How do I compare two cards side by side?

Use side by side when you already have two cards in mind and want to know which one is better for you. Both cards are worked out on the same spending, line by line, so the difference you see comes from the cards and not from different assumptions.

Pick your two cards and your spending

1. 1

   Choose the first card

   Click the card name at the top of the left column (the picker is labelled First card) and type in Search credit cards. The card in the other column is listed but can't be picked twice.

2. 2

   Choose the second card

   Do the same in the right column. The page address changes with your picks, so you can bookmark the pair or send it to someone.

3. 3

   Enter your own spending

   Until you do, the page uses a typical monthly amount and says so. Under What each card is worth click Edit spending, fill in the Your spending panel (or load a saved profile) and click Compare on this spending. It is the same spending the compare tool and the card calculators use.

Read the numbers

• First-year value: everything the first year is worth, with the larger bar in green. Rewards, the welcome bonus and any Finly rebate count in. The annual fee and foreign transaction fees come out.
• Every year after: the yearly rewards once the welcome bonus is gone, after the annual fee.
• The verdict: two sentences under the bars, such as which card is worth more in year one and whether the other pulls ahead from year two.
• How the first year adds up: a table with Annual rewards, Welcome bonus (marked “first year only”, “not reached at this spending” or “no welcome offer”), Annual fee, FX fees and Finly rebate for each card. If a card has a condition, such as being a Rogers customer, a yes or no question sits above the table and the numbers follow your answer.
• Where each card earns: a year of your spending at each card's own rate tiers, most first, then All other purchases at the base rate.

Below the numbers the page sets the two cards against each other on the welcome bonus, fees, earn rates, points, coverage and our take, and links to other comparisons. Points here are valued at the best redemption, and the page shows the value it used for each point.