Question 1

What is RewardZ Travel?

Accepted Answer

RewardZ Travel is a free platform that helps you maximize your credit card points, airline miles, and hotel rewards. We combine award flight search, credit card comparisons, points valuations, transfer bonus tracking, and a rewards wallet into one place, so you don't need a dozen different sites.

Question 2

Is RewardZ Travel really free?

Accepted Answer

Yes, completely free. We earn revenue through affiliate partnerships with credit card issuers. When you apply for a card through our links, we may receive a commission. This never affects our editorial recommendations, we always recommend the best card for your situation.

Question 3

Do I need an account to use the site?

Accepted Answer

No. You can browse verified sweet-spot redemptions, compare cards, check valuations, and track transfer bonuses without signing up. Creating a free account lets you save your rewards portfolio in the wallet, track credit card benefits, and set award alerts.

Question 4

What are points and miles worth?

Accepted Answer

It depends on the program and how you redeem. A Chase Ultimate Rewards point is worth about 2 cents when transferred to travel partners, while a Hilton Honors point is worth about 0.5 cents. Check our Valuations page for current values across all 56 programs.

Question 5

I'm brand new to points and miles. Where do I actually start?

Accepted Answer

Start at /start-here for a five-step path: pick a flexible-points starter card (Chase Sapphire Preferred or Capital One Venture), hit the sign-up bonus on normal spending in 90 days, list your existing balances in the rewards wallet, run the card match quiz, then search a real trip you actually want to take on /sweet-spots. The biggest mistake new players make is hoarding points without a redemption goal. Pick one trip first, then earn toward it.

Question 6

What is the Chase 5/24 rule and does it apply to me?

Accepted Answer

Chase will usually deny new credit card applications if you've opened 5 or more personal cards from any issuer in the past 24 months. Business cards from most issuers (Amex, Chase, Citi, Capital One) do not count toward 5/24 because they don't report to your personal credit. If you're new to points and miles, start with Chase cards first while you're still under 5/24, then move to Amex and Citi later. Our card match quiz at /credit-cards/quiz factors application order into its recommendations.

Question 7

In what order should I apply for travel credit cards?

Accepted Answer

The most common starting order is Chase first (because of 5/24), then Amex, then Citi, then Capital One, then co-brand cards last. Chase Sapphire Preferred or Chase Ink Preferred is a typical first card because Ultimate Rewards transfer to the broadest mix of valuable partners. After your second or third card, apply for cards based on category bonuses you actually spend in. Use /credit-cards/compare to line up two cards side by side before deciding.

Question 8

Will applying for a credit card hurt my credit score?

Accepted Answer

A single application drops your score by roughly 3 to 8 points and recovers within a few months. The bigger long-term factor is your average age of accounts, which goes down when you open new cards. If you're planning a mortgage in the next 12 months, pause new applications. Outside of that window, responsibly cycling through travel cards generally has a positive net effect on your score because of higher total credit limits and on-time payment history.

Question 9

Should I cancel a card before the annual fee posts?

Accepted Answer

Usually no, downgrade or product-change first. Most issuers will let you switch a premium card to a no-fee version in the same family (Sapphire Reserve to Sapphire Preferred to Freedom, Platinum to Green to Gold) which keeps your account age and credit line intact. Cancel only when no downgrade option exists or when keeping the card hurts your 5/24 count for a future application. Check the card's detail page under /credit-cards for downgrade paths before you call.

Question 10

What's a referral bonus and how do I use them strategically?

Accepted Answer

Most issuers (Amex, Chase, Capital One, Citi) pay you 10,000 to 25,000 points when a household member or friend signs up for a card through your referral link. Refer your spouse or partner first, you can re-refer them every few years as their account ages and they cycle through new cards. Always check /credit-cards for our current public offer before using a referral, because public offers occasionally beat the referral bonus.

Question 11

What is two-player mode and is it worth it?

Accepted Answer

Two-player mode is when a couple or household applies for cards in parallel so they double their sign-up bonuses and can pool points within the same program (Chase, Amex, Capital One, Bilt all allow household pooling). The math is simple: two people earning a 75,000-point bonus each beats one person earning 150,000 because issuers cap bonuses by person and by lifetime. If both adults have good credit, every applicable card should be applied for by both, staggered 90 days apart.

