How the numbers are made
Last updated: October 2, 2026
Every number on this site comes from a stated source and a stated method. This page explains both, so you can check any figure and swap in your own assumptions. Nothing here predicts what any person will earn.
Where the facts come from
- Issuer pages. Earning rates, annual fees, credits, caps, and transfer ratios come from the card issuer's own published terms and benefits page, linked at the bottom of each guide.
- The Points Guy. Point values come from The Points Guy's monthly valuations, named and dated on the page.
- Government and standards sources. Federal Reserve, CFPB, IRS, FinCEN, FICO, and myFICO are used for interest rates, credit reporting, and tax and legal questions.
- Named reporting, labeled as such. Some rules are not published by the issuer, such as Chase's 5/24 rule and several limits on other issuers' applications. They come from years of applicant reports and can change without notice. Pages that use them say so, and cite the reporting.
How points are valued
Base math on this site values transferable points at 1.8 cents each. That is a little under The Points Guy's published values for the two largest programs (2.05 cents for Chase and 2.0 cents for Amex in September 2026), and it is one round number that can be applied to any program. Worked examples show The Points Guy's figure next to it, so you can see how much a result depends on the value chosen. If you will never transfer points, your value is the cash-out or portal rate, and the guides say how much that changes the answer.
How fees are judged
Fee analysis on this site uses three numbers: the net fee (the annual fee minus only the credits that repay money you would spend anyway), the earning edge (how much more the card earns than a free flat 2% card on the same spending), and the verdict (edge minus net fee). A credit you would only use because it exists is not counted. Welcome bonuses are shown separately because they are a one-time amount and a fee comes back every year.
Sample households
Worked examples use labeled sample households. A faceless site cannot document personal results, so none are claimed. Sample figures show how the math works, not what any reader will earn.
What the examples assume
Every example assumes every card is paid in full each month. Interest costs more than rewards earn. Welcome offers vary by applicant and change often, so each is shown as the offer checked on the date given, and approval is always the issuer's decision.
How often terms are re-checked
- Monthly: point valuations.
- Quarterly (January, April, July, October): a full check of every fee, rate, cap, credit, and offer against the issuer's page.
- Within the same week: when an issuer announces a change to a card covered here.
Each guide shows "Card terms checked" with the month, and "Last updated" changes only when the content changes.
Corrections
If a figure is out of date or wrong, tell us through the contact page, ideally with a link to the issuer page that shows the current term. We would rather fix it than leave it.