Methodology
How the CardLoupe Score works
Every card is graded on six pillars, each normalised to 0-100. The pillars are then weighted into a general score and three persona-specific scores. Compensation from a card issuer or affiliate network is not one of the pillars and never enters the calculation.
| Pillar | General | My first card | Another card | Maximum benefits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ongoing consumer value | 30% | 20% | 30% | 25% |
| Welcome value | 15% | 10% | 20% | 15% |
| Cost & financing | 20% | 15% | 20% | 15% |
| Reward usability | 15% | 10% | 15% | 10% |
| Benefits & protections | 10% | 5% | 10% | 25% |
| Accessibility & fit | 10% | 40% | 5% | 10% |
Why compensation can't reach a score
Affiliate destinations and click data are stored separately from card terms, and the scoring function reads only card terms, rewards, and benefits. An automated test fails the build if the scoring path ever references commercial data. When a ranking changes, the reason is published in the Trust Ledger.
How CardLoupe makes money
CardLoupe earns a referral commission from some card issuers and affiliate networks when a reader clicks through and is approved. We do not charge issuers for placement, and paid relationships never affect a card's score or rank — the scoring inputs (Section 7 of our methodology, shown above) do not include compensation as a factor. Every change to a rate, fee, or ranking is logged publicly with a reason in our Trust Ledger. Cards or issuers we have no commercial relationship with are scored and can rank identically to ones we do.