What Are Business Credit Card Points Worth in 2026?
Every point has three values, not one. Here is the cash floor, portal rate and transfer target for each currency a business card can earn.
By MyBizNerd Team · Published
Key Takeaways
- A business rewards point has three values, not one: the cash floor, the issuer's travel portal rate, and what a transfer to a partner returns.
- Our working numbers run from 0.5 cents (Capital One taken as cash) to 2.0 cents (World of Hyatt on an award night), with most transferable currencies landing near 1.6 to 1.8 cents.
- Comparing two welcome offers by point count is the most common expensive mistake: 100,000 Marriott points is worth less than 60,000 Chase points.
- Cash back is worth exactly one cent forever, which beats every transferable program for owners who will not plan a trip.
Ask what a point is worth and the honest answer is a question: worth how? The same 100,000 points can hand you $600 or $2,000 depending entirely on the exit you choose. So instead of publishing one average, we publish three numbers for every currency a business card can earn, and every dollar figure on this site reads from that one table. You can see all of it on our points valuations page.
The three numbers that matter
The cash floor is what the issuer will hand you with no planning and no travel. It is guaranteed, and it is the number your decision should be measured against.
The portal rate is what the issuer's own travel site pays. Fixed, easy, usually a middle result, and available in the transferable programs only.
The transfer target is what an ordinary partner booking returns on ordinary dates — not a rare seat, not a stunt redemption. This is the figure we use whenever a page on this site shows a travel value.
There is a fourth number, the sweet spot, which is what the well-known high-value redemptions return when space exists. Treat that as upside, never as a plan.
What each currency is worth
| Currency | Cash floor | Portal | Our transfer target |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chase Ultimate Rewards | 1.0¢ | 1.25¢ | 1.8¢ |
| Amex Membership Rewards | 0.6¢ | 1.0¢ | 1.7¢ |
| Capital One Miles | 0.5¢ | 1.0¢ | 1.6¢ |
| Citi ThankYou Points | 1.0¢ | 1.0¢ | 1.6¢ |
| World of Hyatt | — | — | 2.0¢ |
| United MileagePlus | 0.8¢ | — | 1.3¢ |
| Delta SkyMiles | 1.0¢ | — | 1.2¢ |
| Marriott Bonvoy | — | — | 0.8¢ |
| IHG One Rewards | — | — | 0.6¢ |
| Cash back | 1.0¢ | — | 1.0¢ |
Hotel points have no cash floor at all. Their only value comes from a room, which is why a large Bonvoy or IHG balance is worth less than the number of points suggests.
The comparison mistake that costs real money
Two welcome offers land in your inbox the same week:
- 100,000 Marriott Bonvoy points at 0.8¢ = about $800
- 60,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points at 1.8¢ = about $1,080
The smaller offer is worth roughly $280 more. Point counts are marketing units; they are not comparable across programs any more than pesos and pounds. Convert to dollars before you decide, every time. Our valuation calculator does it in one step, and every card review on the site now shows the same range beside its welcome offer — see the Chase Ink Business Preferred or Capital One Spark Miles for examples.
How to compute your own cents per point
You never have to take our numbers on faith. On any single booking:
- Note the cash price you would have paid, excluding taxes you still owe on the award.
- Note the points the award costs.
- Divide the cash price by the points, then multiply by 100.
A $560 hotel room booked for 24,000 points is 2.3 cents per point. A $210 domestic fare booked for 25,000 miles is 0.8 cents — a redemption you should have skipped. Under one cent, pay cash and keep the points.
Which side you belong on
- Will plan travel. Transferable currencies are worth the annual fee. Chase and Amex reach the highest ordinary numbers because of Hyatt and the airline partner lists respectively.
- Will not plan travel. Take cash back at a full cent and stop reading valuation tables. The U.S. Bank Triple Cash Rewards and Capital One Spark Cash Plus both pay without a single decision to make.
There is no shame in the second column. A guaranteed cent beats 1.7 cents you never collect.
Ready to see which card matches your spending? Compare business cards by category, then check the valuation table before you redeem anything.
Frequently asked questions
What is the average value of a credit card point? For business cards, about 1.6 to 1.8 cents on a transfer in the major flexible programs, and a flat 1.0 cent for cash back. Hotel currencies run lower: roughly 0.8 cents for Marriott and 0.6 cents for IHG.
How often do these valuations change? We restate them quarterly. Award prices move continuously, transfer ratios rarely, so treat every figure as an estimate and confirm current pricing before you transfer.
Are points taxable income for my business? Rewards earned on business spending are generally treated as a purchase rebate rather than income, but the treatment depends on your books and your situation. Ask your accountant rather than a rewards site.
Rewards depend on the card, your spending and your eligibility. Our valuations are estimates, reviewed quarterly, not quotes.