See what a cash-back card is actually worth to you.
Model steady-state rewards separately from a one-time welcome offer. Category caps fall back to the card's base reward rate instead of pretending bonus rewards continue forever.
Bonus categories
Welcome offer
This models rewards value only. It does not model interest charges, late fees, approval odds, credit-score effects, or subjective travel-point values. Pay the statement balance in full for rewards comparisons to be economically meaningful.
First year is not ongoing value
Welcome offers can dominate year one. InfoShot shows the ongoing annual value separately so a temporary promotion does not hide a weak long-term card.
Interest is a separate decision
This rewards model assumes you are comparing card value, not financing debt. Interest charges can overwhelm rewards and should be modeled separately.
No subjective point valuations
Phase 2 starts with directly quantifiable cash-back economics. Travel points and miles are excluded until InfoShot has a separately governed valuation method.