# Points or Cash

> Points or Cash helps travelers decide whether to use credit card points or pay cash for a trip. It compares award seats, cash fares and transfer partners, values each option in cents per point, and weighs travel time and hassle. Data is researched and dated (transfer ratios and award prices as of 2026-11-01); award availability changes daily, so confirm on the program's site before transferring points.

## Tools
- [Points or cash calculator](https://pointsorcash.app/points-vs-cash-calculator): cents per point = (cash price - award fees - cash back given up) / points x 100. About 0.6-1.1 cents is a cash-out floor; 1.25-1.75 cents is a good redemption. Points and cash buy the same flight, so they have the same emissions.

- [MCP server](https://pointsorcash.app/mcp-server): add https://pointsorcash.app/mcp to Claude, ChatGPT or any MCP client for these tools: transfer_options, award_chart, points_value, cashback_cards, lounges.

## Data
- [Transfer partners by airline and hotel](https://pointsorcash.app/transfer-to): for each airline or hotel program (e.g. https://pointsorcash.app/transfer-to/united), every credit card currency that transfers there, the ratio, what 10,000 points become, and which major banks do not transfer there.
- [Amex points to Avios calculator](https://pointsorcash.app/amex-to-avios): Membership Rewards to Avios by issuing country (US and UK 1:1, Germany/France/Netherlands 5:4, Belgium 3:2), live bonuses, how to transfer.
- [Private jet airports by city](https://pointsorcash.app/private-airports): business aviation airports and private terminals for Brussels, Paris, London, Amsterdam, Geneva, Nice, New York, Los Angeles, Miami and Dubai, with customs and runway length.
- [Reizen vanuit België (Nederlands)](https://pointsorcash.app/nl) and [Voyager depuis la Belgique (français)](https://pointsorcash.app/fr): train or plane from Brussels, Brussels Airport lounges and EU261 compensation, in Dutch and French.
- [Points Ratio Index](https://pointsorcash.app/points-ratio-index): how many airline miles one bank point becomes, by bank and country (US banks; Amex and Revolut in Europe, ranked; plus banks in Canada, Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong, India and the UAE, listed separately), plus every partner ratio in one grid. Sourced, dated, free to cite (CC BY 4.0).
- [Points and miles statistics](https://pointsorcash.app/points-statistics): short sourced statistics (transfer ratios US vs Europe, Amex Flying Blue ratio by country, transfer bonuses, train vs plane, EU261), each with a date, source and permalink. Downloads: https://pointsorcash.app/data/points-ratio-index.json, https://pointsorcash.app/data/points-ratio-index.csv, https://pointsorcash.app/data/transfer-bonuses.csv (CC BY 4.0).
- [Countries](https://pointsorcash.app/countries): per country, the airports and lounges covered, home airlines and their loyalty programs, and the card points currencies issued to residents.
- [Features](https://pointsorcash.app/features): what Points or Cash and Mila do, with what is live, what needs an invite and what is coming.
- [News](https://pointsorcash.app/news): dated, sourced posts on changes to points programs and travel rules (RSS: https://pointsorcash.app/news/rss.xml).
- [Eurostar to London now costs 10% more points. Revolut is the cheapest way in.](https://pointsorcash.app/news/club-eurostar-london-points-up-revolut-cheapest): Since 29 October a one-way Value ticket to or from London costs 1,100 Club Eurostar points. Routes that skip London didn't change.
- [The ESTA now costs $40.62, and copycat sites still charge more](https://pointsorcash.app/news/esta-fee-now-40-62): The fee went up on 16 October with the US government's yearly inflation adjustment. A refused application costs $10.62.
- [Global Entry isn't open to Belgians. Use the free Mobile Passport Control app instead.](https://pointsorcash.app/news/global-entry-belgians-use-mobile-passport-control): Dutch and German passport holders can apply for Global Entry. Belgians can't, but from their second ESTA trip the free MPC app gets them into a faster line.
- [Flying Blue's cheapest business awards now come without the lounge](https://pointsorcash.app/news/flying-blue-light-standard-flex-awards): Since 8 September, Air France and KLM awards come in three fare types. The old saver price is now called Light, and it includes less.
- [Dutch Amex points now buy 37.5% fewer Flying Blue miles](https://pointsorcash.app/news/amex-netherlands-flying-blue-2-to-1): Since 1 July, Amex Netherlands transfers to Flying Blue at 2:1, the same as Belgium. The UK is 1:1; France and Germany 5:4.
- [Company airline rewards](https://pointsorcash.app/company-programs): how bluebiz (Air France-KLM, about 3% of the fare back), Lufthansa PartnerPlusBenefit and BA On Business pay a company on top of the traveller's own miles, with thresholds, expiry and how to join.
- [Passport Index](https://pointsorcash.app/passport-index): every passport ranked by how many countries it can enter without a visa arranged in advance (visa free, on arrival or an online authorisation), with the full list of no-visa, e-visa and visa countries per passport. Updated weekly from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).
- [Before you fly to the US](https://pointsorcash.app/us-entry): ESTA or visa by passport, the Mobile Passport Control app (free; returning ESTA travellers, US citizens and residents, Canadians) and Global Entry (23 partner countries, not Belgium), with official links. Dutch: https://pointsorcash.app/nl/naar-de-vs, French: https://pointsorcash.app/fr/entrer-aux-etats-unis.
- [Club Eurostar](https://pointsorcash.app/programs/club-eurostar): reward ticket prices after the 29 October 2026 London increase, status tiers, 24-month expiry, sharing rules and transfers (Revolut 10:1, UK Amex 15:1, Belgian and French Amex 20:1). Also in [Dutch](https://pointsorcash.app/nl/club-eurostar) and [French](https://pointsorcash.app/fr/club-eurostar).
- [Amex in Europe](https://pointsorcash.app/programs/amex-europe): Amex Membership Rewards transfer ratios compared across Belgium, the Netherlands, the UK, France and Germany.

