Transparency Report

Methodology & Assumptions

KYF Cards combines issuer‑verified data with first‑principles math to estimate the real value of each card. This page documents how rankings are calculated.

Data window
10 Feb 2026631 canonical cards124 card-lounge mapsLounge source snapshot

1. Data sources

  • Issuer and partner pages for fees, rewards, caps, and redemption ratios.
  • Independent aggregators for discovery, not scoring.
  • Lounge locations are mapped from recorded issuer and network PDFs. Policy checks and terminal-list checks have separate dates; a policy update does not refresh the location snapshot.

2. Spend allocation

  • 70% of spend is allocated to your chosen categories.
  • 30% is treated as base‑rate spend.
  • Spend is distributed evenly across selected categories.

3. Rewards value

  • Cashback uses a point value of 1.
  • Point estimates require a recorded redemption value. A missing value does not qualify a card for recommendations. Reward units are converted to rupees before comparison.
  • Pro mode uses best redemption rates when available.

4. Caps & milestones

  • Monthly or category caps reduce projected rewards.
  • Spend-only milestones are included when supported thresholds are met. Transaction-count and enrollment bonuses are excluded when those conditions are not confirmed.
  • Fee waivers are applied if issuer conditions are met.

5. Scoring logic

Net value

Estimated annual rewards − annual fees.

Context fit

Savings shortlists sort by modeled net value. Travel and Lifestyle shortlists sort by preference-fit score, then net value. These scores are editorial heuristics, not statistical confidence intervals.

Reality checks

Penalty for negative net value or mismatched priorities.

6. Freshness and limitations

Whole-card age uses the oldest recorded evidence; each field shows its own check date. Missing dates remain unknown. Issuers change benefits without notice. Some categories and merchants require specific payment modes. Always verify terms before applying.