Julia’s WalletIndependent credit card testsSubscribe
Julia’s Wallet · Points & Miles

Points & Miles

What points, miles and cash back are really worth, transfer partners, portals and welcome bonuses.

Live · computes on your device

Head to head

Pick two cards. See what each card’s rewards are really worth on the same spending, then what is left after the annual fee and the credits you would use.

Chase Sapphire Preferred Card card art
Rewards worth a year…
After the fee and the credits…
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card card art
Rewards worth a year…
After the fee and the credits…
…

$
Spending like
Statement credits you would use
What is one point or mile worth to you?
: one point or mile
: one point or mile

Julia’s tested value is the simplest redemption the issuer’s own page promises, the one her test can prove. Transfers to airline and hotel partners can be worth more or less; that is your call, so set your own value here and both cards update.

Change the spending split

Editing any category replaces the standard split. The yearly total follows.

How this is calculated

Each card earns its own rates on the same spending. Spending above a category’s yearly cap earns the card’s base rate. Rewards are valued at Julia’s tested value of a point unless you set your own. “After the fee and the credits” adds the statement credits you say you would use, and any anniversary bonus, and takes off the annual fee. Welcome offers, lounges, insurance and status are left out. Every amount is exact to the cent, the same arithmetic the Studio runs behind Julia’s videos.

Sources (the issuers’ own pages):

    Guide4 min readA points total means little until you know what the points buyMultiply points per dollar by cents per point, subtract the annual fee, and count the bank points that leave your account when you transfer.Guide4 min readCash back, points or miles: what each one is worth after costsCash back is a dollar for a dollar; a points card beats a flat 2% card only when a usable redemption and the value after its fee say so.Guide5 min readMoving money for card rewards pays only if the extra rewards beat what you give upOn $20,000 of spending a 3% card adds $200 over a 2% card; a $25,000 move erases that if the new account's yield is more than 0.8 points lower.Guide4 min readSaving points beats cashing out only when a real booking is worth more than the cashOn a $380 flight, 30,000 points plus $30 beats cashing out by $50, but 50,000 points plus $30 loses to a 1-cent cash-out.
    New card tests every weekJulia runs the numbers on camera. Subscribe so you see the next one first.Subscribe on YouTube