⚡ GeekPick Methodology
How we decide what gets a GeekPick
Every card on CardsGeek is scored against 5 criteria. The highest scoring card in each category earns the ⚡ GeekPick badge. Here's exactly how we do it — no black box, no guessing.
⚡ GeekPick
What does GeekPick mean?
A GeekPick badge means this card scored the highest in its category based on our 5-criteria scoring system. It is our honest, data-driven recommendation — not a paid placement. A card that pays us zero commission can still earn a GeekPick if it scores highest. We update scores every month as banks change their offers.
Our 5 scoring criteria
Each card is scored out of 10 per criteria. The weighted total gives the final GeekScore.
Reward Rate
The real cashback or reward value per ₹100 spent — not the headline number but what you actually take home after redemption. We calculate effective cashback rate based on how the average young Indian spends.
5%+ → 10/10
3–5% → 8/10
2–3% → 6/10
1–2% → 4/10
Below 1% → 2/10
Annual Fee
How much does it actually cost to hold this card year on year. For fee waiver cards we check whether the spend threshold is realistically achievable for a student or first-time earner — not just whether a waiver exists on paper.
₹0 forever → 10/10
₹0 easy waiver → 8/10
₹250–500 → 5/10
₹999+ → 3/10
Approval Ease
How accessible is this card for our core audience — students, freshers and first-time earners with limited or zero credit history. A card with great rewards that nobody in our audience can get doesn't deserve a high score.
No income proof → 10/10
Min. ₹1.5L/year → 8/10
Min. ₹2–3L/year → 6/10
Min. ₹5L+/year → 3/10
Real World Usefulness
Does this card work for how young Indians actually spend — online shopping, Swiggy and Zomato, UPI bill payments, Amazon, Flipkart. A card with great travel perks scores lower here because most of our audience doesn't travel frequently.
Online + food + UPI → 10/10
Online focused → 7/10
Mixed use → 5/10
Niche only → 3/10
Bank Trust & Support
Is the issuing bank reliable, responsive and easy to deal with when something goes wrong — disputed charges, lost card, reward redemption issues. Based on publicly available customer satisfaction data and RBI complaint statistics.
HDFC / SBI / ICICI → 10/10
Axis / Kotak → 8/10
IDFC / AU / Federal → 6/10
New fintech → 4/10
Current GeekPick winners
Last updated May 2026. Scores recalculated monthly.
Best Overall
Amazon Pay ICICI Credit Card
9.15 / 10
Best for Students
IDFC FIRST WOW Card
8.90 / 10
Best Zero Fee
Amazon Pay ICICI Credit Card
9.15 / 10
Best Cashback
SBI Cashback Card
8.75 / 10
Best Rewards
HDFC MoneyBack+ Card
8.40 / 10
Best for UPI
Axis ACE Credit Card
8.60 / 10
Best Travel Card
Scapia Federal Card
8.20 / 10
Our editorial promise
Affiliate partnerships never influence GeekPick scores. A card that pays us nothing can still win.
We verify every card's details directly on the bank's official website before scoring.
Scores are recalculated every month — a GeekPick from 3 months ago may no longer be the winner today.
We clearly disclose when card details change and update the site within 7 days of any major benefit change.
Our scoring criteria and weights are fixed for a full year — we don't change them mid-cycle to favour any card.