Rules version: fit-rules v1.2. v1.1 (Oct 11) added two steps to the pick order. v1.2 (Oct 15) tiers only recommended cards, keeps cards whose history level is an estimate, fixes reason text that contradicted the card (C1, C3), builds the deposit reason from the card (G6), has C2 suggest a secured card, rewrites the pick order, and removes the tax ID note. These are the written rules behind each fit tier in US-01 Credit Card Recommender. This is a reference page, not a deliverable. Field names follow web/src/lib/api/schemas.ts: camelCase names, snake_case values, money in whole cents. Once merged, the schema file is the source of truth for names, not this page.

1. What a tier is

A tier is a label on one card for one student: likely fit, stretch or not yet. The database and API store them as likely_fit, stretch and not_yet. It comes from fixed rules, never from a probability. Every tier shows its reason and source. Every result carries this line:

This is guidance from what you told us and what the issuer publishes. It is not a guarantee. Issuers also weigh things this tool does not score, including your income. The issuer's own preapproval check is the real test.

The rules never encode what we think an issuer will do. Each card record holds what the issuer itself publishes, with a source link and a date. Where the issuer publishes nothing, a field may hold a labelled estimate from named outside sources or a team decision, and the record says which. The rules only compare the student's answers to those facts.

2. The quiz

Six questions, always asked.

# Question Stored as Used for
Q1 How old are you? Under 18; 18 to 20; 21 or over. Under 18 ends the quiz with "Cense is for 18 and over. Issuers require it too." Nothing is saved for an under-18 answer under21 true or false The income rule differs under 21
Q2 About how much income do you have in a year? Under 21: count only money that is yours: pay from a job, money regularly put into an account in your name, student loan money left after your school is paid. 21 or over: your income, plus household income you can reasonably use incomeBand, one of none, savings_only, under_5k, 5k_to_15k, over_15k. Shown as: none; no income but savings in my name; under $5k; $5k to $15k; over $15k Only none against the rest changes a tier. The band is stored for later analysis. Savings is an answer choice, not a follow-up question, because the regulation says income or assets
Q3 Are you enrolled at a US college, or admitted and starting within 3 months? student true or false Student cards are for students
Q4 Credit in your own name (pick one): none; I am an authorized user on someone else's card; I have a loan or card open less than 6 months (a student loan counts); I have had one 6 months or more and paid on time; I have missed payments or something in collections; not sure standing, one of none, limited, established, damaged, not_sure The main input. not_sure is stored as the student said it and counts as none
Q5 Were you turned down for a credit card in the last 6 months? recentDenial true or false Applying again soon is a known caution
Q6 Could you put down a refundable deposit of up to $200? canDeposit true or false Secured cards. Every recommended card that needs a deposit asks $200 or less; a recommended card asking more needs this question changed first
Goal Already in the quiz: build credit, learn, other goal, optional Pick order step 7
Spending Already in the quiz: about how much you spend a month monthlySpendingCents, optional Stored, not used yet. Planned for first-year value

Not asked, by decision:

Q4 mapping: none and not sure are none (level 0). Authorized user, or an account under 6 months, is limited (1). 6 months or more paid on time is established (2). Missed payments or collections is damaged, treated as level 0 with caution C3.

3. What each card record carries

Every eligibility fact stores a basis, its source links and a verified date:

Basis Meaning
issuer The issuer states it
silent The issuer's page was checked and says nothing, so the value is false, 0 or empty
estimate The issuer publishes nothing; the value is reasoned from the outside sources listed
decision The team decided it, for a stated reason
Field Values
catalogRole recommend or explore, with a one-line reason. Only recommend cards are tiered. Recommend: built for students, for people new to credit, or for rebuilding, or a distinct student advantage no recommended card covers. Explore cards are kept for students to browse
brand, issuingBank The name students know, and the lender. Discover cards are decided by Capital One, N.A.
annualFeeCents Whole cents. Every card in the catalog today is $0
historyNeeded none (0), limited (1), established (2), strong (3)
minHistoryMonths Months, only when published or estimated; otherwise empty
studentsOnly true or false
secured, depositMinCents, depositMaxCents true or false; whole cents. The maximum is the largest deposit the issuer can require; a larger amount the student may choose is not stored here
okForRebuilding true only when the issuer says so
preapprovalUrl The link on the card's own page, or none
runsCreditCheck true or false
openToNewApplicants true or false
foreignTransactionFeePercent A percent
conditions What the student signs up for beyond the card, stated by the issuer. Each has a kind, what it affects (approval, rewards, deposit, credit building), one plain sentence and its source

A card needs a historyNeeded value, from the issuer, an estimate or a decision. silent is never allowed for historyNeeded, because silence gives no level. Only a card with no level at all is left out. The reason behind each team decision is recorded in section 9.