The UpNonStop RoS (Return on Spend): Your True Travel ROI
A clear, data-driven metric that reveals the true travel value of every business dollar. The UpNonStop RoS™ blends earning and redemption to show your precise return on spend - how each expense converts into measurable, first-class travel value and real financial gain.
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UpNonStop’s Return on Spend (RoS™) is a single, data-driven metric showing the real travel value a company earns for every dollar it puts on a credit card. It captures both sides of the game - how you accumulate points and how you redeem them - so you see the true yield, not just raw balances.
Unlike simple “points per dollar,” RoS™ blends your effective earn rate with the cents-per-point you achieve on redemptions. It factors in category bonuses, transfer partners, and live award pricing, giving a percentage return that’s directly comparable to other investments.
Businesses using RoS™ routinely discover double-digit returns on everyday spend. A $250K consulting firm can pull 8% value in premium flights, while a $1.2M plumbing company can hit nearly 12% by funneling purchases through the right cards and high-value redemptions.
By tracking RoS™ quarter after quarter, companies turn routine expenses into a predictable travel asset. It’s not a vanity stat - it’s a financial KPI that converts credit-card spend into measurable, compounding travel ROI.
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🎞️: Powered by NotebookLM @ UpNonStop
UpNonStop’s Return on Spend (RoS™) was built to reveal it.
RoS measures, in one number, how much real travel value you receive back for every dollar you spend - after optimizing both the earn side (points in) and the burn side (points out).
Where most companies stop at “points per dollar,” RoS finishes the job. It tells you, in dollars and cents, what your travel budget is really worth.
Why “Points per Dollar” Is a False Ceiling
Traditional metrics - cash-back percentages, bank statement credits, even airline mile balances - only track earning.
Example: Your business Amex might give 4x points on dining. Nice, but raw points are just a promise.
Without knowing how you’ll redeem those points - first-class flights, premium hotels, strategic transfers - the headline earn rate is meaningless.
A 4x card used for low-value redemptions (like gift cards at 0.7¢ per point) delivers a sad 2.8% return.
The same 4x spend redeemed for 2.0¢ international premium flights delivers 8%. That gap is the white space.
RoS closes it.
The Formula Behind RoS™
At its simplest:
RoS = (Dollar Value of Redemption ÷ Total Dollars Spent to Earn) × 100
But the UpNonStop methodology layers far more:
- Earn Multiplier: your blended effective earn rate across all cards, categories, and promos.
- Burn Multiplier: the cents-per-point you actually extract through strategic transfers and award bookings.
- Time & Cash Flow Adjustments: accounting for lag between spend and redemption, plus any fees.
The result is a true percentage return, comparable to any other business investment.
Designing the UpNonStop RoS Engine™
To build RoS into a product (and a moat) we needed three elements.
1. Dynamic Data Core
- Live Card Databases: every U.S. business card, every bonus category, updated daily.
- Award Valuation Feed: current cent-per-point benchmarks (Amex, Chase, Citi, airline and hotel currencies).
- Seat & Rate Availability: near-real-time award inventory to keep valuations honest.
This data forms the heartbeat. Without it, RoS is just a spreadsheet.
2. Algorithmic Layer
UpNonStop’s proprietary engine weighs:
- Category Mix: every merchant code in your ledger.
- Transfer Pathways: which partner yields the highest cents per point today, not last quarter.
- Devaluation Risk: time-discounting miles in programs likely to cut value.
This is where the intellectual property lives - and why we trademark UpNonStop RoS™ as both a score and a system.
3. User Interface
For Business owners, the output must be simple:
“Your company RoS this quarter: 11.2%.
For every $100,000 of card spend, you’ve created $11,200 of travel value.”
One number. Instant clarity.
Real-World Examples
Let’s see RoS in action.
Example 1: The Consulting Duo
Annual Spend: $250,000
Card Strategy: 3-card mix - Ink Preferred, Amex Blue Biz Plus, Capital One Venture X Biz.
Effective Earn: 4.1x average.
Redemption Strategy: Singapore KrisFlyer business class JFK–FRA at 2.1¢ per point.
RoS Calculation
Points earned: 1,025,000
Redemption value: $21,525
Return on Spend: 8.6%
Cash-back alternative at 2% would have delivered only $5,000.
Example 2: Regional Plumbing Company
Annual Spend: $1.2M (materials, fleet fuel, marketing)
Cards: Custom UpNonStop-guided mix, 5.2x blended earn.
Burn: Hyatt/Chase transfers at 2.3¢ value for annual Presidents Club trip.
Points: 6.24M
Value: $143,520
RoS: 11.9%
Their travel budget effectively pays for itself and still leaves excess for personal vacations.
Example 3: Tech Start-Up with Heavy Ad Spend
$3M annual ad budget on a 4x category card.
Strategic ANA First Class redemptions at 5¢ per mile.
RoS rockets past 18%.
That’s venture-capital-level return with zero risk capital.
Why It Matters Now
Devaluations are accelerating. Airlines quietly raise award prices. Banks dangle ever-larger welcome bonuses.
Without a live, blended metric like RoS, a CFO is flying blind.
With it, a $500,000 annual card budget becomes a predictable travel asset with double-digit “yield.”
Final Descent
The UpNonStop Return on Spend isn’t a vanity stat.
It’s a hard-number ROI, directly comparable to marketing spend, equipment leases, even treasury yields.
It tells a business owner: “Your credit-card expenses are no longer costs; they’re an investment class.”
That’s why we built it, trademarked it, and made it the centerpiece of our First Officer platform.
Because every dollar you spend should be a dollar that flies back - with interest.
