Transparent methodology
How We Rank Cards
No black boxes. Every ranking is math you can verify.
01
The Formula
For every card in our database, we calculate your monthly rewards using a simple formula applied to each spending category:
Core equation
Monthly Rewards = Σ(category spend × category rate × point value)
We do this for every category you enter — groceries, dining, gas, travel, streaming, rent, and general spending — then sum the results. Here is a worked example for a hypothetical cash-back card:
| Category | Spend | Rate | Pt Value | Monthly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Groceries | $400 | 4x | $0.01 | $16.00 |
| Dining | $250 | 3x | $0.01 | $7.50 |
| Gas | $100 | 3x | $0.01 | $3.00 |
| Everything else | $500 | 1x | $0.01 | $5.00 |
| Total monthly rewards | $31.50 | |||
$400 groceries × 4x × $0.01 = $16/mo. We repeat this for every category, then subtract fees to get the net value.
02
What We Include
Rankings reflect total net value, not just headline earn rates. Here is everything that factors into the math:
Annual fees are subtracted
Every card's annual fee is divided by 12 and subtracted from monthly rewards. A card that earns $50/mo but costs $550/yr nets $4.17 less per month than it appears.
Effective fees after auto-credits
Some cards offset their annual fee with statement credits that apply automatically (e.g., dining credits, streaming credits). We use the effective fee — the real out-of-pocket cost — not the sticker price.
Sign-up bonuses amortized over 2 years
A $750 sign-up bonus adds $31.25/mo to your first-year and second-year value. We amortize over 24 months because most people hold cards at least that long. The bonus is shown separately so you can judge ongoing value independently.
Spending caps respected
If a card offers 5% on groceries but only on the first $6,000/year ($500/mo), we apply the bonus rate up to the cap and the base rate on anything above it. No inflated projections.
03
What We Don't Include
We deliberately exclude certain things from the base ranking to keep results honest and reproducible:
Portal-only rates excluded
Some cards advertise higher rates when you shop through their issuer's online portal (e.g., "5x at Amazon through Chase"). We exclude these because they require extra steps, limited inventory, and are not guaranteed to persist.
Online-only rates excluded
Rates that only apply to online purchases in a category (but not in-store) are excluded from base rankings. Most people split spending between online and in-store, so counting the online-only rate for the full category would overstate earnings.
Benefits shown separately, not ranked
Perks like lounge access, trip insurance, purchase protection, and TSA PreCheck credits are real value — but they are subjective. We surface them in the card detail view so you can factor them in yourself.
04
Point Valuations
Not all points are worth the same. We assign a conservative per-point value to each rewards currency based on typical redemption options. These are intentionally conservative — if you are skilled at transfer partners, your real value may be higher.
| Currency | Value / Point | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Cash Back | $0.01 | Face value. 1% = 1 cent per dollar. |
| Chase Ultimate Rewards | $0.02 | Conservative transfer value. Portal baseline is $0.0125. |
| Amex Membership Rewards | $0.02 | Transfer to airlines/hotels. Cash-out is only $0.006. |
| Capital One Miles | $0.01 | Fixed-value via portal or transfer partners. |
| Citi ThankYou Points | $0.01 | Cash back redemption. Transfer can yield more. |
| Hilton Honors | $0.005 | High earn rates offset lower per-point value. |
| Marriott Bonvoy | $0.008 | Hotel redemptions vary widely by property. |
We default to conservative valuations so that our rankings reflect what most people will actually get — not what an expert maximizer might squeeze out. If a card ranks well at conservative rates, it will only do better with optimized redemption.
Card data last verified April 2026
05
What We'll Never Do
Trust requires constraints. Here are the lines we will not cross:
Rankings are never influenced by affiliate relationships
We may earn a commission if you apply for a card through our links. This commission has zero effect on which card ranks #1 for your spending. The algorithm sees spending data and card terms — nothing else.
Cards that lose us money still rank #1 if they're best for you
Some of the best cards in our database have no affiliate program at all. They still rank where the math puts them. We would rather give you the right answer and earn nothing than steer you wrong.
0 sponsored placements
No card issuer can pay to appear higher in results, get featured placement, or suppress a competitor. Every position in your ranking is earned by the numbers alone.
06
Why I Built This
I got tired of every “best credit card” list being a thinly veiled ad. NerdWallet, The Points Guy — they rank cards by commission, not by what actually pays you the most. I wanted one honest answer: given how I actually spend, which card puts the most money back in my pocket? No sponsored placements. No “editor's picks” that happen to pay the highest referral fee. Just math.
So I built RollsRewards. You enter your real spending, and the algorithm scores every card against your numbers. The ranking is the ranking — it doesn't change based on who pays us. Some of the best cards in our database earn us nothing, and they still show up at #1 when the math says so.
This is still early. I want to add statement upload, multi-card wallet optimization, and better tools for people just starting out with credit. If you have ideas or feedback, I genuinely want to hear them — this is built for real people, not pageviews.
RollsRewards Founder
Personal finance nerd. Built this because the alternatives were dishonest.
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