How we rate cards

The four scoring dimensions

The overall editor rating (out of 5) weighs these four dimensions for the card’s intended use — a travel card is judged first as a travel card.

• Rewards value — what the card actually returns on spending. We convert earn rates into an estimated AED value using our valuations of each program’s points or miles, so a Skywards card and a cashback card can be compared on the same scale.
• Travel benefits — lounge access (and whether it is truly unlimited), travel insurance, airport transfers, hotel status and similar perks, weighted by what they are realistically worth.
• Fees & costs — annual fee (and whether the first year is free), interest rate, foreign-exchange markup, and the fine print that erodes value.
• Eligibility & ease — minimum salary, salary-transfer requirements, and how much friction to expect when applying.

How "best of" picks are chosen

Our category pages (best travel card, best cashback card, and so on) rank cards by comparing verified data within that category: real earn rates, fee structures, and the value of the welcome offer. Editors make the final call and explain each pick — and no placement on any list can be bought.

Where the data comes from

Card data is taken from the issuing bank’s product pages, key facts statements, and schedules of charges. Each card page shows a "rates verified" date; our target is to re-verify every live card at least every 90 days, and sooner when banks announce changes.

Found something we missed? Tell us and we will re-check it against the source documents.