Editorial Policy & Rating Methodology (2026) - CardSe

Our Independence & Mission

CardSe is an independent credit card comparison atlas and research publication. We are not a bank, NBFC, or financial institution, and we do not issue credit cards or collect card applications.

Our sole mission is to bring transparency, clarity, and mathematical rigor to credit card selection in India, empowering consumers to choose cards matching their exact monthly spending profiles.

Our 5-Stage Evaluation Framework

1. Primary Source Document Audit (MITC Verification): Every reward rate, milestone benefit, fee waiver threshold, and exclusion is sourced directly from the issuing bank's official Most Important Terms and Conditions (MITC) and Schedule of Charges.
2. MCC Exclusion & Fine-Print Mapping: Headline reward figures often omit critical exclusions. We systematically identify merchant category code exclusions across fuel, utilities, rent, wallet loads, insurance, and education.
3. Break-Even Spend & Real-Yield Modeling: We compute realistic net monetary yields by factoring in joining and renewal fees, GST (18%), spend-hurdle requirements, and category-level reward caps.
4. Devaluation Tracking & Quarterly Audits: Indian credit card terms change rapidly. Our editorial team continuously tracks program revisions, lounge access policy changes, and merchant partner exclusions.
5. Deterministic Scoring & Algorithmic Insulation: CardSe scores cards on a 1.0 to 5.0 scale using deterministic mathematical models based on net yields, fee recovery ease, and perk quality. Commercial relationships have zero influence on scores or recommender rankings.

Commercial Insulation & Affiliate Transparency

CardSe accepts affiliate commissions from select card networks and banking partners when users click outbound links and are approved on official bank portals. However, commercial partnerships are strictly insulated from our editorial evaluations.

• Banks and affiliate networks cannot buy higher ratings, alter reviews, or suppress negative watchouts.
• Calculators and recommender algorithms rank cards purely based on user spending input and verified rewards math.
• We regularly review and recommend cards that offer zero affiliate compensation if they represent the best value for Indian consumers.

Security & Credential Protection

CardSe strictly operates as an educational and informational publisher. We do not process credit card applications, issue cards, or collect banking credentials (such as account passwords, PINs, CVVs, net banking logins, or OTPs). All card application links redirect users to the issuing bank's secure, official application portal.

Corrections & Public Accountability

We welcome fact-checking and public corrections. If you detect any outdated fee, altered reward cap, or revised lounge rule, please contact our research team at editorial@cardse.in.