The Three Levels of Points Optimization

🎧 Always Turn Left: Unlock Hidden Profits Your Business Credit Card Points Are Untapped ROI

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Most business owners treat points and miles like frosting. Sweet, but optional.
They shouldn't.

Because if you’re spending $50,000 a month on business credit cards and getting 1.5% cashback, you’re getting $9,000 a year in return. That’s fine. But fine doesn’t scale.

At UpNonStop, we help businesses unlock between $25,000 and $100,000 a year in strategic value - not just points. And no, this isn't theoretical. It’s operational.

The single biggest mindset shift we push our clients to make is this:
Stop treating your points like a reward. Start treating them like ROI.

Why This Matters More Than Ever

There are over 33 million small businesses in the U.S. today. Most of them use credit cards for everyday spend: software, inventory, travel, supplies, ad campaigns, client entertainment, and more. But less than 5% of those businesses have any system in place to track or optimize their rewards earnings - let alone their redemptions.

In 2024 alone, U.S. businesses left an estimated $20 billion in potential travel redemptions on the table. That’s not an exaggeration.

Let’s walk through why this matters, what you’re likely missing, and how a simple reframing of your points as a budget line item can completely transform the ROI of your credit card strategy.

The Typical Mistake: Thinking of Points as Icing

Let’s say your company spends $75,000 a month - across paid ads, inventory, and SaaS. You’re using a flat 2% cashback card like Capital One Spark or Amex Blue Business Cash. At the end of the year, you’ve earned $18,000 back. Feels like a win.

But then what? You sweep it into your bank account, maybe offset a few expenses, and move on. No tracking. No forecasting. No optimization.

Compare that to one of our recent clients - a B2B marketing agency in Florida. Similar spend: $900,000 a year. But they used the Chase Ink system strategically, paired with the right transfer partners, and executed a redemption strategy. In one year:

• They booked $64,000 worth of international business class travel.
• Sent two execs to Europe for a major client summit.
• Took the team on a Presidents Club trip to Maui, all on points.

They didn’t treat points as a cherry on top. They treated them like budget.

Points Are a Form of Non-Taxable Business Yield

If you’re a small business owner, you track every metric that matters: revenue, expenses, profit margins, labor costs, ad ROAS, churn.

But your points? They sit ignored. Even when they hold tens of thousands of dollars in potential value.

Here’s the catch:

• Points earned through business spend are not considered taxable income.
• Redemptions - especially for travel - can offset large operational costs.
• And, when structured correctly, they can return 5–10x more value than cashback.

Let’s break that down:

You’d never accept 1/3 of the ROI on your ad campaigns. Why accept it here?

Real-World Case Studies

Let’s walk through how real SMBs have turned points into a true line item in their financial plan.

1. Plumbing & HVAC Company – Pennsylvania

• Monthly Card Spend: $45,000
• Pre-Optimization: Using Amex Blue Business Cash, earning 2% back = $10,800/year
• Post-Optimization: Switched to Chase Ink Preferred + Amex Business Gold
• Redemption Strategy: ANA business class to Japan, Hyatt redemptions, Iberia biz class to Spain
• Annual Redemption Value: $31,400
• ROI Improvement: 290%

Their CEO now builds travel redemptions into team incentive programs.

2. Legal Consultancy – Texas

• Monthly Card Spend: $80,000
• Pre-Optimization: 1.5% cashback on Bank of America Business Advantage
• Post-Optimization: Combined Chase Ink Preferred + Amex Platinum
• Redemption Strategy: Delta One to London for conferences, Marriott Bonvoy for extended stays
• Annual Redemption Value: $56,700
• ROI Improvement: 4x previous value

They didn’t spend more. They just spent smarter.

