How RewardRoute Calculates Rewards

Last updated: 2026-08-01 · Author: RewardRoute Editorial Team

Core Formula

For each card-spend combination, RewardRoute computes:

earnings = spend_amount × reward_rate

If a per-cycle reward cap is defined, earnings are capped at that amount. The tool also checks exclusions — if the selected merchant or spend type appears in a card's exclusion list, the card is not recommended for that transaction.

Rule Matching Logic

Cards have one or more reward rules. Each rule specifies:

• Rate — the reward percentage (e.g., 5% = 0.05) or points per 100 spent
• Merchant keys — specific merchants the rule applies to (e.g., "Amazon", "Swiggy")
• Spend tags — broad categories (e.g., "grocery", "travel", "fuel")
• Channels — purchase channels (e.g., "online", "in-store")
• Reward cap — maximum earnings per billing cycle

When you enter a transaction with a merchant name or category, RewardRoute finds the rule with the highest rate that matches your input. If multiple rules match, the highest-earning rule wins.

Settlement Types

Rewards can be settled in different ways. The tool displays the settlement type for each card:

• Statement credit — credited directly to your card statement
• Amazon Pay balance / Amazon credit — credited to your Amazon account
• Reward points — redeemable through the card's points program
• Cashback — direct cash deposit or credit
• Travel miles, hotel points, and more

Multi-Dip Analysis

For a given spend amount, RewardRoute can split the purchase across multiple cards to maximize total returns (a "multi-dip chain"). The tool considers reward caps and rates per card and finds the optimal allocation of spend across your portfolio.

Data Sources

All reward data is pulled from official credit card issuer product pages and publicly available rate sheets. Each card page links directly to the official source. See our Sources page for more detail.

This methodology is for educational purposes. Actual rewards may vary based on issuer terms, eligibility, and transaction categorization. Always verify with the official card issuer.