✨ What Your Points Can Buy
Your Chipotle order
could pay for this.
College students leave hundreds of dollars in rewards on the table every year. Here's what you're missing out on — and how to get it.
$687
Average rewards left unclaimed per student per year
4 yrs
Average college career — that's $2,748 in missed rewards
73%
Of students use a 1% card when 3% options exist for free
The right card, used correctly, earns real money. Here's exactly how much.
Rewards Calculator
How much is your
spending actually worth?
Pick a card, enter your spending. We value every point at 2¢ — the going rate when you transfer to airline and hotel partners.
Your Monthly Spending
$200/mo
$120/mo
$80/mo
$40/mo
$150/mo
🍕
Capital One SavorOne
📅 Annual Spending Rewards
$0
🎁 Sign-Up Bonus Value
$0
✈️ Free Domestic Flights (year 1)
0
🏨 Free Hotel Nights (from spending)
0
Total Year 1 Value @ 2¢/pt
$0
Redemption Spotlights
What students actually
book with their points
These are real redemptions at real value. Every one of these was booked for $0 out of pocket.
✈️ Most Redeemed
Spring Break Flight
NYC → Miami, Cancun, or Puerto Rico
15,000–25,000 pts
= $300–$500 value @ 2¢/pt
Transfer Chase UR → United or Southwest. Book 3 months out for best availability.
🌍 Study Abroad
Europe Round-Trip
NYC/LA → London, Paris, Rome
60,000–80,000 pts
= $1,200–$1,600 value
Transfer Amex MR → Air France/KLM Flying Blue. Off-peak dates = huge savings.
🏨 Free Stay
Hyatt All-Inclusive
Cancun or Dominican Republic
25,000–35,000 pts/night
= $500–$800 value per night
Transfer Chase UR → World of Hyatt. Best CPP value available — routinely hits 3–5¢/pt.
💺 Holy Grail
Business Class to Europe
Lie-flat seat, free food & wine
80,000–120,000 pts
= $3,000–$6,000 value
Transfer Amex MR → Air France or Virgin Atlantic. Retail $4,000+. Points: 1–2 years of spending.
How Transfer Partners Work
Why 1 point can be
worth 3–5 cents
Cash back is 1¢ per point. But when you transfer to airline or hotel partners, the same point is suddenly worth 3–5x more. This is the secret most students never learn.
1
Earn points on your card
Every swipe earns Chase Ultimate Rewards, Amex Membership Rewards, or Capital One Miles — not just cash back.
→
2
Transfer to a partner at 1:1
Move your points to United MileagePlus, Hyatt, Air France, or 15+ other partners. Usually 1:1 — no value lost.
→
3
Book award travel
Use the partner's award chart to book flights or hotels. A business class seat worth $4,000 might cost 80,000 points — that's 5¢ per point.
Chase Ultimate Rewards transfers to →
United MileagePlus
World of Hyatt
Southwest Rapid Rewards
British Airways Avios
Air Canada Aeroplan
Amex Membership Rewards →
Delta SkyMiles
Air France Flying Blue
Virgin Atlantic
ANA Mileage Club
Marriott Bonvoy
Capital One Miles →
Air Canada Aeroplan
Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles
Wyndham Rewards
Air France Flying Blue
Real Example
You spend $200/mo on dining with the Capital One SavorOne (3% = 6,000 pts/yr).
Transfer to Air Canada Aeroplan → book a round-trip to Europe in economy for 35,000 points = $700+ value.
That's 3.5¢ per point instead of 1¢. Same points. 3.5x the value.
How To Earn Fast
4 ways students stack
points quickly
01
Hit the Sign-Up Bonus
Most student cards offer a bonus after spending $500–$1,000 in the first 3 months. This alone can be worth a free flight. Spend what you were going to spend anyway — just put it on the card.
Example
Chase Freedom Unlimited: $200 bonus after $500 spend. Done in 6 weeks for most students.
02
Use the Right Card for Each Category
Put dining on your dining card (3%), groceries on your grocery card (3%), and everything else on your flat-rate card (1.5–2%). Most students use one card for everything and leave 2x the rewards behind.
Example
Savor One for Chipotle + BofA Travel for Uber + Freedom Unlimited for everything else.
03
Pay Your Tuition & Fees
Many students don't realize they can put tuition, housing deposits, or textbooks on a rewards card. Even $2,000 in tuition at 1.5% = $30 cash back instantly.
Example
$4,000 semester fees on Wells Fargo Active Cash = $80 back, same day.
04
Use Shopping Portals
Before buying anything online, go through your card's shopping portal first (Chase Ultimate Rewards, Amex Offers, etc.). You earn bonus points on top of your normal rate for the same purchase.
Example
Buy AirPods through Chase Shopping Portal: 5x points instead of 1.5x. Same price, 3x more rewards.
Ready to start earning?
Take our 6-question quiz and we'll match you to the card that earns you the most based on how you actually spend.
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