methodology
Last updated: October 14, 2026
how we estimate rewards
we multiply your spending in each category by the card's published earn rate, then convert points to dollars using the values below.
what points are worth
| program | value used | based on |
|---|---|---|
| Cash back | face value | 1% = 1 cent per dollar, paid as cash back or statement credit. |
| Aeroplan | 1.5 ¢ per point | 1.5 cents per point, a typical economy flight redemption. Gift cards and merchandise are usually worth less. |
| American Express Membership Rewards | 1 ¢ per point | 1 cent per point using Fixed Points for Travel or travel statement credit. Airline transfers can be worth more. |
| RBC Avion Rewards | 1 ¢ per point | 1 cent per point when booking travel through Avion. Statement credit is worth less, about 0.58 cents. |
| Scene+ | 1 ¢ per point | 1 cent per point for travel, groceries at partner stores or statement credit against travel. |
| TD Rewards | 0.5 ¢ per point | 0.5 cents per point when booking through Expedia for TD. Other redemptions are worth less. |
| BMO Rewards | 0.67 ¢ per point | About 0.67 cents per point for travel booked through BMO Rewards. |
| CIBC Aventura | 1 ¢ per point | About 1 cent per point for travel through the CIBC Rewards Centre. |
| PC Optimum | 0.1 ¢ per point | 1,000 points = $1 at participating stores. |
| Canadian Tire Money | face value | 1 CT Money dollar = $1 at Canadian Tire family stores. |
| National Bank à la carte Rewards | 1 ¢ per point | 1 cent per point for travel through à la carte Rewards. |
| MBNA Rewards | 1 ¢ per point | 1 cent per point for travel. Cash back redemptions are worth less. |
| WestJet dollars | face value | 1 WestJet dollar = $1 toward WestJet flights. |
American Express Membership Rewards can transfer to Aeroplan, but we value them at 1 cent to stay conservative, since not everyone redeems for flights.
these are our estimates. what your points are really worth depends on how you redeem them.
annual fees and caps
free calculator: results are shown before annual fees, nothing is subtracted. where a card's bonus rate has a monthly spending cap, spending above the cap earns the card's base rate. caps are checked separately for each card.
keep or cancel?: uses the annual fee you confirm. it only estimates rewards for cards with verified earn rates, otherwise you enter your actual annual rewards. net value is rewards plus benefits you use, minus the fee. monthly caps are applied assuming your spending is spread evenly across the year.
where card details come from
we collect card details from issuer websites and other public sources and review them periodically. card terms change often, so always confirm the current details with the issuer before you apply.
how we rank cards
cards are ranked only by estimated value for the spending you enter. if we earn commissions in the future, they will never change the order.
the $2,000 a month example
| category | spending | card | rate | per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| groceries at Loblaw stores | $650/month | PC Financial World Elite Mastercard | 3% | $234/yr |
| restaurants | $300/month | CIBC Costco Mastercard | 3% | $108/yr |
| gas | $180/month | CIBC Costco Mastercard | 2% | $43/yr |
| travel | $250/month | either card | 1% | $30/yr |
| everything else | $620/month | either card | 1% | $74/yr |
total: about $490/yr, no annual fees. one 1% card on everything: $240/yr. difference: about $250/yr.
assumes groceries are bought at Loblaw-banner stores and PC Optimum points are redeemed at 10,000 points = $10. the CIBC Costco Mastercard requires a Costco membership, and its gas rate applies to the first $5,000 of gas each year. rates checked October 2026.