How we verify
The rules behind every call.
No numeric scores, no black boxes. Every claim is labeled by how sure we are, every program's status is derived from one place, and every redemption is judged against a published bar. Here is exactly how.
What the evidence labels mean
Every update and watch entry carries exactly one evidence label, so you always know how much weight a call deserves before you act on it.
Confirmed against a primary source — the program's own terms, an official announcement, or a change we reproduced ourselves.
What it requires: A primary source we can point to. Verified items may carry a source link right on the badge.
A credible report we're actively tracking but haven't independently confirmed. Treated as likely, not certain.
What it requires: At least one credible report, with no primary confirmation yet. We say so plainly rather than wait in silence.
Unconfirmed chatter — a leak, a data point, a pattern. Surfaced early and flagged so you can weigh it yourself.
What it requires: Enough smoke to be worth knowing about, and an explicit label that it is not confirmed.
How a program earns its status pill
A program's status is never a number and is never hand-set. It is derived from that program's Devaluation Watch entry. One editorial decision in the Watch propagates everywhere the pill appears. If a program has more than one open threat, the worst one wins.
Nothing on our radar threatens this program's value right now.
No open Devaluation Watch entry.
A signal is worth watching, but it cannot render as critical until it is verified.
An unverified or monitoring threat is open.
A confirmed or imminent loss of value calls for attention before it lands.
A verified, high-impact negative threat is open.
A useful improvement or promotion creates a clear window to act.
A verified, time-sensitive positive development is active.
The Redemption Checker benchmarks
The Redemption Checker scores every booking in cents per point: (cash − taxes & fees) ÷ points × 100. The verdict is editorial; the math is not. These are the exact bars it judges against — the same numbers the tool imports, published here in full.
Flights, by cabin
Economy
- Approves at
- 1.4¢ and up
- Hesitates at
- 1.0¢–1.4¢
- Below → appalled
- under 1.0¢
Premium Economy
- Approves at
- 1.6¢ and up
- Hesitates at
- 1.1¢–1.6¢
- Below → appalled
- under 1.1¢
Business
- Approves at
- 1.8¢ and up
- Hesitates at
- 1.2¢–1.8¢
- Below → appalled
- under 1.2¢
First
- Approves at
- 2.2¢ and up
- Hesitates at
- 1.4¢–2.2¢
- Below → appalled
- under 1.4¢
The reasoning: premium cabins have to clear a higher bar. Anyone can wring 1.4¢ out of an economy seat, so burning hard-won points on business or first should earn far more than they'd fetch as plain cash-back — or it isn't worth the hoard.
Hotels, by program
A Hyatt point and a Hilton point live in different universes, so hotel stays are judged against a standard for that specific program, not a flight cabin.
World of Hyatt
- Approves at
- 2.0¢ and up
- Hesitates at
- 1.2¢–2.0¢
- Below → appalled
- under 1.2¢
Marriott Bonvoy
- Approves at
- 0.9¢ and up
- Hesitates at
- 0.6¢–0.9¢
- Below → appalled
- under 0.6¢
Hilton Honors
- Approves at
- 0.6¢ and up
- Hesitates at
- 0.4¢–0.6¢
- Below → appalled
- under 0.4¢
IHG One Rewards
- Approves at
- 0.7¢ and up
- Hesitates at
- 0.5¢–0.7¢
- Below → appalled
- under 0.5¢
Verified-As-Of stamps & corrections
Facts age. Every operational claim on a program profile — lounge access, transfer ratios, hub lists, elite thresholds — carries a Verified-As-Ofdate: the day we last checked it against a source. If a claim isn't stamped current, it's labeled unverified rather than dressed up as fact. A stamp is a promise about freshness, not a guarantee against change.
Caught us being wrong or stale? That's the fastest way to make the site better — and being corrected is cheaper than being trusted for the wrong reasons.
Send a correction → tips@pointssnob.com