Editorial policy: how we review cards
This page explains where the information on Canadian Credit Card Finder comes from, how it is kept current, how the card finder and our lists choose which cards to show, how we fix mistakes, and how the site pays for itself.
How cards are researched
Every card on the site, 117 at the moment, has one record in our card database. That record holds the card's annual fee, extra-card fee, purchase and cash-advance interest rates, rewards program, earn rates and features, welcome offer and its conditions, eligibility rules and insurance. All of it is taken from the issuer's own official product page for that card, not from other comparison sites. Each card page links to that issuer page through its "Apply Now" button so you can check the source yourself.
Card details are checked against the issuers' official pages every day. When an issuer changes a fee, rate, earn rate or offer, we update the card record and correct any review text that no longer matches.
The site is rebuilt from that database each time it is published. Fees, rates and offers on card pages, lists and stacks come straight from the database at build time, and those pages show a "Card details as of" date: the date that version of the page pulled the data. The "Updated" date in each byline is the last time the written content of that page was changed, taken from the site's version history. We don't bump dates on pages that haven't changed.
What each review covers
Every card on the site has a full written review. Each review answers the same questions:
- Who the card suits, and who should skip it.
- Pros and cons, including fees, caps and exclusions.
- Whether the annual fee is likely to pay for itself.
- How the rewards are earned and redeemed.
- What it takes to earn the welcome offer, and who is excluded from it.
- Which other Canadian cards are worth comparing it with.
Reviews are based on the issuer's published terms. We don't claim to have tested every card ourselves, and we don't use reader ratings.
How rankings and recommendations are worked out
We don't give cards star ratings or an overall score. Here is exactly how each part of the site decides which cards to show, and in what order. No card issuer pays to be included or to be placed higher, and none of this logic takes payments into account.
Card finder
The card finder asks up to five questions: your main goal, how much annual fee you're comfortable with, where you spend the most, your preferred travel program (travel goal only), and whether you prefer a particular bank. It then works in two steps.
1. Filter. Only cards that match your goal (cash back, travel, everyday rewards, student or low interest) and your fee limit ($0 only, up to $150, or any fee) are kept. U.S.-dollar cards are left out. A bank preference (American Express, or one of RBC, TD, CIBC, Scotiabank and BMO) and a travel program preference (Aeroplan, WestJet, hotel, or flexible points) are also applied. If nothing is left, the finder loosens the filters one at a time, in this order: bank preference, then travel program, then fee limit. It tells you when it has done this.
2. Score. Each remaining card gets points from fixed rules:
- +100 if the card matches your goal.
- Fee fit: +35 for a $0 card if you chose $0 only; +25 for a card at or under $150 if you chose moderate (+4 more if it does charge a fee); +30 for a premium card if you chose premium (a non-student card with a fee of $120 or more), or +18 for another card with a fee of $150 or more.
- +40 if the card's listed features mention your top spending category (groceries, gas and transit, dining, or travel), plus up to +28 more based on the earn rate shown for that category (5 points for each "x" or percent of earn, when it's above 1).
- +40 for a card in your chosen travel program (+32 for flexible points).
- +25 if the card is from the bank group you prefer.
- For a low-interest goal: 22 minus the card's purchase rate (so a lower rate scores higher).
- −12 for a student card when you didn't ask for one.
- The estimated dollar value of the welcome offer divided by 40, up to +12.
- +8 for a premium travel card when you chose travel and premium fees.
The top score is shown as your best match, with up to four alternatives. Ties go to the larger welcome offer, then the lower annual fee, then alphabetical order.
"Best" lists
Each of our 9 "best" lists includes every card that meets that list's rule: for example a $0 annual fee for the no-annual-fee list, a travel card type for the travel list, "student" in the card's type or name for the student list, or a fee of $120 or more (excluding student and basic cash-back cards) for the premium list. Cards appear in the same order as our card database. The lists are not sorted by a score and no position is paid for. The homepage's default "Featured" order is the same database order.
"Bonus minus fee" estimate
Card reviews include a first-year snapshot that subtracts the annual fee from the estimated dollar value of the welcome offer. When the fee details show a higher regular fee than the first-year fee, the higher fee is used. Offers listed only in points, with no dollar value, are not converted. This is a rough guide that leaves out everyday rewards, credits and interest. It isn't a rating.
Stacks and guides
The card pairings on our stacks pages and the picks in our guides are Andrew's editorial choices for each situation, explained on the page.
Independence
Canadian Credit Card Finder is run by Andrew. We are not a bank, lender or broker, and we never see or decide on applications. No card issuer pays to be listed, ranked or reviewed. Reviews include each card's downsides and say who should skip it. Advertisers have no say in what we write.
How the site is funded
The site is free to use and is funded by ads served by Google AdSense. Google chooses which ads appear; we don't pick individual advertisers. We don't show ads on screens without our own content, such as the compare tool, the card finder quiz and error pages.
Today the "Apply Now" links on card pages go straight to each issuer's own product page. They carry no affiliate or referral tracking, and we don't earn a commission when you apply. We may join affiliate programs in the future. If we do, we will say so on this page and in our advertising disclosure before those links go live.
Corrections
If a fee, rate, earn rate, offer or anything else on the site doesn't match the issuer's official page, please email contact@canadiancreditcardfinder.com with the card name and a link to the issuer page. We check the report against the issuer's page and, if it's wrong, fix the card record and any affected review text. The page's "Updated" date changes when its written content does. You can also reach us through the contact page.
Not financial advice
Our reviews, lists and finder results are general information, not financial advice, and they don't guarantee approval. Card terms change often, so always confirm the details with the issuer before you apply. See our Terms of Use.