Which Is Actually Better?
Quick question.
If you’re paying $895 a year for a premium travel card and running all your business expenses through it… are you actually winning? 🤔
Or are you collecting shiny points while quietly losing cash flow?
Let’s talk about it.
A client of mine ran about $148,000 in real business expenses through two premium travel cards.
The internet would say, “He’s flying first class for free!”
Maybe.
But here’s what nobody explains clearly:
Points are not cash.
And annual fees are very real.
In his case? $1,183 in annual fees.
If he used a simple 2% cash back card, he would’ve earned just under $3,000.
Real money.
In the bank.
Available today. 💰
Instead, he earned about 295,000 points.
Sounds impressive.
Until you ask: What are they actually worth?
If redeemed the way most people redeem them, those points are worth about $3,000.
Subtract the $1,183 in fees.
Net value? About $1,700.
That’s over $1,100 worse than cash back.
And that doesn’t even include opportunity cost.
If he chose cash back, he’d have roughly $4,200 more between rewards and avoided fees.
What could that fund?
Cash flow is oxygen for your business.
Points are potential.
There’s a difference.
Yes, if you:
Most business owners don’t.
They like the idea of free travel.
But they pay for it with fees, complexity, and lost liquidity.
At Calculated Moves, we care about leverage, simplicity, and financial preparedness.
For family businesses and modern entrepreneurs who want to:
Every financial decision should increase control and flexibility.
Cash back is:
And for most business owners?
It wins. 🏆
So ask yourself:
Would you rather have a pile of points you might redeem later…
Or thousands of dollars in your bank account right now to grow your business?
If you’re serious about smooth sailing and smarter decisions, it’s always best to leave the math to the pros.
Because you probably have better things to do than optimize airline redemptions.
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Donna Bordeaux, CPA with Calculated Moves
Creativity and CPAs don’t generally go together. Most people think of CPAs as nerdy accountants who can’t talk with people. Well, it’s time to break that stereotype. Lively, friendly, and knowledgeable can be a part of your relationship with your CPA, as demonstrated by Donna and Chad Bordeaux. They have over 50 years of combined experience as entrepreneurial CPAs. They’ve owned businesses and helped business owners exceed their wildest dreams. They have been able to help businesses earn many times more profit than the average business in the same industry and are passionate about helping industries that help families build great memories.