Why Leave Free Currency on the Table? - The Points Guy

THE POINTS GUY

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Welcome to the first edition of TPG Business Brief — the points and miles newsletter built for businesses.

But really, this is not just another newsletter to clutter up your inbox. You’ve joined a club of savvy spenders who know how to make the absolute most out of every dollar that flows through their business.

Every other week, we’ll bring you up to speed on the latest news, the smartest strategies, and the biggest opportunities for earning and burning your travel rewards. From hot new business card offers to the best points and miles sweet spots, this is your indispensable source for turning your expenses into something you actually kind of look forward to.

Today, we’re talking about:

💼 How business owners can win the points and miles game
💳 A game-changing new card (and historic 200,000-point offer)
🧠 Business versus personal credit: What to keep in mind
🚫 The hidden trap of miles redemptions – and how to dodge it

Get ready for takeoff …

POINTS AND MILES

Why leave free currency on the table?

Let’s cut straight to the bottom line: There are incredible opportunities to earn a valuable currency for the spending your business is already committed to.

And yet, many business owners are stepping over dollars to pick up pennies when it comes to paying their bills.

In my nearly three decades as a business owner, I’ve watched so many of my peers miss out on big opportunities because they assume credit card rewards are a hassle — too complex to track, too trivial to matter.

The truth? There is incredible value in these currencies, and navigating this world is so much easier than you think.

With a little bit of guidance and a smart strategy, you’ll find simple ways to turn your everyday business spending into big returns for things like:

Expensive business-class flights — like this roughly $14,000 pair of tickets I helped a friend score for about one-tenth of the miles he was going to pay for them.
Luxury hotel stays — there’s no shortage of incredible places you can stay completely on points, if you’re earning the right ones.
Fostering workplace culture — “I’ve never had a company do this for me” is what I constantly hear from my team members when I use rewards to give the gift of travel.
Hosting clients — why pay cash to bring clients to you when you can use your rewards to give them the VIP treatment?
Reinvesting in your business — even at the basic cash-back earning rates, you could be putting big money back into your business.

And to be clear, this isn’t about gaming the system. It’s about solving one more business puzzle – the same way entrepreneurs tackle pricing, staffing and operations. And with the flexibility of rewards currencies we see today, it’s never been easier to reap big returns from the money you’re already spending.

– Ed Pizzarello, Contributor

CARDS

A game-changing card (and 200K-point offer)

From one business owner to another, let me first say congratulations on taking this step toward harvesting incredible value from your business spending! (Rest assured, with your cash flow, you already have a huge advantage over most of the other points and miles hustlers out there.)

What’s even better? You’ve picked a perfect moment to step up your rewards game. Here’s why:

The brand-new Chase Sapphire Reserve for Business℠ recently hit the market, and it has completely changed how I manage my business spending.

And right now it comes with an unprecedented welcome offer of 200,000 bonus points after you spend $30,000 in the first six months from account opening. That’s Chase’s biggest bonus ever, worth over $4,000 based on TPG’s August 2025 valuations.

What else sets it apart? Lots! Like earning 3 points per dollar spent on online advertising (via social media and search engines) with no cap — unlike competitors that have strict limits on this spending category. Plus, it has premium benefits totaling more than $2,500 in annual value (including airport lounge access for you and two guests).

Don’t just take my word for it. Check out all of this card’s incredible benefits. But don’t wait too long, because this historic 200,000-point offer is only available for a limited time.

— Brian Kelly, Founder, The Points Guy

CREDIT

Business vs. personal credit: What to keep in mind

Strong personal credit can get you through the door with most business credit cards. But if you’re serious about long-term growth, building business credit is where things get interesting.

A solid business credit score can unlock better loan terms, higher credit limits and even lower insurance premiums. Plus, since your business credit report is accessible to lenders, suppliers and potential partners, it can help (or hurt) your reputation before you even shake hands.

It also helps you separate personal and business finances — a crucial step as your business scales.

Getting started doesn’t have to be complicated. Here are five smart moves to build your business credit the right way.

REDEMPTIONS

The hidden trap of miles redemptions – and how to dodge it

Think all redemption rates are the same? Think again. And if you’re not comparing before you book, you could be needlessly wasting your hard-earned miles.

The truth is, you likely have several different options for booking the same exact flight with rewards. (Yet another reason it’s great to have several different flexible rewards currencies.)

Like this example one TPGer recently found: Instead of booking an American Airlines flight through AAdvantage for 50,000 miles, she was able to get that exact seat through an alliance partner, Alaska Airlines MileagePlan (which just last week rebooted as Atmos Rewards), for just 7,500 miles.

The key to scoring deals like this?

Using tools like Google Flights and Points Path to find the best redemption options across programs.
Keeping up with the latest loyalty program updates, deals and strategies used by points pros (like your pals at TPG) to help you determine which currencies will be of most value to you.

Pro tip: Check out the aforementioned Atmos Rewards program for some of the best redemption sweet spots out there. And while you’re at it, consider taking advantage of the elevated limited-time offers on its new lineup of credit cards for a quick way to stack up these highly valuable (and otherwise hard-to-earn) points.

Today’s top stories

Venture X Business vs. Amex Business Platinum vs. Sapphire Reserve for Business

Let's compare these top three premium business cards to see which is best.

Are we all (mostly) winners? My take on the new Atmos Rewards program

The long-awaited Atmos Rewards loyalty program combines the former Alaska Mileage Plan and HawaiianMiles programs.

21 ways to use 100K Chase points: From budget-friendly flights to luxe hotel stays

You could book these amazing flights or hotels to make the most of 100,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points.

Why Citi’s newest transfer partner has changed my points and miles strategies

Here’s why Citi cards are now central to my points and miles strategy.

These are the coolest SLH hotels you can book with Hilton Honors points

From France to Bali, these are the best Small Luxury Hotels of the World properties you can book using Hilton Honors points.

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The cards we feature here are from partners who compensate us when you are approved through our site, and this may impact how or where these products appear. We don’t cover all available credit cards, but our analysis, reviews, and opinions are entirely from our editorial team. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.

Editorial Note: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airlines or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.

Photo Credit: HISPANOLISTIC/GETTY IMAGES, JONNO RATTMAN, MASKOT/GETTY IMAGES, CLINT HENDERSON/THE POINTS GUY

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