Business credit cards come with a host of benefits that can offset the fees you pay to hold them. But if you want to really get outsize value on your investment, the key is redeeming your points or miles in a smart way.
Business owners spend much of their time figuring out how to make their companies more successful — and a rewards strategy is often part of that. After many of my calls with fellow entrepreneurs, I get the same quick question: "Hey, Ed, when you get a chance, can you tell me how to use these points I've been earning?"
Most business owners don't want to spend hours decoding the world of points and miles — they just want clear, practical advice on getting the most value from their rewards. While there's no single, short answer, there are straightforward ways to maximize what you've already earned.
Let's take a look at three of the most popular programs — Chase Ultimate Rewards, American Express Membership Rewards and Capital One miles. Each offers different types of value for business owners, and understanding how to redeem strategically can help you turn everyday spending into meaningful travel rewards without overcomplicating things.
Chase Ultimate Rewards
Airfare: Chase is transitioning from its long-standing redemption structure to a new feature called Points Boost, which changes how much value you get when redeeming through the Chase Travel℠ portal. The specifics depend on when you opened your account, but we're seeing some truly valuable redemptions these days with this option.
Where Chase really shines is with its airline transfer partners — including United Airlines MileagePlus, British Airways Club and Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer — allowing you to find award seats first, then transfer points once you've confirmed availability. Tools like Points Path (for quick redemption value checks) and TPG's monthly valuations can help you determine the best move.
Hotels: Chase offers one of the strongest lineups of hotel transfer partners: World of Hyatt, Marriott Bonvoy and IHG One Rewards. World of Hyatt, in particular, delivers some of the best cents-per-point value in the industry. You can also explore The Edit by Chase Travel, a curated collection that sometimes offers outsize value for specific stays. As always, compare cash versus points — with Hyatt especially, the math often favors using points.
American Express Membership Rewards
Airfare: Amex's standout partner is Delta Air Lines SkyMiles, making it ideal for U.S.-based business travelers. For international trips, Air Canada Aeroplan and other partners open up valuable global routes. The Business Platinum Card® from American Express also offers a 35% points bonus when you book flights through Amex Travel — a powerful perk that helps offset the card's premium annual fee.
Hotels: Amex points transfer to Hilton Honors and Marriott Bonvoy, two of the world's largest hotel networks. Transfers become especially rewarding during periodic transfer bonuses, when your points stretch further. Both programs also offer a fifth night free on award stays — a great way to maximize longer trips. That said, you may find better cents-per-point value redeeming for airfare and paying cash for hotel stays, depending on rates.
Capital One miles
Airfare: Capital One keeps things simple: Several Capital One cards earn 2 miles per dollar spent on every purchase, and the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card and Capital One Venture X Business earn higher rates when booking flights through Capital One Travel. If you prefer flexibility, you can redeem miles as a statement credit to make your flight charges disappear. While Capital One's list of transfer partners has expanded, it doesn't yet include a major U.S.-based airline — so using the portal or statement credit option is often the easiest route.
Hotels: For lodging, Capital One's program offers impressive flexibility. Depending on the card, you can earn 5 miles or even 10 miles per dollar spent on hotels and vacation rentals, and you can then redeem miles for a statement credit to reimburse yourself for those charges. This approach is ideal for business owners who prefer staying at independent or boutique hotels rather than sticking with one chain.
Bottom line
For business travel, Chase and Amex stand out thanks to their domestic airline partners and flexible award policies. Capital One, meanwhile, wins for simplicity and easy redemptions. When it comes to hotels, Chase's Hyatt partnership offers top-tier value, Amex's transfer bonuses add upside for redemptions, and Capital One's reimbursement option gives you ultimate flexibility.
By applying the same principles you use to run a successful business, you can make sure your credit card spending works just as hard for you. Business owners are uniquely positioned to leverage points and miles for outsize rewards — it just takes learning a few basic rules of the game.
Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
