Because bonuses are where the real money's at!
Welcome to the magical and wonderful calculator!
If you have any questions, issues, or suggestions, please contact us!
What this calculator does
The whole purpose of this calculator is to show you how big of an impact sign-up bonuses have to your credit card rewards. 1% and 2% back are nothing compared to that massive sign-up bonus!
Okay, how do I work it?
- Enter how much you spend every month and how many months you want to look at.
- Put in the info about your credit card.
- Hit calculate and check out the results!
- Rinse and repeat as needed, tweaking numbers to compare.
Helpful notes
If you're viewing this on your phone, the tables and graph may look better if you hold your phone sideways (in landscape mode).
The way to get the highest effective % back is to spend exactly the minimum spend requirement. In an world where nothing matters but maximizing rewards, you would simply get a new card after that. In reality, that's probably not what you're going to do, but it's good to see how your effective % changes over time.
Hopefully, it will help you realize that you should consider getting new cards more often than you probably are now if you want to get the highest % back.
What does % back mean?
We're talking about rewards credit cards. If you have a cash-back card, it's simple, because you get exactly that percent back. If you have a credit card that gives points or miles, it's slightly more complicated.
So, what is the value of a point (or mile)? Well, there are some 3rd party evaluations of credit card points values, but the real answer isn't that simple. Fortunately, we cover it in-depth in our guide (see below).
But here's the quick version: determine the value of a point, then you can figure out your % back. So if a point is worth 1 cent, and you get 2 points per $1 you spend, your % back is 2%.
(value of point) * (points per $1) = (% back)
(1 cent) * (2 points per $1) = (2%)
Are there other ways I can maximize my rewards?
Yeah, baby, yeah! It's one of the many things that we talk about in our comprehensive guide on credit cards! Whether you've never had a credit card or you've had them for 20 years, you will learn something new.
It's chock full with well-researched information covering everything from credit basics to carrying a large balance to maximizing your rewards. Best of all, there are multiple walkthroughs based on different possible situations you may be in.
Check out Swipe Right, the comprehensive guide to getting the most out of credit cards
Do you have other calculators?
Hecks yes, we do! We have calculators that help with multiple credit cards, credit card rewards, and more!
Check them all out on our resources page.
Disclosure
This document is provided for informational purposes only. We are not licensed financial advisors. Neither Helpful For Life LLC nor its associated parties will be liable for any damage, expense, or other loss you may suffer based on your reliance on this document.