The survey

• The surveys are delivered through Pureprofile expert research online panels, as well as any external panels they may engage.
• All panels engaged for Canstar market research are ISO20252 accredited.
• Respondents generally rate their satisfaction with the products or services at a brand level on a zero to 10 scale, where zero is extremely dissatisfied and 10 is extremely satisfied.
• The sample is broadly representative of the Australian population in terms of gender, age and location, based on ABS Census data. While the survey is designed to reflect national demographics at the general population level, the qualified respondents for each category represent Australians who have experience with that specific product or service. As a result, the demographic profile of respondents may differ from the general population. In some cases, demographic quotas may be relaxed to achieve sufficient sample sizes. 
• Survey respondents receive an incentive arranged by Pureprofile. The incentive is based on the length of the survey, their specific panelist profile and target acquisition difficulty, amongst other factors. The specific type of incentives vary and may include cash, airline miles, gift cards, redeemable points, charitable donations, sweepstakes entrance and vouchers.
• Canstar does not receive or provide any incentive in relation to the Canstar Most Satisfied Customers Awards. The outcome of the Canstar Most Satisfied Customers Awards is not influenced by any incentives.

Small Business Panel: For the Small Business category, we survey a targeted sample of Australian small business owners. For a business to qualify for participation, it must meet the following criteria:

• the business representative completing the survey must own or operate their own small business or be a main decision maker for a small business
• have 200 employees or less

What are the Canstar Customer Satisfaction Star Ratings?

The Canstar Customer Satisfaction Star Ratings are designed to help consumers make informed decisions by showing how satisfied real customers are with a brand. Ratings are presented on a five- to one-star scale, distributed according to overall satisfaction scores. A five-star rating represents the highest level of customer satisfaction, as determined by the calculation method outlined on this page.

It is important to note that the Consumer Star Ratings are based solely on consumer feedback. They are not recommendations from Canstar and do not take into account individual needs or personal circumstances.

Customer Satisfaction Star Ratings are informed by survey responses from Australians who meet the eligibility criteria to rate a brand. Eligibility requirements vary by category but generally require the respondent to be a current or recent customer.

Note: None of our Customer Satisfaction Star Ratings constitute financial advice and have not taken into account your objectives, financial situation, or needs. Canstar is not making a recommendation or giving advice about financial products. Always consider the product disclosure statement (PDS) before making any financial decision. For more information, read Canstar’s Privacy Policy.

How are Canstar’s Customer Satisfaction Star Ratings Calculated?

The Canstar Customer Satisfaction Star Ratings are based on Overall Satisfaction, which reflects a respondent’s general experience with a brand. Note that ‘Overall Satisfaction’ is asked as a specific question and represents an individual measure, not a combined total of any other.

Individual survey responses are aggregated to calculate an average Overall Satisfaction score for each brand. The average satisfaction score for a brand is compared against the wider market to determine how each brand performs. Brands with the highest overall average satisfaction receive a 5-star rating.  

Are all brands eligible for the Star Ratings?

The brands that feature in our Customer Satisfaction Star Ratings are those that have been nominated by respondents in the market research, and which have received a minimum threshold of responses. The market research is designed to pick up as many brands per category as relevant. However, some brands may miss out due to low sample size – for example small local or niche brands where their market share is currently low. 

Canstar Customer Satisfaction Award Methodology 2025

Canstar compares customer satisfaction across a wide range of products and services, with the core purpose of helping consumers make better financial decisions.

The awards are based on professional market research to determine the perceptions of consumers who have recently purchased and / or used the specific products and services.

Note: None of our Satisfaction Awards constitute financial advice and has not taken into account your objectives, financial situation, or needs. Canstar is not making a recommendation or giving advice about financial products. Always consider the product disclosure statement (PDS) before making any financial decision. For more information, read Canstar’s Privacy Policy.

How do you collect information from consumers?

Canstar measures and tracks customer satisfaction amongst Australian adults across a range of financial categories via Pureprofile’s ISO 200252:2019 accredited research panel.

In most categories, the sample is broadly representative of the Australian population in terms of gender, age and location, and is based on ABS Census data. Due to low incidence in other categories, the sample may be representative of those consumers who have had experience with the category researched. Only people who have used the specific product or service within a nominated time frame are able to answer the questions and be included in the survey results.

How many people do you survey?

In most categories, we receive survey responses from 6,000 people across a broad cross section of the Australian population for each category. We only include results from the respondents from this group who have used the product or service within the nominated time frame. In some low incidence categories, we receive survey responses from between 800 and 1,000 targeted consumers, who have had experience with the category researched.

How are the ratings developed?

The survey:

• The surveys are delivered through Pureprofile’s online research panel.
• Respondents rate their satisfaction with the products or services at a brand level on a zero to ten scale, where zero is extremely dissatisfied and ten is extremely satisfied.

The awards:

• Brands must receive a minimum of 30 responses to be included in the awards. The market research is designed to pick up as many brands per category as relevant. However, some brands may miss out due to low sample size – for example small local or niche brands where their market share is currently low. The criteria that are considered vary depending on the category.  They typically include overall satisfaction and value for money, while other criteria are included as appropriate to the research subject.  For example, the criteria for an insurer might include criteria such as claim experience and coverage, while criteria for a credit card provider may include criteria such as interest rate and rewards programme.
• The winner in each category is the one that receives the highest overall satisfaction rating once the scores from all respondents to the overall satisfaction question are combined and averaged.
• Overall satisfaction is asked as a specific question. This means the overall satisfaction criteria represents an individual measure rather than a combined total of all criteria. As a result, some brands may find their overall satisfaction score is lower – or higher – than the scores they have received for other criteria.
• When we cannot determine a clear winner from the criteria for the overall satisfaction rating, we will then look at the supporting criteria. The brand with the highest number of five star ratings within the supporting criteria will become the award recipient in overall satisfaction, and thus win the award.
• If a clear leader still cannot be determined from the supporting criteria, then joint winners will be declared.

Are all brands eligible for the Awards?

Brands must receive a minimum of 30 responses to be included in the awards. The market research is designed to pick up as many brands per category as relevant. However, some brands may miss out due to low sample size – for example small local or niche brands where their market share is currently low. A rated brand may also receive a ‘N/A’ (Not Applicable) rating for one or more criteria if it does not receive the minimum number of responses for that criteria.

Some Awards have additional eligibility criteria that brands must meet to be eligible for the Award:

Car Insurance

• Must be available to adults of all ages
• Must be available in the State for which the Award is given, or a minimum of three States and/or territories for a National Award

Home Insurance

• Must be available to adults of all ages
• Must be available in the State for which the Award is given, or a minimum of three States and/or territories for a National Award
• Must not be restricted to specific consumer demographic groups

Seniors Insurance

• Must be available to adults over the age of 50
• Must be available in a minimum of three States and/or territories
• Must not be restricted to specific consumer demographic groups (unless related solely to the age of the policyholder)

Energy & Gas Providers (state awards)

• Must be available in the State for which the Award is given, or a minimum of three States and/or territories for a National Award

How can I get my products or service rated by Canstar?

The brands that feature in our customer satisfaction awards are those that have been nominated by respondents in the market research, and which have received a minimum of 30 responses.  We do not choose which brands to include.

Can I get ratings specific to my state?

Canstar only publishes state ratings for categories which we are able to get a robust sample size at a state level. This is often difficult, due to different providers in different markets and varying population levels.