## Credit card points
- [American Express Membership Rewards transfer partners](https://pointsorcash.app/programs/amex-mr): 20 partners with ratios, best uses, recent changes
- [Chase Ultimate Rewards transfer partners](https://pointsorcash.app/programs/chase-ur): 14 partners with ratios, best uses, recent changes
- [Capital One Miles transfer partners](https://pointsorcash.app/programs/capital-one): 22 partners with ratios, best uses, recent changes
- [Citi ThankYou Rewards transfer partners](https://pointsorcash.app/programs/citi-ty): 21 partners with ratios, best uses, recent changes
- [Bilt Rewards transfer partners](https://pointsorcash.app/programs/bilt): 26 partners with ratios, best uses, recent changes
- [Wells Fargo Rewards transfer partners](https://pointsorcash.app/programs/wells-fargo): 10 partners with ratios, best uses, recent changes
- [U.S. Bank Altitude Rewards (legacy Altitude Reserve / FlexPerks only) transfer partners](https://pointsorcash.app/programs/us-bank): 5 partners with ratios, best uses, recent changes

## Airline programs
- [Air Canada Aeroplan award chart](https://pointsorcash.app/programs/aeroplan): miles needed by region, sweet spots, which cards transfer in
- [United MileagePlus award chart](https://pointsorcash.app/programs/united): miles needed by region, sweet spots, which cards transfer in
- [Atmos Rewards (Alaska + Hawaiian) award chart](https://pointsorcash.app/programs/alaska): miles needed by region, sweet spots, which cards transfer in
- [American Airlines AAdvantage award chart](https://pointsorcash.app/programs/american): miles needed by region, sweet spots, which cards transfer in
- [Delta SkyMiles award chart](https://pointsorcash.app/programs/delta): miles needed by region, sweet spots, which cards transfer in
- [Air France-KLM Flying Blue award chart](https://pointsorcash.app/programs/flyingblue): miles needed by region, sweet spots, which cards transfer in
- [British Airways Club (Avios) award chart](https://pointsorcash.app/programs/avios-ba): miles needed by region, sweet spots, which cards transfer in
- [Qatar Airways Privilege Club (Avios) award chart](https://pointsorcash.app/programs/qatar): miles needed by region, sweet spots, which cards transfer in
- [Virgin Atlantic Flying Club award chart](https://pointsorcash.app/programs/virginatlantic): miles needed by region, sweet spots, which cards transfer in
- [ANA Mileage Club award chart](https://pointsorcash.app/programs/ana): miles needed by region, sweet spots, which cards transfer in
- [Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer award chart](https://pointsorcash.app/programs/singapore): miles needed by region, sweet spots, which cards transfer in
- [Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles award chart](https://pointsorcash.app/programs/turkish): miles needed by region, sweet spots, which cards transfer in
- [Cathay Pacific Asia Miles award chart](https://pointsorcash.app/programs/cathay): miles needed by region, sweet spots, which cards transfer in
- [Emirates Skywards award chart](https://pointsorcash.app/programs/emirates): miles needed by region, sweet spots, which cards transfer in
- [JetBlue TrueBlue award chart](https://pointsorcash.app/programs/jetblue): miles needed by region, sweet spots, which cards transfer in
- [Avianca LifeMiles award chart](https://pointsorcash.app/programs/lifemiles): miles needed by region, sweet spots, which cards transfer in
- [Etihad Guest award chart](https://pointsorcash.app/programs/etihad): miles needed by region, sweet spots, which cards transfer in
- [Qantas Frequent Flyer award chart](https://pointsorcash.app/programs/qantas): miles needed by region, sweet spots, which cards transfer in
- [Virgin Australia Velocity Frequent Flyer award chart](https://pointsorcash.app/programs/velocity): miles needed by region, sweet spots, which cards transfer in
- [Lufthansa Miles & More award chart](https://pointsorcash.app/programs/miles-and-more): miles needed by region, sweet spots, which cards transfer in

## Guides
- [Airport lounges](https://pointsorcash.app/lounges): lounge access by card (Amex Platinum, Sapphire Reserve, Venture X and more) and by airport (45 airports), with guest rules and 2025-2026 changes
- [First class with points](https://pointsorcash.app/first-class): the seat, the lounge on the ground, and how to book each product with points. A first-class seat takes more of the aircraft per person than economy; paying with points does not change the emissions.
- [Who it's for](https://pointsorcash.app/for): first redemptions, families, business class, optimizers, business travelers
- [Comparisons](https://pointsorcash.app/alternatives): Points or Cash vs point.me, seats.aero, Roame, PointsYeah, AwardTool, Gondola, Mindtrip, Layla, Wanderlog, ChatGPT