Methods, privacy & disclosures
Understand how our sources, valuations, calculations, local saving and independent comparisons work.
Three types of information
Official facts are accompanied by source links and review dates. Editorial guidance explains trade-offs. Illustrative inputs and valuations are clearly labeled assumptions, not issuer guarantees. We do not treat either category as a substitute for your account’s actual offer or booking terms.
Research scope and freshness
This release focuses on selected U.S. cards and loyalty programs, with USD examples. Program data was reviewed on September 13, 2026. It is a maintained snapshot, not an API feed. Welcome-offer comparisons flag the need for rechecking after 30 days. A status preset labeled 2026 must be rechecked before planning a later qualification year.
Valuations and verdicts
Working cents-per-point values are editable illustrative assumptions, not official values. The award tool calls a result near your benchmark within a ±10% band; that band is a presentation choice, not a market standard. Negative adjusted savings are displayed rather than hidden. Prefer a comparable cash alternative you would actually purchase.
Privacy and local storage
Supported plans are stored in this browser only after you press Save and consent. No loyalty passwords, account numbers or full payment-card numbers should be entered. JSON/CSV exports are your backups. Clearing browser data, switching browsers or using another device may lose access to saved plans. The host still receives normal web requests. GTranslate is a third-party translation service and makes its own network requests.
Newsletter and contact
The default site does not collect email addresses for a mailing list. RSS and the updates archive are available. A configured hosted-signup link will open the newsletter provider’s own form. The contact tool opens your email app; the message is not sent until you send it. No provider key is embedded in this website.
Independence and compensation
This package contains ordinary official-source links, not paid application referrals or affiliate tracking links. Points & Status is not endorsed by any issuer, airline or hotel named. Should monetized links be added later, the disclosure must be updated at those links and on this page.
Tools are estimates, not execution
Calculators cannot confirm inventory, enrollment, eligibility, processing time or status credit. Status routes use AND within a route and OR between alternatives. Transfer minimums and increments are editable assumptions unless expressly verified. No account is changed by running a calculator.
Credit decisions and financial limits
The annual-fee evaluator models usable value, not creditworthiness, APR, taxes or credit-score effects. Card comparisons are not a comprehensive market ranking. Rewards are not a reason to carry debt, overspend or apply for a product that does not fit your circumstances.
Correcting mistakes
A useful guide needs a clear correction path. Send the page URL, the statement in question and a current official source through Contact. Source dates will change only after a real review—not simply because a file was deployed.
A bank-points program, a specific credit card and an airline/hotel loyalty program can have different eligibility, earning, transfer and benefit rules. Numerical presets are tied to a source and verification date; account-specific or interactive requirements should be confirmed in the provider account before acting.