How we compare credit cards

Last updated 2026-06-18. Informational comparison, not financial advice.

Most card sites bury two things: that terms change constantly, and that rankings often follow payouts. We do the opposite — here's exactly how our comparison works.

What our comparison is based on

Every figure on CardPairing — annual fee, rewards, intro APR, regular APR, welcome bonus — is taken from the issuer's own published terms and dated. Card terms change often (bonuses are time-limited, APRs track the market), so we mark every figure "verify at the issuer" and re-check on a schedule. We track 8 cards as of 2026-06-18.

How the matcher ranks cards

It's deterministic — same inputs, same result. First it hard-filters: by your goal (cash back, travel, build credit, 0% APR, balance transfer) and by your credit tier, so you only see cards you can plausibly qualify for. Then it scores by fit:

If you carry a balance or want a 0% offer, it weights the intro-APR length highest and down-weights rewards (interest erodes them).
If you pay in full, it weights rewards/earn rate and estimates annual value (rate × your spend − annual fee).
It penalises annual fees if you said you don't want one, and flags the high APR on build-credit cards.

We never use affiliate payout as an input, and the result shows why a card was matched.

What it is not

It is not financial advice and not a guarantee of approval. We don't know your full financial picture, and issuers decide approvals. Point and mile valuations are assumptions, not promises. Always confirm the current terms on the issuer's official page before applying.

How we stay independent

CardPairing earns affiliate commissions when you're approved through some links (see our affiliate disclosure). Commissions never affect rankings, which follow the criteria above. We include cards that pay us nothing where relevant.