In addition to being Australia’s biggest financial comparison site, Canstar also researches and rates products from over 730 brands, across more than 30 different finance categories. Our team of expert researchers determine the finance products offering Australians outstanding value based on a combination of cost and features, and award the top performers with 5-Star Ratings and Awards. We also measure consumer sentiment through our Customer Satisfaction Awards, where we ask Australian consumer about their experience with finance products and services. The expert Star Ratings and Awards and Customer Satisfaction Awards complement each other and are intended to help you make better informed financial decisions.

What are Star Ratings?

Canstar’s Star Ratings are unique, value-based ratings. We evaluate thousands of products from hundreds of financial institutions. Our expert researchers analyse each product we rate by comparing price and features to determine what represents outstanding value.

When calculating Star Ratings, Canstar takes into account a huge number of details in relation to each product.
Our Star Ratings are based on six months’ or more, worth of data, which gives a good indication if a product consistently offers outstanding value. It helps to avoid any surprises when it comes to introductory or honeymoon specials, which look attractive today but might change to a higher price shortly after.

We’re all individuals with different needs. A product may be rated five stars for one type of customer but perhaps just 2 or 3 stars for a different type of customer. Credit cards are a great example. A platinum credit card with a high interest rate might have lots of features that make it five star value for someone who spends a large amount each month and never carries a debt (and therefore never pays interest). For someone juggling a hefty debt though, that same card might be only two star value.

When calculating Star Ratings, Canstar takes into account a huge number of details in relation to each product. For full details on how we calculate star ratings, click on the relevant “Methodology” at the bottom of this page.

• Star Ratings
• Indicative Star Ratings

	5-Star products	Five star products should be on your shopping list. As a consumer, this represents a high-value product. According to our ratings, these are the top 10% of products in their field.
	4-Star products	Four star products also still have a good mix of price and features and shouldn’t be struck off your shopping list, especially if the product and brand really appeal to you.
	Rising star	Rising star – If you see a star that looks like this, it means that we haven’t yet rated this product (perhaps it’s new to the market) but we think the product shows potential to score highly in the near future.
	3-Star product	Three stars means satisfactory value – and sometimes you may be satisfied with that – but our ratings suggest that you could be doing better.
	2-Star product	Two star products are unlikely to be great value for you.
	1-Star product	One star products are rated in the bottom 10% of the market and are highly unlikely to be of value.
	New product	This new product is awaiting review by Canstar’s Research Team.
	Not rated	This product did not meet the eligibility criteria for our last Ratings Review.

Products that have not been available for a minimum of five years are not eligible to receive a Star Rating, therefore an indicative Star Rating is supplied. Indicative Star Ratings are represented as hollow stars, and provide an indication of the products rating relative to its peers for the period for which it has been available.
Indicative Star Ratings are only applicable on Superannuation and Managed Funds.

	Indicative 1-Star	One indicative star products are rated in the bottom 10% of the market and are highly unlikely to be of value for you based on comparison with peer products for the period in which this product has been available.
	Indicative 2-Star	Two indicative star products are unlikely to be great value for you based on comparison with peer products for the period in which this product has been available.
	Indicative 3-Star	Three indicative stars means the product has satisfactory value relative to its peers for the period for which it has been available. Sometimes you may be satisfied with that – but our indicative ratings suggest that you could be doing better.
	Indicative 4-Star	Four indicative star products have a good mix of price and features and shouldn’t be struck off your shopping list, especially if the product and brand really appeal to you.
	Indicative 5-Star	Five indicative star products should be on your shopping list. As a consumer, this represents a high-value product relative to its peers for the period for which it has been available. According to our ratings, these are the top 10% of products in their field.

Canstar’s Customer Satisfaction Awards are based on how content customers are with a particular finance provider within a certain finance category. The Awards provide insights into how satisfied consumers are with their financial provider such as their bank, insurer or superannuation fund, awarding the finance provider that best meets its customers’ expectations.

Canstar’s Customer Satisfaction Awards are determined by consumers based on their feedback. We engage a respected professional market research company to ask Australians about their experiences with financial products or services, to determine their satisfaction.

View Star Ratings & Award Methodologies