Loyalty programs frequently run promotions offering a "100% Bonus" when you purchase points or miles. While doubling your points sounds like an incredible deal, the true test is whether the cost per point is lower than the value you can extract from them.
Suppose an airline is selling miles with a 100% bonus promotion.
To find out if this is a good deal, we must calculate the exact cost per point you are paying:
Your break-even point is 1.50 CPP. This means you must redeem these miles for at least 1.50 CPP to avoid losing money compared to just buying a cash ticket.
If you are planning to book an international business class flight that costs $4,000 in cash, but only requires 100,000 miles (plus $200 in taxes), your redemption value would be:
Since your redemption value (3.80 CPP) is much higher than your purchase cost (1.50 CPP), buying the miles for $1,500 saves you $2,300. In this specific scenario, buying points is highly advantageous.
Have a different promotion or amount in mind? Use our Buy Points Calculator with the numbers from this example pre-filled:
Run This CalculationLast fact-checked: August 2026. This is a hypothetical example and does not represent an active promotion.