A recommendation should survive the math
GainFair ranks cards using their estimated ongoing annual value for the spending profile entered, not by an affiliate payout or headline reward rate.
Authored and reviewed by GainFair · Questions or corrections: support@gainfair.in
1. Start with your spending
We annualise the monthly amounts you enter across online shopping, groceries, dining, travel, fuel, utilities and other supported categories.
2. Apply eligible reward rates
Each category is matched to the recorded rate for each card. A high advertised rate is used only where the card rules and merchant category make it eligible.
3. Enforce caps and exclusions
Monthly and category caps limit the rewards. Recorded exclusions such as rent, fuel, wallet loads or government payments earn zero when the issuer rules exclude them.
4. Value movie, milestone and lounge benefits
Movie offers are capped by entered entertainment spend, the published discount and monthly uses. Airport lounge visits are capped by the user’s requirement and each domestic or international airport lounge allowance. Benefits with unmet or unstructured conditions contribute zero value.
5. Subtract card and forex costs
Joining fees are deducted from first-year value. Annual renewal fees, optional programme fees, foreign-currency markup and applicable GST are deducted from ongoing annual value. Only eligible spending counts toward annual-fee waivers and milestones.
6. Compare all your current cards
The engine routes each category to the best card you already hold, then counts only the categories a candidate improves. A new card must add at least ₹1,500 a year after recurring cost or GainFair recommends no new card.
Simplified annual-value formula
Estimated ongoing annual value = eligible category rewards − cap deductions + usable movie offers + earned milestones + used lounge value − forex markup with GST − annual renewal fee with GST − optional programme fee with GST
Estimated first-year value may also include documented welcome benefits and subtract the joining fee. Estimated ongoing annual value excludes one-time welcome benefits.
Data verification
Every catalogue card records issuer sources and a review date. Source age and decision-review status are internal maintenance metadata and do not affect candidate eligibility, ranking, recommendation actions or result presentation. The audit keeps outstanding reward, cap, cost and eligibility review work visible without removing published cards from the Card Advisor.
Known limitations
Merchant category coding can differ, issuers can change rules, eligibility is not guaranteed, and point values depend on redemption. If aggregate merchant UPI spending is not split by category, the engine uses a conservative lower-bound allocation. Estimates are decision aids, not guaranteed value.
Test the methodology on your spending
The Card Advisor shows the annual value calculation and explains why an alternative card did not rank first.