Question 12

How does the sweet-spot library work?

Accepted Answer

Enter your origin, destination, travel date, cabin class, and number of passengers. Our engine searches pricing across 25+ loyalty programs simultaneously and shows you every option sorted by best value (cents per point). Each result shows which credit card points can book that flight through transfer partners.

Question 13

Is the award availability real-time?

Accepted Answer

Our search shows published award chart pricing from each program, which reflects what you'd actually pay in points. To confirm a specific seat is open on your dates, click Book to open the airline's own award search and complete the reservation there.

Question 14

What does CPP mean?

Accepted Answer

CPP stands for Cents Per Point. It measures the value you get per point when redeeming. For example, if you use 50,000 points on a flight that costs $1,000 cash, you're getting 2.0 CPP ($1,000 ÷ 50,000 × 100). Higher CPP = better value. Use our Points Calculator on the Valuations page to see what your balance is worth.

Question 15

Why is the search one-way only?

Accepted Answer

Most award programs price flights one-way, and searching separately lets you mix programs for the best deal. You might book outbound with United miles and return with Aeroplan, saving thousands of points compared to booking round-trip through one program.

Question 16

What are the transfer partner cards shown under each flight?

Accepted Answer

When you see 'Chase UR,' 'Amex MR,' etc. under a flight, those are credit card programs whose points transfer to the airline program at a 1:1 ratio. If a flight costs 60,000 United miles, you can transfer 60,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points to United to book it. We show every credit card path to every flight.

Question 17

How do I use points for hotels, and is it ever better than paying cash?

Accepted Answer

Hotel points beat cash when the cash rate is high (peak season, sold-out cities, aspirational properties) and lose when the cash rate is low and you'd earn elite status credits. Best-value programs are World of Hyatt (1.7 to 2 cents per point), Bilt (transferred to Hyatt), and Marriott or Hilton for top-tier properties. Skip cash-equivalent redemptions like Marriott's gift card option or Hilton's pay-with-points feature, they cap out around 0.4 cents per point. See blended values for every hotel program on /valuations.

Question 18

What is dynamic award pricing and which programs use it?

Accepted Answer

Dynamic pricing means the airline sets award costs based on cash fare and demand instead of a fixed chart, so the same flight can cost 25,000 miles one day and 80,000 the next. Delta SkyMiles, United MileagePlus (most routes), JetBlue TrueBlue, and Southwest Rapid Rewards are fully dynamic. Fixed-chart programs like Air Canada Aeroplan, Avianca LifeMiles, Turkish Miles & Smiles, and Alaska Mileage Plan are usually better value for premium cabins. Our sweet-spots library at /sweet-spots prioritizes fixed-chart programs for that reason.

Question 19

How far in advance should I book award flights?

Accepted Answer

Most airlines release award space 330 to 360 days before departure, and premium-cabin seats often disappear within hours. For aspirational redemptions like ANA First, Lufthansa First, or Emirates business, set an alert and search the moment the schedule opens. For domestic and short-haul flights, last-minute (inside 14 days) is often when partner programs release extra inventory. Sign in and use the award alerts feature on /sweet-spots to watch a route automatically.

Question 20

What are taxes and fees on award tickets?

Accepted Answer

Award tickets always have taxes and fees on top of the points price, ranging from $5.60 on a domestic US flight to $1,500-plus on a British Airways business class redemption from London. The worst offenders for fuel surcharges are British Airways, Lufthansa, Virgin Atlantic, and ANA on certain routes. To avoid them, book partner award space through programs that don't pass on fuel surcharges, such as Aeroplan, United, Avianca LifeMiles, or Alaska. Each result on /sweet-spots shows estimated taxes alongside the points cost when available.

Question 21

Can I book award flights for someone else?

Accepted Answer

Yes, every major program lets you book award tickets for anyone, you just add their name as the passenger during booking. A few programs (Air Canada Aeroplan, Singapore KrisFlyer, Emirates Skywards) used to restrict redemptions to a named family list, but most have relaxed those rules. Some hotel programs (Hyatt, Marriott) let you transfer points to another member's account once per 30 days. Check the airline's rules before transferring points if you're booking for a non-family member.

