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Credit card optimizer

Find the credit cards that earn you the most.

For a sample household spending $1,800 a month, the optimizer’s modeled 2-card setup earns $789.54 a year after annual fees (net of the credits we count), with points valued mostly at travel-redemption rates. A flat 2% card would earn $432.

Run the optimizer — free

Free · no account · no bank login · ~2 minutes

Or start from a profile

Sample result

Household profile · $1,800/mo · points valued for travel

Proven optimal

Modeled annual net value

$789.54 modeled annual net value

Modeled delta: +$358 vs. a flat 2% card

Annual fees, after credits

$145

$720 in fees, less $575 of credits we count

Cards selected

2

Spend routing

DiningAmex Gold4x
GroceriesAmex Gold4x
TravelCapital One Venture X2x
Everything elseCapital One Venture X2x
Try the sample profile in the optimizer

How it works

A portfolio decision, not a card ranking.

The model evaluates the economics of the whole wallet. A card only stays if its incremental reward, credit value, and category coverage justify its fee and constraints.

  1. Spending

    Enter rough monthly spending

    Use a template or adjust only the categories that matter. Rough monthly estimates are enough.

  2. Results

    Get the proven setup and where to use each card

    See which cards to carry, where to use them under the modeled categories, and the reason each one earned a place. Rates, annual caps, credits, fees, overlapping categories, and portfolio size are weighed together — then the result tells you whether optimality was proven or the time limit was reached first.

Read the methodology

Constraint-based rigor without handing over your financial life.

No bank credentials or card numbers. The analysis uses only the spending and valuation assumptions you choose to provide.

Method
A constraint solver (OR-Tools CP-SAT). See Methodology.
Objective
Annual net value
Result
Proof status included
Constraint model
Reward caps, credits, fees, category overlap, and portfolio size
Recommendation policy
Commissions are not solver inputs; issuer terms and eligibility control applications
Data provenance
Dated catalog reviews with issuer-source links and documented limitations
Privacy posture
No account required for the free optimizer and no bank connection

Free to use. No account or bank connection required — the analysis runs on spending assumptions you type in. Card terms verified Oct 11, 2026.

The core optimizer is free. Premium adds larger portfolios, alternative solutions, sensitivity analysis, and unlimited scenarios. Compare plans

Want the evidence first? Read our solver-backed research

Card research

Popular cards, reviewed on their economics.

Compare reward rules, credits, eligibility, and annual fees before they enter your portfolio.

Open the 54-card database

Some links may become affiliate links; today none pay us. Commissions are not solver inputs or ranking criteria; issuer terms, eligibility, channel offers, and your assumptions control the modeled result. Read the affiliate disclosure