The card optimizer that can't be bought.
Most credit-card advice you read is ranked by who pays the most for the click. PointsMax was built to be the opposite: an engine that ranks cards by yourmath — and tells you when the honest answer is “don't apply.”
Why we built this
The big card-comparison sites make money when you get approved for a card — so their “best card” lists tend to feature whoever pays the highest bounty. That's a real conflict of interest, and it's usually invisible. PointsMax separates the recommendation from the payout: the optimizer computes the best 2–3 card combination for your spending before it ever looks at whether a card earns us anything, and it shows you every assumption it used to get there.
Commission-blind ranking
The engine ranks by your computed net yield, not by affiliate payout. When commissions exist, we disclose them right next to the link — and they never change the order.
It shows its math
Every number has a visible assumption: conservative point valuations (often below The Points Guy), signup-bonus feasibility against your real spend, fee break-even, and Chase 5/24 eligibility.
It tells you to skip
If a card's fee doesn't pay for itself at your spend, we say so. A tool that only ever says “apply” isn't advice — it's an ad.
Data, not vibes
Card data flows Internet → AI → human-validated database→ engine. The AI never recommends from memory; the database is cross-checked against primary sources.
How we make money
Some cards pay us a commission if you're approved through our link. We disclose that clearly next to every affiliate link, and it has no effect on which cards the optimizer recommends or the order it ranks them. There is no paywall, no login requirement, and no bank-account connection. Read the full advertiser disclosure.
Who's behind it
PointsMax is an independent project — not a media company, not backed by an issuer. It's built and maintained openly by a small team obsessed with getting the math right. Questions, corrections, or a card we got wrong? Email support@pointsmax.app.