Loyalty programs · By Points Frog Editorial ·
Choice Points Plus Cash can help a member reserve an eligible reward night without funding the full point amount from an existing balance. Choice describes the process as using your points and buying the remaining points needed for the reward. That is a useful distinction from a simple cash room discount.
Identify the purchase before confirming
The published option is for US members using 6,000 existing points per night, with eligible reward nights priced at 8,000 points or above. Check what the remaining points cost through the quoted option. Read the applicable purchase and cancellation terms. Do not assume the cash component behaves like a refundable hotel payment merely because it appears during a room booking.
Compare the same stay with an all-cash room and an all-points reward when those options are available. A mixed booking can solve a balance shortage while still costing more than another practical way to reserve the room.
Give the shortfall a price
Imagine an eligible reward requires 20,000 points and you apply the required 6,000 points from your account. A hypothetical offer charges $126 for the remaining 14,000 points. The purchase costs 0.9 cents per acquired point. That calculation describes the top-up, not the value of the full hotel night.
If the equivalent room costs $150 in cash, the mixed booking uses both $126 and the existing 6,000 points. The useful question is whether spending those 6,000 points to avoid the remaining $24 suits your other travel plans. A small cash bill does not mean the existing points were free.
Consider the outcome if the trip is canceled. Choice says the purchased-points cash component is nonrefundable. An eligible cancellation returns the total points for the booking, including those purchased. Check any deadlines affecting that balance. Read the confirmation and the terms for the points purchase together; a room policy alone may not answer both questions.
For an uncertain event, a cash reservation with suitable refund terms may be worth more than a low immediate outlay. For a firm trip, a sensible top-up can still be useful. The calculation should explain the decision, rather than hide the purchase inside the word reward.
A practical way to decide
Put the all-cash, all-points and mixed-payment options beside one another. Use the total charged at checkout, not a starting price from the search page. The cash portion can carry taxes or fees that change the comparison. If the room or fare rules differ, note that difference before doing the arithmetic.
Pay particular attention to what happens after a cancellation. Money may return as cash, travel credit or points, depending on the product and its terms. Those outcomes have different uses and deadlines. Decide which result you could accept before booking. Saving a few points today is less helpful if it leaves a balance you cannot use after plans change.
Keep planning
Read our related guide, Radisson and Choice points: check the hotel’s region before searching, for the next part of the decision. For a different angle, see Booking a family trip with Chase points: seats before transfers. You can also explore Points Frog’s other rewards guides.
Sources and date checked
Rules checked October 13, 2026. Examples in this guide are hypothetical, not live offers. The current booking quote and the issued award’s terms govern your trip. Choice FAQ. Choice terms.