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What Are Your Points Worth Each Way You Can Use Them?

Enter your points balance and what each option pays per point. See five ways to use the same points ranked by dollar value: cash, gift cards, the card’s travel portal, transferring to an airline or hotel, and paying with points at checkout.

Quick answer: Compare five ways to use the same credit card points: cash, gift cards, the travel portal, transfer partners and pay with points at checkout, ranked by dollar value. Enter Points you have, Cash or statement credit (cents per point), Gift cards (cents per point), and Card travel portal (cents per point) to personalize the estimate. It returns Best use of these points, Gain over cashing out, and Worst use of these points so you can compare the impact before choosing a next step. Use it to compare payment, APR, total cost, credit impact, and lender or card tradeoffs.

Read the guide: ways to redeem rewards, ranked

SWReviewed by SwitchWize Research Desk · Last reviewed November 4, 2026
Your situation
Alternatives

Some cards pay more than 1 cent in their own portal. Check your card.

Prefilled from SwitchWize points values where available. Use the value of a booking you would really make.

$

Your decision

Transfer to an airline or hotel is worth the most: about $900 for 60,000 points, $300 more than cashing out. Pay with points at checkout is worth the least at $480.

Recommended: Transfer to an airline or hotel

Best use of these points

Good

Transfer to an airline or hotel

$900

At the values per point you entered.

Gain over cashing out

Good

$300

vs cash or statement credit

What the best route adds over the simplest one.

Worst use of these points

Watch

Pay with points at checkout

$480

The route that pays the least at your inputs.

Cash value of your points

$600

1.00 cents each

Your floor. Any other use should beat this to be worth the effort.

Ranked options

  1. #1Transfer to an airline or hotel

    $900 at 1.50 cents per point. Highest ceiling, but you need award seats on dates you want. Transfers usually cannot be undone.

    Confidence: MediumEffort: HighRisk: Medium

  2. #2Cash or statement credit

    $600 at 1.00 cents per point. Simplest. The value you get anywhere, any time.

    Confidence: HighEffort: LowRisk: Low

  3. #3Gift cards

    $600 at 1.00 cents per point. Only worth it at a store you already shop at.

    Confidence: HighEffort: LowRisk: Low

  4. #4Issuer's travel portal

    $600 at 1.00 cents per point. Book flights or hotels through the card website at a set value per point.

    Confidence: HighEffort: MediumRisk: Low

  5. #5Pay with points at checkout

    $480 at 0.80 cents per point. Convenient at online stores, but often pays less than cash.

    Confidence: HighEffort: LowRisk: Low

Watch-outs

  • • Paying with points at checkout gives up $120 compared with cashing out.

Assumptions used

Points balance
60,000
Cash value per point
1.00 cents
Gift card value per point
1.00 cents
Portal value per point
1.00 cents
Transfer value per point
1.50 cents
Cash taxes and fees on the award
$0
Pay-with-points value per point
0.80 cents

Estimates use the amounts and assumptions you enter. Confirm the rules and your circumstances before acting.

Next steps

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Why this matters

The same 60,000 points can be worth $480 or more than $900 depending on how you use them. Paying with points at an online store often gives less than cashing out. Transferring to an airline can give more, but only for a trip you would really take, and the taxes on the award count against it. Seeing every option side by side shows how much the choice is worth before you click redeem.

Frequently asked questions

What is cents per point?
It is how much one point is worth in cash. If 10,000 points buys a $150 flight, each point was worth 1.5 cents.
Why is pay-with-points often the worst option?
Many programs pay less than 1 cent per point at online stores. You would get more by cashing out and paying with the cash.
Should I always transfer to airlines?
Only if the flight you can book is one you would really buy and the value beats cash by enough to be worth the effort. Transfers usually cannot be reversed.
Where does the transfer value come from?
You can type your own. Where SwitchWize has an observed value from real award prices, the page fills it in. Our full values are on the points valuations page.
Do gift cards ever beat cash?
Sometimes a program runs a gift card sale that pays a little more than 1 cent. It only helps if you shop at that store anyway.

This tool produces estimates based on the assumptions you enter. It is not financial, tax, or legal advice. Actual rates, fees, and outcomes depend on your lender, account terms, and approval.