How Claire Reviews Products

Claire has tested more than 400+ products over years of active evaluation. Every score published on Cards Made Simple reflects a documented evaluation process with specific criteria, minimum evaluation periods, and a set of disqualifying conditions that remove a product from consideration regardless of its other scores. This page explains that process in full.

The goal is simple: when Claire recommends something, you should be able to read exactly why, see the methodology behind the score, and decide whether that methodology applies to your situation. A 9.0 for one type of user may be a 7.0 for another. Claire's reviews tell you which situation you're in.

Evaluation Period

Minimum: 3 months minimum. This is not a guideline — it is a hard floor. No verdict is published before the minimum evaluation period has elapsed. Reviews that reach a preliminary conclusion before the minimum period are held until the evaluation is complete.

Scoring Criteria

Every product is scored across five dimensions. The weights below reflect their relative importance to the overall score. A product that scores perfectly on low-weight dimensions but fails a high-weight dimension cannot score above 7.5.

The Three-Month Minimum

Claire uses every card for a minimum of three months across its intended spend categories before publishing a verdict. This covers enough billing cycles to assess whether stated rewards rates are actually delivered, whether category bonuses apply as advertised, and whether any restrictions emerge through real use that weren't apparent in the terms.

Fine Print Analysis

Every review includes a fine print section. Claire reads the full card agreement, not just the marketing summary. The gap between what's advertised and what's in the terms is where most cardholders leave money on the table or encounter unpleasant surprises. Cards Made Simple documents this gap in specific dollar terms.

YMYL Compliance

All financial claims are specific and dated. Any rate, fee, or bonus offer is marked with its verification date. Terms change. Claire updates reviews when material changes occur. This content is for informational purposes only and is not financial advice. Verify all details with the card issuer before applying.

Automatic Disqualifiers

The following conditions remove a product from consideration regardless of how it scores in other dimensions. These are not opinions — they are structural failures that make a recommendation impossible:

• Rewards that expire without a redemption path the average user can realistically achieve
• Annual fee that cannot be justified by concrete, redeemable value at average spending levels
• Approval criteria that make the card inaccessible to the use case it's marketed toward
• Terms that have materially changed since the review date (review is flagged for update)

Affiliate Disclosure

Cards Made Simple earns commission on some links in its reviews. This commission does not influence scores. Products are evaluated before affiliate relationships are established, and Claire's score is the score regardless of whether an affiliate link exists for that product. Products that do not have affiliate programs receive the same evaluation as products that do.

The affiliate tag used on Cards Made Simple is signalmediagr-cardledger-20 for Amazon links. Other affiliate programs vary by product. All affiliate links are marked in reviews. The affiliate disclosure appears in every review and in the pinned comment on every YouTube video.

About Claire

Read the full reviewer profile: Claire — Credit Card Analyst