Question 22

What's the difference between a positioning flight, an open jaw, and a stopover?

Accepted Answer

A positioning flight is a cheap separate ticket you buy to reach the city where your award originates (for example, flying cash to LA so you can use an Asia-departing award). An open jaw is when your outbound and return use different cities (fly into Paris, home from Rome). A stopover is a free or cheap pause at a connection point, often 24-plus hours, that some programs (Aeroplan, Alaska, ANA) allow on a single award. Aeroplan permits one stopover for 5,000 extra points, which can effectively buy you two trips on one award.

Question 23

What does good availability look like and how do I know if my redemption is a fair deal?

Accepted Answer

A fair redemption typically clears 1.5 cents per point on economy and 4 to 8 cents per point on business or first class. Below 1 cent on any cabin, you're usually better off paying cash and saving the points. Use the points calculator at /tools/points-calculator to plug in your balance, the program, and the cash price you'd otherwise pay, it returns the cents-per-point and tells you if it beats our blended valuation.

Question 24

How do you decide which cards to recommend?

Accepted Answer

We evaluate cards based on sign-up bonus value, ongoing earning rates, annual fee vs. benefits value, transfer partner flexibility, and real-world usability. Affiliate compensation does not influence our rankings or editorial recommendations.

Question 25

What is the credit tracker?

Accepted Answer

Many premium cards have use-it-or-lose-it perks that reset monthly, quarterly, or annually, like the $15/month Uber Cash on the Amex Platinum or the $300 annual travel credit on the Chase Sapphire Reserve. Our credit tracker on each card's detail page lets you check off perks as you use them so you never leave money on the table.

Question 26

How does the Card Match Quiz work?

Accepted Answer

Answer 6 quick questions about your spending habits, travel frequency, fee preference, and goals. Our algorithm scores every card in our database against your answers and shows you the top 5 matches with detailed explanations of why each card fits.

Question 27

Should I get a travel card or cash back card?

Accepted Answer

If you travel at least 2-3 times per year, a travel rewards card almost always beats cash back. Transfer partners let you get 2-10x the value of a straight cash redemption. If you rarely travel, a flat 2% cash back card like Citi Double Cash or Wells Fargo Active Cash is the better play.

Question 28

What is the minimum spend requirement on a sign-up bonus and how do I hit it without overspending?

Accepted Answer

Most sign-up bonuses require $3,000 to $8,000 in spend during the first 3 months. Stick to expenses you'd already make: groceries, gas, utilities on autopay, rent (where allowed), insurance premiums, prepay annual subscriptions, and shift household bills to the new card. Never manufacture spend you can't pay off in full, the interest will erase the bonus value in two months. Track your progress in the credits and benefits tracker at /my-cards/credits once you have an account.

Question 29

What's the difference between transferable points, airline miles, and hotel points?

Accepted Answer

Transferable points (Chase UR, Amex MR, Citi TY, Capital One miles, Bilt) are flexible bank currencies you can move to 15-plus airline and hotel partners. Airline miles and hotel points sit in a single program and can only be used inside that program's award chart. Transferable points are almost always more valuable because you can wait until you find a sweet spot before committing to a program. Our /valuations page shows blended cents-per-point for all 56 programs we track.

Question 30

Can I earn points and miles from non-credit-card spending?

Accepted Answer

Yes, the biggest sources are dining rewards programs (Rewards Network powers AAdvantage Dining, Mileage Plus Dining, etc.), shopping portals (run by every major airline and bank), hotel and airline cobranded gift cards, and surveys or referrals. Adding a card to an airline dining program and eating where you'd already eat can earn 5x to 10x miles with zero extra spend. We don't run a portal ourselves, but our /strategy guides cover which portals to stack with which cards.

Question 31

How do I get airport lounge access with points and miles?

Accepted Answer

The most common paths are Priority Pass (included with Chase Sapphire Reserve, Amex Platinum business cards, Capital One Venture X), Amex Centurion Lounges (Amex Platinum and Business Platinum), Delta Sky Club (Amex Delta Reserve), United Club (United Club Infinite), and Admirals Club (Citi AAdvantage Executive). For occasional travelers, a Capital One Venture X at $395 with unlimited Priority Pass and Plaza Premium access is often the best math. Browse lounges by airport at /lounges.

