Compare credit cards based on what you really spend
Rewards cards look generous until you subtract the annual fee or realize your spending doesn't fit the bonus categories. Give your todo.is agent a rough breakdown of your monthly spending and goals, and it compares current cards on fees, interest, rewards and fine print, then estimates the yearly value of each.
The prompt
- Compare credit cards for me in [COUNTRY]. My goal is [GOAL]. My typical monthly spending: [SPENDING BREAKDOWN]. My credit profile is about [CREDIT PROFILE]. Find 5 to 6 current cards that fit, using the issuers' official pages. For each give the annual fee, purchase APR, intro offers and when they end, rewards rates by category, sign-up bonus and the spending needed, foreign transaction fee, and key fine print. Estimate the yearly value for my spending minus fees. Tell me which ones I'm likely to qualify for, recommend the best 2 and explain why. Spreadsheet with links. Note anything I should confirm on the issuer's site.
What to change
- [COUNTRY]: Card offers differ a lot by country, e.g. "the US" or "Canada".
- [GOAL]: e.g. "cash back on groceries", "travel points", "pay off a balance with 0% interest" or "build credit".
- [SPENDING BREAKDOWN]: Rough numbers, e.g. "groceries $600, gas $150, dining $250, travel $100, other $500".
- [CREDIT PROFILE]: e.g. "good, around 720", "fair" or "new to credit".
Example result
- Credit cards for grocery cash back (US example)
- Your monthly spending: groceries $600, gas $150, dining $250, travel $100, other $500. That is about $19,200 a year. Credit: good, around 720. You pay in full every month.
- Estimated yearly value (illustrative, check current terms)
- Card 1 · Grocery rewards card with annual fee
- • High rate on groceries, mid rate on gas
- • Rewards for your spending: about $505 a year, minus the annual fee = about $410
- • Sign-up bonus needs a set amount of spending in 3 months
- • Watch: the grocery rate has a yearly cap
- Card 2 · Flat-rate cash back, no annual fee
- • Same rate on everything
- • About $384 a year, no fee
- • Simple, no categories to track
- Card 3 · Rotating categories, no fee
- • Big rate in quarterly categories you must activate
- • About $300 a year if you activate every quarter
- • Easy to forget activation
- Card 4 · Travel card
- • Strong on travel and dining, weak on groceries
- • About $260 a year for your spending, before the fee
- My take
- Card 1 wins only if you keep spending around $600 a month on groceries. If that drops below about $450, Card 2 earns more. Card 2 is the safer pick if you want one simple card.
- Things to know
- • Rewards only pay off if you pay the full balance each month. Interest on a carried balance wipes them out fast.
- • Applying for several cards close together can lower your credit score for a while.
- • Check the issuer's official page for current rates and terms before you apply.
- This is a comparison for education, not financial advice. Talk to a financial adviser if you're unsure.
How to do it with todo.is
- Add up your rough monthly spending by category from a recent statement.
- Copy the prompt, fill in your country, goal, spending and credit profile, and send it in todo.is.
- Your agent reads issuers' pages and returns a comparison with the estimated yearly value of each card.
- Ask what-ifs like "what if I travel twice a year", then apply on the issuer's site yourself.
Tips for a better result
- Attach a statement export and ask your agent to sort your spending into categories for you.
- Compare value after the annual fee, not the headline rewards rate.
- If you carry a balance, focus on the APR or a 0% intro period instead of rewards.
- Set a reminder before an intro APR ends, so you are not surprised by interest.
compare credit cards: FAQ
- How do I compare credit cards? Look at the annual fee, APR, rewards in the categories you spend most on, intro offers and their end date, and fees like foreign transaction fees. Then estimate the yearly value for your own spending.
- Does comparing credit cards hurt my credit score? Reading and comparing offers does not. Applying usually triggers a hard inquiry, which can lower your score a little for a while.
- Is a card with an annual fee worth it? Only if the extra rewards or perks you will really use are worth more than the fee. Your agent works out that break-even point for your spending.
- Is this financial advice? No. It is a comparison based on public card terms and your numbers. Check the issuer's terms and talk to a financial adviser for personal advice.
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