Is This Card Worth It?
Pick a real card, enter your spend by category, and check off the credits you actually use — see the real net value of the annual fee, not the value the issuer's marketing page assumes. Free, no signup.
Fee and reward rates sourced from this site's card data (last updated 2026-02-10). Verify current terms on the issuer's site before applying.
1¢/point is a common conservative baseline for a flat cash-out; transfer-partner redemptions can be worth more but depend on availability and your own effort. This is an estimate, not a guarantee.
Annual spend by category
Credits & perks
Add each credit or perk the card offers (e.g. a $300 travel credit) and check whether you actually use it — unused credits don't count toward the card's value.
Results
net value per year, after the $95 fee
- Rewards earned
- $235
- Credits used
- $0
- Total value
- $235
- Annual fee
- −$95
- Fee coverage
- 247%
At your current spend mix, you'd need about $6,266 in total annual spend on this card (vs. $15,500 entered) for rewards alone to cover the fee.
Estimate only, from the spend and credit usage you entered. Point/mile values assume a flat cash-out rate; canceling a card has separate effects on your credit history and average account age — see the credit-score simulator before deciding to close one.
Frequently asked questions
How is this different from the break-even calculator on the main calculators page?
That one uses a single flat rewards rate and a slider for monthly spend — a quick gut check. This one uses this site's own sourced card data (real annual fees and per-category reward rates) so you can pick an actual card, enter your spend by category the way the card actually rewards it, and — the part that usually swings the verdict — check off exactly which of the card's credits you actually use, since an unused $300 travel credit is not worth $300 to you.
Why do unused credits not count toward the card's value?
Because you can't spend a credit you never redeem. Annual-fee justifications built on a laundry list of credits (streaming, travel, dining, ride-share) routinely assume every credit gets used — the classic overstatement issue with premium travel cards. This calculator only counts a credit's value if you check the box saying you actually use it, which is usually where a card that looks worth it on paper stops being worth it in practice.
How is the point/mile value calculated?
For cash-back cards, the reward rate is already a percentage, so the dollar value is direct. For points/miles cards, this calculator multiplies points earned by a cents-per-point value you set — 1¢/point is a common conservative baseline for a flat cash-out or statement credit redemption. Transfer-partner redemptions (airline/hotel points) can be worth more, sometimes 1.5-2¢ or higher, but depend on award availability and effort, so treat any value above 1¢ as optimistic, not guaranteed.
What does 'break-even spend' mean here?
It's the total annual spend — scaled proportionally across the categories you entered — at which your rewards alone (before credits) would exactly cover the annual fee. If your entered spend already earns more than the fee, or your used credits alone exceed the fee, break-even spend is $0 or already met.
Does canceling a card hurt my credit score?
It can — closing a card reduces your total available credit (raising your utilization ratio on remaining cards) and can lower your average account age, both of which the FICO/VantageScore models weigh. This calculator only measures dollar value, not credit-score impact; check the credit score simulator before deciding to close a card outright, and consider a product change (downgrading to a no-fee version of the same card) instead of a full cancellation where the issuer allows it.
Estimate only, computed from the card data on this site plus the spend and credit usage you enter. Card terms change — verify current rates, fees, and credits on the issuer's own site before applying or deciding to keep a card.