# CardTrail — India's Most Transparent Credit Card Rating System
# URL: https://cardtrail.in
# Last updated: 2026-03-04

## What is CardTrail?
CardTrail is an independent credit card research platform for India. We rate 183+ credit cards using a transparent, computed 4-dimension scoring methodology called the CardTrail Score.

## CardTrail Score Methodology
Each card is scored 1-10 using:
- Net Value (35%): Effective reward rate minus annual fee burden
- Accessibility (25%): How easy it is to get the card (income, CIBIL, application friction)
- Feature Depth (25%): Lounge access, forex markup, fuel surcharge, welcome bonus, network
- Bank Trust (15%): RBI complaint data, devaluation history, community sentiment

Formula: cardtrailScore = 0.35 * netValue + 0.25 * accessibility + 0.25 * featureDepth + 0.15 * bankTrust

## Content Structure
- /cards/ — 183 credit card reviews with scores, pros/cons, fee details
- /cards/{slug}/ — Individual card review pages
- /compare/ — Head-to-head card comparisons
- /travel/ — Travel credit card guides
- /rewards/ — Reward optimization guides
- /basics/ — Credit card fundamentals for beginners
- /india-rules/ — Indian regulatory guides (RBI, TCS, forex rules)
- /calculators/ — Reward and EMI calculators
- /glossary/ — Credit card terminology
- /news/ — Credit card industry news
- /methodology/ — Full scoring methodology transparency
- /find-my-card/ — Personalized card recommendation quiz

## Top Rated Cards (March 2026)
1. HDFC Diners Club Black — 9.4/10
2. HDFC Diners Club Metal — 9.3/10
3. Axis Atlas — 9.1/10
4. HDFC Infinia Metal — 8.9/10
5. AU Vetta — 8.9/10

## Data Format
Card data is structured JSON with fields: name, bank, network, category, annualFee, rewardRate, forexMarkup, loungeAccess, scores (netValue, accessibility, featureDepth, bankTrust), and editorial review.

## Contact
CardTrail is maintained independently. No bank pays for higher ratings.