Methodology

How the ranking works.

No affiliate links, no promotional offers, no scoring tricks. Every card is judged the same way against your actual spending. Here is the math, what we model, and what we don't.

Last verified: 2026-05-29 Eight cards in the seed library Privacy

The math, in full

For each card and each spending category, we apply the card's earning multiplier — accounting for per-category annual caps where the issuer publishes them. Once a cap is reached, additional spend earns 1× by default. We then multiply total annual points by a conservative point value and subtract the annual fee.

for each category c: annual_spend = monthly_spend[c] × 12 cap = card.caps[c]?.annual if cap and annual_spend > cap: points += cap × multiplier[c] + (annual_spend − cap) × 1 else: points += annual_spend × multiplier[c] annual_value = points × point_value − annual_fee

Cards are sorted by annual_value, highest first. The top card is highlighted as "Best for you" with a short note on which categories drove the win.

Where the data comes from

Multipliers and caps are taken directly from each issuer's public marketing pages (chase.com, americanexpress.com, citi.com, capitalone.com, wellsfargo.com, biltrewards.com).
Annual fees come from the same sources.
Point values are conservative — we use the lower bound of published estimates from independent points sites such as The Points Guy, NerdWallet, and Bankrate. Real-world value can exceed our figures with strategic transfer-partner redemptions, but a calculator that assumed the upper bound would mislead the median user.
Each card record carries a lastVerified date and per-card notes. The full data file is the source of truth — read it at /data/cards.js.

What we explicitly do not model

Sign-up bonuses. They're one-time, change frequently, and would dwarf steady-state value. We show ongoing year-to-year value.
Promotional APRs and balance-transfer offers. These don't change rewards value.
Statement credits (e.g. "$10/month dining credit"). Highly card-specific, often require enrollment, and many users don't fully redeem them.
Issuer-portal multipliers that fluctuate (e.g. travel-portal bonus tiers).
Rotating quarterly categories (Discover It, Chase Freedom Flex). They depend on a calendar of activations that no general calculator can fairly project.
Approval likelihood. Income, credit score, and issuer rules are out of scope.
Rent as a category. The Bilt card earns on rent fee-free; we note this in its record but the slider categories don't currently include rent.

The 1-paragraph version. We assume you'll use the card for ongoing spend at published earn rates, redeem points at the lower bound of normal value, and pay any annual fee in full. If your real-world play is to sign up for the bonus and cancel before the fee hits, this calculator is not modeling your situation.

Sources

Verified 2026-05-29. Issuer marketing pages (English-language US versions):

Chase — Sapphire Preferred, Freedom Unlimited (chase.com)
American Express — Gold, Blue Cash Preferred (americanexpress.com)
Citi — Double Cash (citi.com)
Wells Fargo — Active Cash (wellsfargo.com)
Capital One — Venture (capitalone.com)
Bilt — Bilt Mastercard (biltrewards.com)

Point-value estimates triangulated from publicly published monthly/quarterly valuations by The Points Guy, NerdWallet, and Bankrate. We use the lower of those bounds.

What this site is not

Not a financial advisor. We don't know your circumstances.
Not an affiliate engine. No links to apply for cards.
Not an issuer ranking. We don't rank issuers — we rank specific cards on specific spending profiles.
Not a sign-up-bonus chaser. Tools for that already exist; this one optimizes for steady state.

Who runs this site

Daniel Aguilar — software developer at AguilarTech. I built the calculator engine, wrote every page, and maintain the card data by hand against the issuers' published terms. I got tired of card recommendations that lead with whoever pays the highest commission, so this site has no affiliate links and the ranking comes from the math alone.

I'm a developer, not a licensed financial adviser — which is exactly why every number here traces back to a published source you can check yourself. Questions and corrections: [email protected].

Updates & corrections

Issuer terms change. If you spot a stale multiplier, a missed cap, or a card we should add, email [email protected]. Corrections are merged within a few days.

Disclaimer: figures are illustrative estimates based on published earning rates and your inputs. This is not financial advice. Verify terms with the issuer before applying for any card.