Question 32

What is airline elite status and is it worth chasing?

Accepted Answer

Elite status earns you free upgrades, priority boarding, free checked bags, and bonus miles on every flight, but it usually requires 25,000-plus qualifying miles or 25-plus segments per year on a single airline. If you fly the same carrier 15-plus times a year for work, status pays for itself. If you're a once-a-month leisure traveler, a premium credit card (Sapphire Reserve, Amex Platinum, Venture X) gives you 80 percent of the perks without the loyalty lock-in. Compare programs on /status.

Question 33

What is the Rewards Wallet?

Accepted Answer

It's your personal dashboard to track points and miles balances across every loyalty program, airlines, hotels, and bank points. Add your programs, enter your balances, and see the total dollar value of your portfolio calculated using our blended CPP valuations. You'll also get alerts when points are about to expire.

Question 34

Can I export my wallet data?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Click the 'Export CSV' button on the wallet page to download your complete rewards portfolio as a spreadsheet with program names, balances, CPP values, estimated dollar values, and expiration dates.

Question 35

Do I need to enter my airline/hotel passwords?

Accepted Answer

No. The wallet is manual entry, you select a program and type your balance. We never ask for or store your loyalty program login credentials. Auto-sync with bank accounts via Plaid is on our roadmap for a future update.

Question 36

How are portfolio values calculated?

Accepted Answer

We multiply your balance by the program's CPP valuation (blended from Frequent Miler, One Mile at a Time, and Upgraded Points). For example, 100,000 Chase UR points × 1.73 CPP = $1,730 estimated value. See /valuations for the full methodology and per-source breakdown.

Question 37

What happens to my points if I don't use them, do they expire?

Accepted Answer

Most transferable bank points (Chase UR, Amex MR, Capital One, Bilt) never expire as long as your account is open and in good standing. Airline miles and hotel points usually expire after 12 to 24 months of inactivity, but a single qualifying transaction, such as earning miles on a dining program or transferring a few points in, resets the clock. The rewards wallet at /wallet tracks expiration dates per program so you get a warning before a balance disappears.

Question 38

What is a transfer bonus?

Accepted Answer

Banks like Chase, Amex, Citi, Capital One, and Bilt let you transfer points to airline and hotel partners. Occasionally they offer bonuses, for example, a 40% bonus when transferring Amex to British Airways. This means 100,000 MR points becomes 140,000 Avios. We track all active bonuses and verify against issuer sources before publishing.

Question 39

How often are transfer bonuses available?

Accepted Answer

There are almost always active transfer bonuses from at least one bank. Chase and Amex run them most frequently. Bilt has guaranteed bonuses on the 1st of every month (Transfer Day). We track all of them on our Transfer Bonuses page with expiration dates and tips on how to use each one.

Question 40

Should I transfer points just because there's a bonus?

Accepted Answer

No, only transfer when you have a specific redemption in mind. The bonus makes a good deal better, but it doesn't make a bad deal good. Find the flight or hotel you want to book first, confirm availability, then transfer. Points transfers are one-way and irreversible.

Question 41

Who runs RewardZ Travel?

Accepted Answer

RewardZ Travel was founded by a points and miles enthusiast with 30+ years of experience maximizing travel rewards. The platform was built to be the one-stop destination that brings every tool a rewards traveler needs into one place.

Question 42

How do you make money?

Accepted Answer

We earn commissions through affiliate partnerships with credit card issuers. When you apply for a card through our links and are approved, we may receive a commission. This never influences our editorial recommendations. See our Advertiser Disclosure for full details.

Question 43

Where does the news feed content come from?

Accepted Answer

Our news feed curates headlines and excerpts from top points and miles publications via their public RSS feeds, including The Points Guy, One Mile at a Time, Frequent Miler, and others. Every article links directly to the original source. We don't republish full articles.

Frequently asked questions.

Getting Started

Strategy & application rules

Sweet Spots

Award booking mechanics

Credit Cards

Earning & spending

Status & premium perks

Dashboard & Wallet

Transfer Bonuses

About & Legal

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