How NerdWallet Rates Credit Cards
NerdWallet rates credit cards on a scale of 1 to 5 stars, with 5 being the best. The ratings are incremented in tenths of a star — 3.7, 4.3, 5.0 and so on. Information about our rating systems and the factors that go into our assessments appears on this page.
Our ratings philosophy
Most important:
The editorial team
NerdWallet communicates regularly with credit card issuers to ensure that offer details are current and accurate, and editors and writers continually review the offerings on issuer websites. When details of an offer change, the editorial team audits and updates content to ensure accuracy. Ratings are also updated as necessary.
How our ratings formulas work
The base rating is then subject to standardized adjustments up or down, typically in increments of 0.1 star, to account for secondary characteristics that affect a card’s overall value or usefulness but that aren’t usually central in the decision to apply for a card. One might think of them as “tiebreakers.” (See list below.)
Base ratings
Cash-back and general-purpose travel cards
The base rating for cash-back cards and general-purpose travel credit cards — those that are not branded with an airline or hotel name — is calculated this way:
Cash value is our estimate of the dollar value a typical cardholder can realize by using the card as their primary method of payment for the first three years their account is open. Factors used in the cash value formula include, but are not limited to:
The cash value calculation incorporates federal data on consumer spending to determine the relative weight of bonus categories. For example, the typical household spends far more on groceries and at restaurants than it does on streaming media, so 3% cash back at supermarkets carries more value in our calculations than 3% cash back on streaming.
Simplicity reflects how easy or difficult it is to use the card — both in opening and managing the account, and in understanding, earning and redeeming rewards. Factors affecting the simplicity score include, but are not limited to:
Complexity of the rewards structure, such as:
Obstacles to getting or using the card (beyond credit score qualifications), such as:
NOTE: The cash-back ratings formula also applies to: store credit cards, whose rewards typically function like cash back; general-purpose "points" cards whose rewards aren't specifically earmarked for travel; and non-rewards cards that don't fall into any other category, such as student, balance transfer or secured.
Branded airline and hotel credit cards
The base rating for “co-branded” airline and hotel credit cards — that is, cards that carry the name of an airline or hotel group along with that of the issuing bank — is:
Cash value on these cards is calculated the same way as with other rewards cards (see “Cash-back and general-purpose travel credit cards,” above). However, it also takes into account NerdWallet’s assessment of the value of points and miles in airline and hotel loyalty programs. So a benefit like “3x miles on travel purchases” will be more valuable when the miles are valued at 1.4 cents apiece than when they’re worth 0.5 cent.
Scope takes into account the number of destinations an airline offers or the number of properties available in a hotel group. Airline cards and hotel cards all have a similar rewards structure, so simplicity is not a differentiating factor. Instead, the key question is: “How much flexibility will I have in using my rewards?” That’s addressed by scope.
College student credit cards
The base rating for credit cards for college students reflects the fact that these cards are effectively “starter” credit cards, designed for people new to credit:
Cash value is calculated the same way as with other rewards cards (see “Cash-back and general-purpose travel credit cards,” above), but it accounts for a smaller share of the base rating. Students on the whole spend less money than other consumers, and the most important use of a credit card for a student is in building credit rather than amassing rewards.
Simplicity accounts for a larger share of the base; the easier a card’s rewards structure is to understand, the better it is for a beginner.
Availability is included in the base rating to recognize what a hurdle just getting a card can be for a student. Cards that applicants can get approved for with no existing credit history score high on availability; those that require applicants to have already established credit will score lower.
Balance transfer credit cards
The base rating for balance transfer credit cards is determined entirely by cash value. However, unlike with rewards cards, where cash value is a measure of how much money you would earn by carrying and using the card, the cash value of balance transfer cards measures how much you would save in interest by moving debt to the card and paying it down.
Factors in the cash value calculation for balance transfer cards include:
The savings calculation also takes into account how the card performs in multiple common balance transfer scenarios, ranging from transferring and aggressively paying down debt to simply “parking” debt on the card for a period of time.
NOTE: Some balance transfer credit cards offer rewards, perks and bonuses, but these are not included in the savings calculation. A balance transfer card is a tool for paying down debt, after all, not for adding to it with new spending. Any benefits tied to spending are treated as standardized adjustments, as noted above. For example, a rewards program might give a card ongoing value and therefore make it more desirable than a card without rewards, but it doesn’t affect the card’s utility as a balance transfer tool.
Secured credit cards
Secured credit cards have one purpose: to help build credit. Ideally, a cardholder won’t carry one for very long. Instead, they’ll use it long enough to strengthen their credit to the degree that they can qualify for a regular unsecured card. At that point, they can upgrade or close the account and get their security deposit back. So our ratings primarily reflect a card’s value toward that end. The base rating is:
Required cash outlay is the out-of-pocket amount the cardholder will have to provide in the first two years their account is open — two years being enough time for the typical cardholder to build credit and move on to an unsecured card. Required cash outlay takes into account:
Credit builder features include, but are not necessarily limited to:
Upgrade potential gauges how smoothly a cardholder can move up to a regular credit card from the same issuer or at least get greater use out of their secured card. Factors include, but are not limited to:
