Free tool · 107 cards in the database
Card value calculator.
Pick a card and enter your real monthly spending by category. See the published rates used, caps applied, rewards earned, and net value after the fee, for year one and every year after.
Your monthly spend
Enter what you actually spend each month, up to $100,000 per category.
Rewards math assumes you pay your balance in full every month — interest charges quickly exceed any rewards value.
American Express
Amex Platinum Card (Canada)
$799 annual fee · Amex Membership Rewards
Annual rewards
$376
Ongoing net
-$423
Modelled first year
-$423
Modelled year two
$147
Includes $570 deferred offer value
24-month total
-$276
Welcome value reached: $0 at this spending level.
| Category | Spend/mo | Published rate used | Est. $/year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Groceries | $500 | 1x (Everything else) | $114 |
| Dining & delivery | $200 | 2x (Dining and food delivery) | $91 |
| Travel | $100 | 2x (Travel) | $46 |
| Gas & transit | $150 | 1x (Everything else) | $34 |
| Everything else | $400 | 1x (Everything else) | $91 |
The estimate prices each category at the card’s published earn rate and our Points Standard Index expected informed valuation, applies structured earn caps and subtracts the fee. Structured minimum-spend requirements are tested against your total spending; at a lower level you may earn only part of the bonus. Unstructured and action-dependent value, insurance, and perks are excluded instead of guessed. Categories are broad, merchant coding varies, and eligibility is not assessed. Always pay your balance in full: interest can overwhelm rewards.
How to use this
Start with your actual monthly spending, then compare year one, year two, 24 months and ongoing value. Ongoing net isolates recurring earn after the fee; each offer component appears only in the year it posts when the model can verify its conditions. A negative ongoing number does not automatically make a card poor (benefits you genuinely use may close the gap), but it tells you exactly how much those benefits must be worth. For the full breakdown behind any card’s numbers, see its card review, or browse our ranked lists by category.
Frequently asked questions
How is 'net value' calculated?
We price your spending category by category using the card's published earn rates and our Points Standard Index valuation, apply structured earn caps, and subtract the annual fee. Year one adds only verifiable offer tranches that post before renewal; year two adds a structured anniversary tranche only when your spending meets its conditions. The 24-month total adds those two years without counting any offer twice.
Does the calculator account for category caps?
Yes, when a cap is stored in our structured card data. Spend above that cap falls to the published post-cap rate. If a complex condition remains only in issuer prose, we do not guess; the result is marked approximate or the uncertain value is excluded.
Which point valuation should I use?
Use the conservative floor if you want an easy-to-realize minimum, expected informed value for a realistic travel-rewards comparison, or strong-redemption upside to test a well-executed redemption. The upside is a scenario, not a promised return. Cash-back cards do not change between these settings.
Does the calculator account for interest charges or minimum spend?
It checks structured minimum-spend tranches against your total monthly spend, including monthly statement requirements. It does not model interest: the math assumes you pay in full, because interest can quickly exceed the rewards.
Why are some bonuses or benefits excluded?
A headline maximum is not the same as achievable cash value. We exclude unstructured, action-dependent, and second-year value unless it can be modelled defensibly from your inputs. We also leave insurance, lounge access, and lifestyle credits outside the dollar total rather than assign them a universal value.
Card terms, fees, and bonuses change frequently; always confirm current offers on the issuer’s site before applying. See our methodology for how we score and value cards.