The trick at the heart of rewards marketing
"10X points" sounds like five times better than "2X points." It tells you nothing. A point is not money — it is a coupon whose value the issuer sets, changes, and quietly devalues. Two cards earning identical point counts can differ 4× in real value at redemption.
The only question that matters
"How many paise is one point worth, redeemed the way I will actually redeem?"
Every reward rate on CardAdvisor is converted to a ₹ value using each card's published redemption rates — that assumption is shown inline wherever a percentage appears, and our methodology documents the whole approach. When you see "worth ~₹4,200/year" on a recommendation, that is points × the card's real paisa-per-point, not the headline multiplier.
The value ladder
The same point usually has several values depending on the exit:
- Statement credit / cashback — the floor. Often the most honest comparison basis.
- Catalogue & vouchers — usually at or slightly above the floor; watch for redemption fees.
- Travel portals — often a step up on flights and hotels booked through the issuer.
- Transfer partners — the ceiling. Airline and hotel transfers can multiply value, but only if you actually fly those airlines and book those redemptions.
We show the realistic base value first and the optimised ceiling separately. A card ranked on its ceiling value is a card ranked on a redemption most holders will never make.
Devaluation is the house edge
Issuers change point values, caps, and exclusions over time — almost always downward. That is why every card page carries a last-verified date, and why we treat headline multipliers with suspicion until the redemption math backs them up.
Bottom line
Ignore the X. Ask what a point is worth in paise, on the exit you will really use — and compare cards in ₹ per year, which is exactly what the recommender does.