via Air Canada and Delta flights via Virgin Atlantic. The airlines also have alliances or partners and knowing these opens up a whole world of options. I have booked United flights via Air Canada many times going back and forth from Cleveland to Los Angeles. 

Airline Miles and Hotel Points

Next up: Airline miles and Hotel points. These are typically earned via cobranded cards specific to each Airline or Hotel. I think the types of points and miles speak for themselves. Airline miles are specific to each airline, ie United, SouthWest, Alaska Airlines, and even international carriers like Air Canada and Virgin Atlantic. Hotel points are specific to the hotels, ie Hilton, Marriott, Hyatt, Choice and IHG. These are just a few of the different types of hotels and airlines that can earn points or miles specific to their program. In general airline miles are worth more than hotel points. 

Also of note, transferable currencies > airline miles > hotel points. There is a learning curve in this points and miles world, so I hope you stick around. I’d love to walk you through it. 

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Now that we know what points and miles types are and what they can do, let’s talk about some of the most basic of redemptions. As mentioned above, you can redeem your miles for cash back/pay yourself back, gift cards, use in the portal and even transfer to partners. 

Most people think that 1 point is equal to 1 cent. And in many instances it can be 1 cent. We’ve already talked about the different types of points, the different ecosystems and how you can maximize your points redemptions so you can see that 1 point DOESN’T equal 1 cent. And I hope you get a much greater value than the averages above!

Regardless, no matter what my redemption numbers show, here’s the real takeaway: yes, I get a THRILL from squeezing 3, 7, or even more cents of value out of every point. Chasing those high valuations can be exciting – whew can it EVER – but the true win is using points and miles to unlock flights, hotels, and experiences that create unforgettable moments with the people you love. That’s where the real value lives.

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What’s next? Rules!

Every ecosystem has its own set of rules and you need to know them. 

Did I say this was going to be easy? It’s not as easy as it looks. Remember, you can make this as easy as YOU want it to be or you can dive into a bit of education and up your knowledge in this game and redeem those points for way more value than you ever thought possible. 

The saying “nothing worth having comes easy” is a common saying for a reason. The skills, freedom, and satisfaction you earn from doing hard things are often the most meaningful and lead to a more comfortable, “easy” life down the road. This doesn’t mean you must always do things the hardest way, but rather that the most rewarding things in life require effort.

Stay tuned. Until next time .. Happy Travels! 

This post was written by a guest contributor in collaboration with iCruiseApp Travel & Tours. While the author is not a travel agent, our travel agency is proud to support diverse voices and perspectives that inspire your next journey.