MapleRewards

Canadian credit card holders have no native tool to compare rewards across cards. American tools like The Points Guy don't support Canadian loyalty programs, and existing comparison sites only show earn rates — not real dollar values. MapleRewards fills this gap by being the first platform built specifically for the Canadian market.

The backend is built in Go with the Chi router, chosen for its performance with concurrent API calls. PostgreSQL stores card data, user wallets, and spending profiles. Redis provides sub-millisecond caching for card lookups and optimization results. The frontend uses Next.js 16 with React 19 and server components for fast initial loads. 27,760 lines of code across Go (10,717 LOC) and TypeScript (17,043 LOC), with 35+ REST API endpoints, 12+ PostgreSQL tables, and JWT authentication.

The optimization engine calculates the effective return for every card across each spending category. It accounts for earn rates, point valuations (using both base and premium redemption values like business class flights), annual fees, and welcome bonuses. Users see a ranked list showing exactly how much real dollar value each card returns for their specific spending pattern.

Powered by Claude Sonnet, the AI assistant answers any question about credit card rewards — from 'best way to fly business class to London' to 'maximize my points value.' It understands your wallet and gives personalized advice. A travel redemption calculator supports Aeroplan, Amex MR, Avios, Marriott, Hyatt, Hilton, and IHG with real-time award availability.

No direct competitors exist in the Canadian market. The platform covers 94 credit cards across all major issuers (TD, RBC, CIBC, BMO, Scotiabank, AMEX, HSBC) and 41 loyalty programs including Aeroplan, Scene+, PC Optimum, and Marriott Bonvoy. The SaaS model uses Stripe for premium features including advanced analytics and AI chat.