Under revenue-based earning, the accrual rule keys off money spent. A member who spends twice as much earns roughly twice the currency, regardless of how many items, nights, or miles the spend represents. This contrasts with models that reward volume, such as miles flown, which can grant a bargain-hunting traveler more currency than a high-paying one.
Consider two airline passengers on the same route. One buys a discounted economy ticket, the other a full-fare business seat. Under distance-based earning they might earn similarly, but under revenue-based earning the business traveler, who paid far more, earns far more. The program deliberately concentrates rewards on the members who contribute the most revenue.
For an enterprise operator, revenue-based earning ties the cost of the program to member value, which protects margins and rewards the most profitable members. The tradeoff is that occasional or price-sensitive members earn slowly and can disengage, so many programs blend revenue-based earning with bonuses and behavioral mechanics to keep the broader base active.
