How we rank cards

Some card recommendations pay us a referral fee when you're approved. That's how the free version of CreditLite stays free. Here's exactly how it works — and how it doesn't affect what we show you.

What goes into a ranking

When we rank cards for you, we look at:

• How likely you are to be approved, based on the credit score range you told us
• Fit for your stated goal — paying off debt, earning rewards, building credit, or travel
• 0% intro period length and transfer fees
• How the card's rewards match your actual spending
• Whether the annual fee is worth it at your spending level

What never goes into a ranking

What a card pays us. The part of our system that ranks cards cannot see referral fee data — it's kept in a separate place that only our revenue reporting can read. A card that pays us nothing can outrank a card that pays us $300, and regularly does.

Affiliate networks we use

Right now: none — links go straight to the card companies' own application pages. When our affiliate network application (CardRatings) is approved, we'll swap in tracked links and update this page.

This is a commitment, not fine print. If we ever change how ranking works, this page changes first.