How we rate and compare cards
This page is the honest bit: how the comparisons on CreditCardCompare.net are put together, where the numbers come from, and why you can trust the side-by-side you're looking at.
Where our data comes from
We start at the source — the issuer's own product page, the cardholder agreement, the fee schedule and the benefits guide — never a competitor's roundup. From those we pull the annual fee, the intro and ongoing APR, the earn rates, the welcome offer, foreign-transaction costs and perks like lounge access. Before a card goes into a comparison, we re-check those figures against the live application page.
The CCC Score (out of 5)
Each card carries a CCC Score so you can rank a shortlist quickly. It isn't one rigid formula — we weight the factors differently by card type, because a no-fee cashback card and a $550 travel card are trying to do different jobs. The starting weights:
| Factor | What we're judging | Base weight |
|---|---|---|
| Value for the fee | Do the rewards and perks beat the annual cost for a typical holder? | 30% |
| Earn rate & flexibility | How fast you earn, and how painlessly you redeem | 25% |
| Day-to-day usefulness | Acceptance, foreign fees, intro APR, category spread | 20% |
| Perks that matter | Lounge access, statement credits, insurance, status | 15% |
| Realistic approval | How likely the target applicant is to actually get it | 10% |
Travel cards lean toward perks; credit-builder cards lean hard toward approval odds. A score is a shortcut for your own homework, not financial advice.
How we make money (and how we don't)
Some issuers pay us a commission when a reader is approved through a link here. That keeps the tool free. What it doesn't do: change a CCC Score, reorder a comparison, or soften what we write. Paid placements and affiliate links are labelled. Full detail is in our advertiser disclosure.
Keeping it accurate
Card terms drift, and occasionally a figure here will lag the issuer for a few days. That's exactly why every card on the site sends you to the official page to confirm before you apply — and why we date our pages. Found a stale number? Flag it on the contact page and we'll correct it.
Our independence, in three lines
- Cards earn their place on merit — including ones that pay us nothing.
- No advertiser writes, edits or re-ranks a comparison.
- We never take your application data; that happens on the bank's secure site.
Reviewed periodically. Last updated June 2026.