How We Rate Credit Cards
Transparent, data-driven, percentile-based rankings
What Makes Our Ratings Different
Most credit card comparison sites use arbitrary scores. We don't. Every card is ranked against every other card in our database.
Percentile-Based Relative Rankings
When we say a card has a 4.5-star rewards rating, it means that card is in the top 12.5% of ALL 300+ cards we track for rewards. Not an arbitrary score - a real comparison against the competition.
How the star scale works:
- 5.0 ★ Top 10% of all cards
- 4.0 ★ Top 25% of all cards
- 3.0 ★ Middle 50% (average)
- 2.0 ★ Bottom 25% of all cards
- 1.0 ★ Bottom 10% of all cards
This means ratings automatically adjust as new cards enter the market. If a groundbreaking new card launches, existing cards may shift down slightly - because they're now relatively less competitive.
The Five Rating Components
Every card receives an overall rating calculated from five components, each derived from our 19 leaderboards:
Rewards Rating
Based on: Rewards leaderboard (70%), Milestones (20%), Online rewards (10%). Cashback cards get +8% bonus.
Value for Money Rating
Based on: Rewards (30%), Lounge Access (25%), Milestones (20%), Lifestyle (15%), Insurance (10%) - all relative to annual fee.
Fees Rating
Based on: Annual Fee (50%), Interest Rate (25%), Forex Markup (15%), Accessibility (10%). Lifetime free cards get +0.3 bonus.
Benefits Rating
Based on: Lounge Access (40%), Lifestyle perks (30%), Insurance (20%), Travel benefits (10%). 24x7 concierge adds +0.2.
User Reviews Rating
Average rating from verified cardholders. Only approved, genuine reviews count. Default: 3.0 if no reviews yet.
Our 24 Leaderboards
Beyond the overall rating, we maintain 24 specialized leaderboards. Each ranks ALL cards for a specific use case:
Featured
- 1. Overall Best Cards
Component Ratings
- 2. Best Rewards Rating
- 3. Best Benefits Rating
- 4. Best Fees Rating
- 5. Best Value for Money
Pure Metrics
- 6. Best Interest Rates
- 7. Lowest Annual Fees
- 8. Best Forex Rates
- 9. Highest Credit Limits
- 10. Most Accessible
Category Rankings
- 11. Best Rewards
- 12. Best Lounge Access
- 13. Best Insurance
- 14. Best Lifestyle Benefits
- 15. Best Welcome Bonuses
Spend Categories
- 16. Best for Travel
- 17. Best for Dining
- 18. Best for Groceries
- 19. Best for Fuel
- 20. Best for Shopping
- 21. Best for Entertainment
- 22. Best for Utilities
- 23. Best for International
- 24. Best for Online
Our Rating Philosophy
1. Cashback Gets a 35% Bonus Over Points
Cashback is guaranteed value. When a card says 5% cashback, you get exactly ₹5 back on every ₹100. Points can be devalued, have complex redemption rules, and uncertain real-world value. We account for this with a scoring bonus for cashback cards.
2. Cost is Always Considered
A free card with feature X should score higher than an expensive card with the same feature X. Our Value for Money multiplier ensures this:
- Free cards: 2.5x multiplier
- Under ₹500/year: 2.2x multiplier
- ₹500-1,000/year: 1.8x multiplier
- ₹1,000-2,500/year: 1.4x multiplier
- ₹2,500-5,000/year: 1.1x multiplier
- ₹5,000-10,000/year: 0.9x multiplier
- ₹10,000-25,000/year: 0.75x multiplier
- Above ₹25,000/year: 0.6x multiplier (expected to be excellent)
3. Fair Tie-Breaking
When cards have identical primary scores, we use documented secondary factors: cashback type beats points, lower joining fee beats higher, more guest visits beats fewer. Every tiebreaker is predictable and transparent.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does a free card rank higher than an expensive premium card?
Because our ratings measure VALUE, not just features. A free card delivering 80% of a premium card's benefits at 0% of the cost is objectively better value. If you want pure feature comparisons regardless of cost, look at our raw leaderboard scores.
How often are ratings updated?
Leaderboards are recalculated whenever card data changes. Ratings are derived from leaderboard positions in real-time. When a new card launches or an existing card updates its features, all rankings adjust automatically.
Can card issuers pay for higher ratings?
No. Our algorithm is purely data-driven. We may earn affiliate commissions when you apply for cards, but this never influences ratings. Editorial and business operations are completely separate.
What if I disagree with a rating?
We'd love to hear from you! Our methodology is transparent, but we're always looking to improve. Contact us with specific feedback.
The Bottom Line
CardNitty ratings answer one question: "How does this card compare to every other card in India?"
We believe in relative comparisons, not arbitrary scores. When you see a 4.5-star card, you know it's genuinely in the top tier - because we've compared it against every alternative.
Last updated: December 2025 | Algorithm version: 2.0