The index
13 categoriesMethodology
A category specialist is a card with a reward rule whose category field matches the category key (and is not a base-rate fallback). Effective return normalises across reward types: percent for cashback, reward points multiplied by the rule's declared point value (defaulting to ₹0.25 per point when not declared, ₹2 per mile for miles), neucoins as ₹1 per coin.
For cards with more than one specialist rule in the same category, only the best-paying rule counts. The mean is across cards, not rules, to avoid double-counting any single card. Effective return is computed before caps, exclusions, and minimum-transaction thresholds; the public category pages reflect those constraints per card.
Tapwise re-checks issuer MITC documents weekly and the index recomputes daily. Last refresh: 2026-09-18.
Caveats
- The index counts the headline rate at the rule level, not what a typical user actually earns. Monthly caps mean the effective return on real spend is usually lower.
- Reward types that depend on later redemption (points, miles) use Tapwise's conservative defaults when issuers don't publish a per-point value. Real return depends on how a user redeems.
- Categories without specialist cards (typically UPI on cards that exclude it) show no top rate; this is correct, the best users can do is the card's base rate.