Cashback vs Air Miles: Which Reward Makes the Most Business Sense?

Cashback vs Air Miles: Which Reward Makes the Most Business Sense?

Corporate buyers searching for the cashback vs miles debate often want a simple verdict: which reward delivers the strongest return for their company? Most modern business credit cards package their incentives into either cashback credit cards or airline credit cards. Here is how to decide which option actually boosts your bottom line.

Cashback: Clean and Simple, but Read the Fine Print

Many finance teams appreciate the clarity of the best cash back credit cards: earn 1-2% on every transaction and boost your margins and bottom lines. Yet not all cashback is equal.

1. Tiered rates: The headline “2% cashback” generally applies only to international spending, where card networks collect four to five per cent in FX fees. Local petrol, grocery, or government payments attract lower interchange fees, so providers often reduce the cashback, sometimes below 0.5%, or remove it completely on local and government spending.
   
   
2. Hidden limits: Some providers cap monthly rewards or exclude entire merchant categories like government licenses.
   
   
3. Foreign-exchange fees: Unless your issuer trims those FX mark-ups, the fees can outweigh the cashback.
   
   

Cashback tends to work best if your company spends heavily overseas and negotiates favourable FX terms. If you are operating in the UAE and want local savings, look for a business credit card cashback UAE product that clearly discloses FX fees.

Air Miles: High-Value Travel Perks with Strings Attached

A miles credit card channels spending straight into an airline loyalty scheme. Collect enough points and you can upgrade to Business Class or even fly free, often at a higher effective rate than cashback, especially on routes that price cheaper in points than cash.

Be aware of two constraints:

1. The miles follow the cardholder: Issue a card to an employee, and they, not the company, enjoy the benefits. Marketing staff who place company ad-spends on their personal cards often collect the biggest upgrades.
   
   
2. Programme lock-in: If your team uses multiple carriers, tying yourself to a single scheme reduces flexibility.
   
   

For frequent flyers based in the Gulf, the right air miles credit card UAE can still pay off. Search phrases like best business credit card for miles 2025 to benchmark current offers.

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Which Should You Choose?

Consider the nature of your spend.

If you’re spending a lot internationally, get low FX rates, and don’t prioritize travel, cashback might be best for your business as you’ll earn the highest rate on international transactions and pay fewer fees.

If the majority of your business spending is domestic where the cashback earn rate is lower, and business travel is important, earning Air miles would be a better choice.

If you want to weigh every angle, do a quick cash back vs points vs miles comparison based on your last twelve months of expenses.

Get Both with Qashio

Why limit yourself to one reward category? With Qashio, every business purchase earns Qashio Points, even government fees. Exchange those points for:

1. Up 2% cashback
   
   
2. Leading airline miles such as Emirates Skywards, Avios, Flying Blue or United MileagePlus
   
   
3. Hotel programmes including IHG One, Accor Live Limitless and Jumeirah One
   
   
4. Retail and lifestyle perks with Landmark group
   
   

Qashio is a VAT-friendly corporate card with rewards and no lock-in or complicated tiers. You decide whether today’s redemption should be cash, miles or something else. If you are comparing Emirates Skywards miles vs cashback, Qashio lets you test both without switching cards. It is also positioned among the best business credit card for cashback in UAE lists thanks to transparent rates.

Ready to earn smarter? Sign up for Qashio now and turn every dirham into real value for your business, whether that is pure cashback or premium air miles.

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