How we rate credit cards

Two ratings, never merged

Every card page can show two different things: an editorial rating (our independent 0–5 assessment) and, once real reviews exist, a consumer rating (the average of verified consumer reviews). We keep them visibly separate and label which is which. We never blend them into one unexplained number, and we never present an editorial score as a consumer score.

How the editorial score is built

Each card category has its own rubric, because what makes a great secured card is not what makes a great travel card. We score each dimension 0–5, apply the category weights below, and normalize. A rating is only displayed when the methodology version, the category sub-scores, a named author, and a data-completeness figure are all present — an incomplete record shows “pending review,” not a number.

The advertising firewall

Credit Defense Hub may earn a commission when a reader follows a partner link to apply for a card — see the full advertiser disclosure for which partnerships exist today. That revenue is walled off from this page: the methodology version and category weights above are published and dated before any partnership with an issuer exists, editorial scores are computed from the rubric with no field for “is this issuer a partner,” and we do not accept payment to raise a score, remove a review, place a card off the buyer-beware list, or reorder results.

The category rubrics and weights