3. eCommerce Retailer – California

• Monthly Card Spend: $125,000
• Pre-Optimization: No card strategy. Random points across 5 programs.
• Post-Optimization: Consolidated to Amex Membership Rewards ecosystem
• Redemption Strategy: Emirates First, Centurion Lounges, Four Seasons transfers via Fine Hotels + Resorts
• Annual Redemption Value: $103,200
• ROI Improvement: 8.6x from prior year

They now project points into their annual travel budgets.

Tracking Points Like a P&L Line Item

Here’s how we advise SMBs to start treating points like real assets:

1. Create a Points Balance Sheet

Track how many points you earn monthly across each currency (Chase, Amex, Capital One, Citi, airline, hotel). Treat this like a P&L:

• Earnings
• Transfers
• Redemptions
• Outstanding balances

2. Map Spend to Strategy

For example:

• Ad Spend → Use Amex Business Gold (4x on top categories)
• Shipping → Use Chase Ink Preferred (3x)
• Dining/Travel → Use Capital One Spark Travel Elite

Every dollar has a best-use card.

3. Forecast Redemptions

Instead of waiting for “free trips,” reverse-engineer value:

• Want to fly 4 people to Europe in business class?
• Budget: 320,000 points round-trip x 4 = 1.28M points
• Timeline: 12 months
• Strategy: Earn ~110,000 points/month (easily doable for $60K+ spend)

Now you’ve made points part of your financial plan - not just a surprise.

What Most Accountants and Advisors Get Wrong

Your CPA may be telling you that cashback is easier. And sure, it’s simple. But simple doesn't mean optimal.

Here’s the honest math:

• 1.5% to 2% cashback is guaranteed but capped.
• Strategic point redemptions can deliver 5% to 10%+ in non-taxable value - when guided.

The key isn’t just the card. It’s the system:

• Matching spend to bonus categories
• Using transfer partners smartly
• Timing your redemptions with airline schedules, award charts, and seasonal demand

Most advisors don’t specialize in this. We do.

The 3 Levels of Points Optimization

Not every SMB needs to max out every redemption. But every SMB should know where they stand:

Level 1: Passive Earners

• Use a single flat-rate card (e.g., 2% cashback)
• No tracking, no redemptions
• Leaving 60–80% of possible value on the table

Level 2: Strategic Earners

• Use 2–3 cards to match categories
• Points centralized in one program (e.g., Amex MR)
• Redemptions are occasional but high-value
• Capture 50–70% of total potential value

Level 3: Redemption-Focused Earners

• Use 4–5 cards, optimized by department or spend type
• Annual travel budget built around redemptions
• Track redemptions like expenses
• Capture 80–100% of potential value

Most UpNonStop clients sit between Level 2 and 3 - and the ROI is meaningful.

What Could You Do With an Extra $50K a Year?

We ask this question on nearly every strategy call:
If we helped you unlock an extra $50,000 in non-taxable travel value every year - what would you do with it?

The answers vary:

• Send your sales team to conferences instead of skipping them
• Upgrade your own travel to business class and actually arrive rested
• Reward your top employees with incentive trips
• Run in-person retreats that actually energize your leadership team
• Take your family to the Maldives, guilt-free

This isn’t luxury for luxury’s sake. This is operational leverage.

Final Thoughts: Points Are Profit - If You Treat Them That Way

You wouldn’t ignore $25,000 in unclaimed revenue.
You wouldn’t forget to bill a client.
You wouldn’t leave budget sitting idle.

But if you’re not tracking, planning, and redeeming your points with intention - you’re doing exactly that.

Award travel redemptions aren’t fluff. They’re a tool. One that can add real financial, emotional, and operational ROI to your business.

And yes, the best part? You don’t have to figure this all out yourself.

Ready to see how much value your business could unlock?
Book a free Points Profit Audit with UpNonStop.
We’ll walk through your current spend, your current cards, and your untapped redemptions - and give you a clear number:

• What you’ve earned
• What you’ve left behind
• And what you could gain, starting this quarter

Because points aren't the icing.
They're a budget line item.
And the smartest business owners are already using them that way.