What a point is worth
There are two honest ways to value a point, and they answer different questions. The aspirational value answers "what could this point be worth if I redeem it near-optimally?" — business-class transfers, sweet spots, good timing. The floor value answers "what can a careful, non-hobbyist redeemer reliably get?" PointsBrain shows both, but every dollar figure on this site is computed at the floor. When we say a switch earns you $120/yr, that's the low end, not the sales pitch.
| Currency | Floor (what we compute with) | Aspirational (context only) | Cards in our catalog |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cashback | 1¢ / pt | 1¢ / pt | Chase Freedom Unlimited, Chase Freedom Flex, Citi Double Cash, Citi Custom Cash, Capital One Quicksilver, Wells Fargo Active Cash, Discover it Cash Back, Apple Card, Prime Visa, Blue Cash Everyday Card, Blue Cash Preferred Card, Customized Cash Rewards Credit Card, Capital One Savor, U.S. Bank Altitude Go Visa Signature, Chase Ink Business Cash, Chase Ink Business Unlimited |
| Chase Ultimate Rewards | 1.25¢ / pt | 2.05¢ / pt | Chase Sapphire Reserve, Chase Sapphire Preferred, Chase Ink Business Preferred |
| Amex Membership Rewards | 1.25¢ / pt | 2¢ / pt | American Express Gold, American Express Platinum, American Express Blue Business Plus, American Express Green Card |
| Citi ThankYou Points | 1.25¢ / pt | 1.9¢ / pt | Citi Strata Premier |
| Capital One Miles | 1.25¢ / pt | 1.85¢ / pt | Capital One Venture X, Capital One Venture |
| Bilt Rewards | 1.25¢ / pt | 2.2¢ / pt | Bilt Blue Card, Bilt Obsidian Card |
Aspirational values: The Points Guy monthly valuations dated July 1, 2026 (re-checked against the live page July 21, 2026). Floors: the expert-consensus rule that transferable bank points should never be redeemed below ~1.25¢; cashback is 1¢ by definition. A note on Citi ThankYou Points: the full transfer ratios behind the aspirational value require a premium ThankYou card — non-premium cards transfer to most airlines at roughly 30% worse ratios, so their realistic ceiling sits far closer to the floor.
Why we compute at the floor
Aspirational values assume you'll book premium-cabin sweet spots at exactly the right moment. Some people do. Most people redeem at real-world values — portals, cash equivalents, whatever's available the week they travel. Valuing every point you earn at the best redemption you might someday make is how rewards get oversold, so our math never does it. Transfers to partners can beat the floor — sometimes by a lot — and when the full product recommends one, it will price that specific redemption instead of assuming it.
Cashback is the honest baseline
Cashback is worth exactly 1¢ per point, by definition. A 2% cashback card is therefore a 2.0% return — which quietly beats a "3×" points card whose points you redeem poorly. Our math treats them on the same dollar scale so the comparison is fair.
One rule above all
If you carry a balance month to month, no point value matters: card interest (typically 20–30% APR) exceeds any rewards rate. That's why every tool on this site asks before it computes.
Both tables live in our versioned fact catalog with sources and verification dates; see how PointsBrain computes. Try the floors in action in the category leaderboard or the card duel.