How We Rate & Verify Cards

The rarity tiers

Each card gets a tier to help you place it at a glance: Legendary (premium flagship cards), Elite (strong high-value cards), Mainstream (solid everyday cards), Starter (first cards and student cards) and Rebuild (secured and credit-building cards). Tiers reflect overall positioning, not a promise that a card is right for you.

What the 'Fees checked' badge means

A 'Fees checked' badge means we checked that card's annual fee, regular APR range and foreign-transaction fee on the date shown, and the card page links the source. Most sources are the issuer's own page; where we had to rely on another source, the link shows which one. The badge does not cover welcome offers or benefits.

Welcome offers and closed cards

Welcome offers move constantly and are often personalized ('as high as', 'you may not be eligible'). We describe the offer we saw on the issuer's page; confirm the exact offer you are shown before applying. When an issuer stops taking new applications for a card, we keep its page, mark it 'No longer accepting new applications' with the date and source, take it out of filters, featured picks and lists, and point to alternatives.

How referral links affect the order

Cards with a referral link from the site owner (they show an 'Apply' button) appear in Editor's picks, are listed first on the home page, and get extra weight in the 'Recommended' sort. The other sorts (bonus value, annual fee, rarity) and all filters treat every card the same. Card facts are written the same way whether or not there is a referral link.

Our sources

We rely on issuers' official pages first, supported by reputable current sources. When sources conflict on a value, we prefer the issuer's own disclosure.

Not financial advice

We are an independent information site, not a bank, broker or licensed advisor. Everything here is for general information only. Your approval odds, rates and rewards depend on your personal situation. Read each card's terms before applying.