Know the best card for every purchase

Pointer AI maintains a comprehensive database of credit card reward structures, rotating bonus categories, and merchant classifications. When you search for a store — whether nearby on the map or online — Pointer cross-references the merchant's category with your cards' earn rates, active promotions, and transfer bonuses to rank your cards from highest to lowest reward potential. The result shows your best card, the exact multiplier (like 3x on dining), and how much more you'll earn compared to your other options.

No — and this is one of Pointer's biggest advantages. Unlike apps like MaxRewards or Kudos that require bank logins through services like Plaid, Pointer AI never asks for card numbers, banking credentials, or any sensitive financial data. You simply select your cards by name from our database. This means zero syncing issues, no re-authentication headaches, no 2FA loops, and no risk of your banking credentials being stored by a third party. Your privacy is absolute.

Most rewards apps require bank logins to pull transaction data and auto-activate offers. This creates real problems: constant re-syncing, 2FA prompts every time you open the app, connection failures with specific banks, and the inherent security risk of storing credentials with a third party. Pointer took a fundamentally different approach. Since the core value is knowing which card to use before you pay, we only need to know which cards you carry — not your account details. You add cards by name, and our database handles the reward structures, bonus categories, and merchant mappings. The result is an app that works instantly every time with zero maintenance.

The Free plan includes weekly store searches, unlimited card additions, a full card perks and benefits tracker, and card recommendations. Premium ($4.99/month) unlocks unlimited store searches for both in-person and online merchants, sale forecasts so you can check for upcoming deals before you shop, transfer partner optimization to maximize the value of your points when booking travel, and early access to new features as they roll out. Even on the free plan, you get more functionality than many competitors' paid tiers.

Yes — this is one of Pointer's standout features that competitors like MaxRewards, CardPointers, and Kudos simply don't offer. The Travel Tab lets you search flights and hotels by route, date, and cabin class (economy through business), then shows you how to book using your accumulated points. It factors in transfer partner ratios and highlights active transfer bonuses — like +15% to Avianca LifeMiles or +20% to British Airways — so you can time your point transfers for maximum value. You can even filter hotels by minimum star rating.

Transfer bonuses are limited-time promotions where credit card points programs (like Chase Ultimate Rewards or Amex Membership Rewards) offer extra points when you transfer to airline or hotel loyalty partners. For example, a +20% bonus to British Airways means 100,000 Chase points become 120,000 Avios — that's 20,000 free points just for timing your transfer right. Pointer tracks every active transfer bonus across all major programs, shows the bonus percentage and expiration countdown, and factors these bonuses into your trip planning so you always transfer at the right time.

Pointer AI supports cards from all major issuers including Chase (Sapphire Reserve, Sapphire Preferred, Freedom Flex, Freedom Unlimited), American Express (Platinum, Gold, Green, Blue Cash), Capital One (Venture X, Venture, Savor), Citi (Custom Cash, Double Cash, Premier), Discover (it Cash Back), Bank of America (Premium Rewards, Customized Cash), Wells Fargo (Autograph, Active Cash), Barclays, Bilt, US Bank, and many more. Our database is continuously updated with new cards, rotating quarterly categories, and promotional offers.

For in-person shopping, Pointer uses your location to display nearby stores on an interactive map. Each store shows its merchant category icon. Tap any store to instantly see which of your cards earns the most rewards there, with the exact multiplier and reward type. For online shopping, switch to the Online tab and search from popular retailers including Amazon, Target, Walmart, Nike, Apple, Uber Eats, Booking.com, Best Buy, and thousands more. Both modes rank your cards in real time for the highest return on that specific purchase.

The Perks tab consolidates every benefit across all your cards into one searchable, filterable view. This includes credits (like Amex Platinum's $200 airline credit, $200 Uber credits, $300 Equinox credit), travel perks (Global Entry/TSA PreCheck, airport lounge access, auto rental coverage), lifestyle benefits (DoorDash DashPass, Lyft Pink, streaming credits), and insurance protections. You can filter by card or by category, and Pointer flags which benefits require activation so you never leave money on the table.

Pointer's free tier already gives you unlimited cards, a full perks tracker, and weekly store searches — that's comparable to what some competitors charge $60–108/year for. The Premium upgrade at $4.99/month unlocks unlimited searches and travel features. Compare that to MaxRewards Gold at $108/year, CardPointers+ at $72–90/year, or AwardWallet Plus at $50/year. Pointer is the most affordable premium option in the space, offers unique features like trip planning and transfer bonus tracking that no competitor includes, and never requires bank logins. Most users find the app pays for itself within the first month.

Yes. When Pointer shows you the best card for a purchase, it includes an Apple Pay prompt at the bottom of the screen that tells you to double-click the side button and select that specific card in Apple Pay. This creates a seamless flow from recommendation to payment — you see the best card, tap to pay, and you're done. No other rewards optimization app integrates with the Apple Pay checkout flow this way.

Pointer AI is currently available on iOS and can be downloaded from the Apple App Store. Android support is on our roadmap — stay tuned for updates by following us or contacting hello@usepointer.ai.