How to choose a credit card — the 60-second version

Written by William Cole — 25 years in financial services.

Start here: what happens to your balance each month?

Start with one fact about yourself: what happens to the balance each month. Every number on a credit card matters differently depending on the answer.

You pay in full every month

If the balance is paid in full every month — the purchase rate never applies to you. The numbers that do: the annual fee (the card's actual yearly cost), interest-free days (how long purchases sit unbilled — 44 vs 55 days is the published range; the count only applies when the previous statement was paid in full), and whether it earns points. This is the "I pay my balance in full" view, ranked by fee.

You carry a balance

If a balance is carried — the purchase rate is most of the card's cost, and points arithmetic works against you: interest on a carried balance typically exceeds the value of points earned on the spending. The number built for this case is cost per year — fee plus interest on an example carried balance — shown in the "I carry a balance" view, ranked by that figure.

You're moving existing card debt

If the plan is moving existing card debt — three numbers together, never one: the 0% window (how long transferred debt sits interest-free), the transfer fee (usually a percentage of the amount moved, charged up front), and the revert rate (what the remaining balance is charged after the window ends). A long window with a high transfer fee and revert rate can cost more than a shorter, cheaper one — the "I'm moving debt" view shows all three side by side.

You want points

If points are the goal — the annual fee is the price of the points, which is why that view ranks by fee. Earn rates are tiered and capped differently per card; the published structure is on each card's Details page. Program names (Qantas, Flybuys, bank programs) are shown per card — points in different programs aren't directly comparable numbers.

Just want a simple everyday card?

You clear the balance every month, so interest never applies - the annual fee is the whole cost. The everyday card: lowest fee first.

In every view

Two facts that apply to every view: cards with restricted eligibility (business customers, minimum income, membership) are excluded from the default list and counted at the end of it — "include specialty credit cards" restores them, labelled. And cards don't publish comparison rates, so the purchase rate is not a total-cost figure — fees sit beside it as their own column.

Factual information only — not a recommendation. Confirm any figure with the provider before applying.

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