The Explore Tool is Kudos' free credit card recommender. It analyzes your spending across categories and merchants and surfaces the cards that will earn you the most rewards, factoring in the cards you already have. Whether you're looking to add a card to your wallet or just want to know if you're leaving rewards on the table, the Explore Tool gives you a personalized, data-driven answer.
What makes Kudos' recommendations different?
Most card comparison tools show you generic rankings. Our Explore Tool factors in your actual spending profile and your existing wallet, so you're not being recommended a card you already have, a card that overlaps heavily with one you own, or a card that earns less than what you're already getting.
When you use Kudos Premium, the Explore Tool works alongside your Kudos Insights data, including your transaction history, current card benefits, and upcoming statement credits to give you the full picture of whether a new card makes sense for you.
How to use the Explore Tool on the Web
Go to the Explore page and click "Factor in my Wallet" at the top
Note: you have to be logged into your Kudos account enable "Factor in my Wallet"
Add the cards you already have in your wallet
Update your average monthly or annual spend across categories from the Profile Overview tab
Click "Save and View Results" — Kudos will generate ranked card recommendations tailored to your profile
Digging deeper into any card: Click "See how we calculated your potential earnings" on any result to open a detailed breakdown. From there, you can:
Toggle on sign-up bonuses to factor in welcome offers (and pair this with our Welcome Offer Guarantee if you apply through Kudos)
Toggle on card benefits like DashPass, Uber credits, or travel protections to see their dollar value against your habits
Adjust category spend — any changes you make here are automatically saved to your global spend profile
Comparing cards side by side: Select multiple cards and click "Compare Cards" for a side-by-side breakdown of rewards, benefits, fees, and value. This is especially useful when you're deciding between two cards in the same category.
How to use the Explore Tool on Mobile
Tap the New Card tab in the lower right corner of the Kudos app, then tap Explore Tool. This opens the full web experience on your mobile device. From there, tap "Factor in my Wallet" and follow the same steps as above.
How the Explore Tool connects to other parts of the Kudos ecosystem
The Explore Tool is the starting point. Here's how the rest of Kudos picks up from there:
Kudos Boost: Once you've added a card to your wallet, Kudos recommends it at checkout when it's the best card to use for that purchase and merchant. On top of that, you'll earn Kudos Boost cashback at over 15,000 partner stores
Card-Linked Offers: With Kudos Premium, Kudos automatically activates available offers from issuers like Amex, Chase, Citi, Capital One, Wells Fargo, and Bank of America, so you're earning on top of your base rewards
Recurring Payments: Once you know which cards you're using, Kudos tracks all your recurring charges in one place, so you can see exactly what's being billed, when, and to which card. Great for spotting subscriptions you've forgotten about or charges that have quietly crept up
Cancel & Lower Bills: If Kudos Insights or Recurring Payments surfaces a bill that's too high, our AI agents can negotiate it down or cancel it entirely on your behalf — handling hold times, transfers, and retention scripts automatically. Premium members have used this to save $70+/month on a single bill
Kudos Insights: Tracks your benefits, statement credits, and spending across all your cards so you always know which ones are pulling their weight
Dream Wallet: Shows you what your ideal card portfolio could look like based on your spending — a natural next step after exploring individual cards
Test Drive: Lets you try Kudos Boost with a new card before fully committing, so you can see how it performs for your actual purchases
A note on transparency
We receive a commission from approximately 3% of the 3,000+ cards in our database. This does not influence our recommendations. Cards are ranked based on your spending profile, not on commission eligibility. Our goal is to surface the card that earns you the most, full stop.
Questions? Reach out anytime at support@joinkudos.com.