Business Credit Card Rating Criteria
Every business needs a credit card — both to make necessary purchases and to build credit. Not all credit cards are created equal though, and each operates differently when it comes to rewards systems, business benefits, and credit building. Because credit cards are such a vital small business requirement, we take our reviews and ratings very seriously, following a precise methodology. Here are just some of the reasons readers can trust the Merchant Maverick rating system:
- Merchant Maverick has been reviewing credit cards since 2018.
- Over the years, we’ve evaluated 60+ credit cards, including business, personal, and corporate credit cards.
- Each review involves 10-15 hours of initial research, followed by 5-10 hours of research for each review update.
- We update our credit card reviews at least every 12 months, though most reviews are updated twice a year, and a few of the platforms most popular with our readers receive quarterly updates.
While we research and compare many different cards, the reviews displayed on the site have been handpicked based on metrics like overall popularity, availability, and quality. The goal is to provide the most actionable and accurate information to our readers, so while we love to recommend great products, we don’t shy away from pointing out the areas where popular providers fall short.
Our expert writers engage in independent research and testing for each credit card review, evaluating upfront (and hidden) costs, perks, availability, credit score requirements, and more. When determining the star rating for a vendor, we score the following areas:
- Rewards & Perks
- Rates & Fees
- Features
- Eligibility Requirements
- Customer Support
- User Reviews
Each section’s score is weighted differently, with the highest weights going to Rewards & Perks and Rates & Fees. The scores for each section are displayed openly in the review and then combined to create a holistic rating for the product out of 5 stars.
Read on for a more minute explanation of how we determine the individual section ratings.
Rewards & Perks
40% of the total score
The Rewards & Perks score is broken into two sections:
- Earning Rewards (70% of the total section rating)
- Rewards Redemption (30% of the total section rating)
Our expert reviewer looks at many things when determining this score, including the specifics of cash back and spending rewards, the presence or absence of a welcome bonus, and the number of redemption options available.
Rates & Fees
30% of the total score
The Rates & Fees score is broken into two sections:
- Rates (50% of the total section rating)
- Fees (50% of the total section rating)
When determining the score, we evaluate APR costs, the presence of 0% APR introductory offers, the cost of annual fees, foreign transaction fees, and more.
Features
15% of the total score
The Features score is split into two sections:
- Business Perks (70% of the total section rating)
- Extra Benefits (30% of the total section rating)
Our expert reviewers look at things like employee card access, account management logistics, integration with popular accounting software, bill pay options, and perks like cell phone protection and roadside dispatch when scoring the Features section.
Eligibility Requirements
5% of the total score
In this section, we score two different areas:
- Credit Score (80% of the total section rating)
- Requirement Disclosure (20% of the total section rating)
Our reviewer looks carefully at credit score requirements for each card, ensuring that we are recommending the right cards for the right people, regardless of credit status. We also take into account how transparent and honest credit score disclosures are, and mark down card providers that don’t advertise their requirements clearly and fairly.
Customer Service
5% of the total score
The Customer Service score is broken down into two sections.
- Personal Support (50% of the total section rating)
- Self-Service (50% of the total section rating)
When scoring customer service, we pay the most attention to the number of support options available (phone, email, in-person, etc.) and the quality of personal support received.
User Reviews
5% of the total score
The Customer Reviews score is comprised of two sections.
- User Feedback (30% of the total section rating)
- Review Site Aggregate (70% of the total section rating)
We scour the internet for user feedback on all the products we review, looking for positive and negative feedback. Merchant Maverick is not a user review platform, so for part of this total rating we rely on aggregate user scores from review sites such as The Better Business Bureau, TrustPilot, and more.
