The Futello Value
The Futello Value is what a credit card earns you in an ordinary year, once the annual fee is paid. A card has one Futello Value, the same on every page of the site.
On this page
In one sentence
A card’s Futello Value is the dollar value of the rewards and benefits it earns in a year, minus its annual fee, on an everyday spending budget shown in full.
It answers one question, the same for every card: if you keep this card and put your everyday spending on it, what are you left with after a year?
What it counts
- Rewards on spending. Each category of the budget is multiplied by the rate the issuer publishes for it, caps included.
- The value of points. Points are worth the same everywhere: the value used in our calculations for their program.
- Benefits we can price. A credit with a published amount counts at that amount. Four benefits get a prudent value: lounge visits, the first checked bag, the companion voucher and the free night. The full rules are in the methodology.
- The full annual fee. Even when the first year is free.
What it leaves out
- The welcome offer. It doesn’t come back next year. It is added in a second figure, “First year, offer included”, always shown right below the Futello Value.
- The first-year fee rebate. For the same reason.
- Benefits that can’t be priced honestly. Insurance, status, concierge, unlimited lounge access, credits tied to a single merchant and partner discounts are named on the card’s page, never valued.
The reference budget
The Futello Value assumes all of the budget’s spending goes on the card. The budget comes in three levels, moderate, standard and high, and you choose yours on the pages that show the value. The breakdown by category is in the table further down.
Your situation is not this budget. For an estimate based on your own spending, and with several cards, use Find my strategy.
When it is recalculated
Every night. A program rereads the issuers’ official pages, updates rates, fees and offers, then recalculates each card’s value. The calculation date is shown on the card’s page, in the “i” panel next to the Futello Value.
Its limits
- It is an estimate on a typical budget, not a promise of earnings.
- An unused benefit is lost. Each page says how much of the value comes from benefits, and the card’s page also gives the figure without them.
- It assumes one card for all spending. A strategy with several cards often earns more.
- When an essential fact is not confirmed, the card shows “not available”. An unknown value is never presented as $0.
- It does not take your credit file or your chances of approval into account.
How to quote it
You may use a card’s Futello Value in an article, a newsletter or a discussion. Give the card’s name, the amount, the calculation date and a link to the card’s page on futello.ca. A figure without a date ages badly, since the value is recalculated every night.
Method changes
Every change to the method is recorded here, with its date.
- November 8, 2026. One figure per card. The Futello Value becomes the same in the catalogue, on the card page, in the rankings and on the provincial pages.
- November 9, 2026. Benefits we can price enter the Futello Value, and each page says for how much.
The full methodology covers the rest: profiles, provincial eligibility, welcome offers and sources.
The budget, category by category
| Category | moderate | standard | high |
|---|---|---|---|
| Groceries | $5,600 | $8,400 | $14,000 |
| Everyday purchases | $4,800 | $7,200 | $12,000 |
| Pre-authorized payments | $4,000 | $6,000 | $10,000 |
| Gas / charging | $2,400 | $3,600 | $6,000 |
| Restaurants | $2,400 | $3,600 | $6,000 |
| Transportation | $1,600 | $2,400 | $4,000 |
| Entertainment | $1,600 | $2,400 | $4,000 |
| Hotels | $800 | $1,200 | $2,000 |
| Travel | $800 | $1,200 | $2,000 |
| Total | $24,000 | $36,000 | $60,000 |
Published values calculated on November 9, 2026
Frequently asked questions
Why isn’t the welcome offer in the Futello Value?
Because it doesn’t come back. The Futello Value measures what the card earns in every year you keep it. The welcome offer is added in a second figure, “First year, offer included”, shown right below.
Why does a card show “not available”?
Because a confirmed fact needed to calculate it is missing, for example how its rewards are redeemed. An unknown value is never shown as $0. The card stays in the catalogue.
Can I quote a card’s Futello Value?
Yes, freely. Give the card’s name, the amount, the date and a link to its page on futello.ca.