Legal

Terms of Service

The Card Optimization Method, LLC (d/b/a TCOM)

Effective September 13, 2026 · Last updated October 14, 2026

1. Agreement to These Terms

These Terms of Service ("Terms") are a binding agreement between you and The Card Optimization Method, LLC, a Virginia limited liability company that also does business under the registered fictitious name "TCOM" (referred to in these Terms as "the Company," "we," "us," or "our").

By visiting thecardoptimizationmethod.com (the "Site"), submitting a form, booking a consultation, downloading a resource, or purchasing any service, you agree to these Terms. If you do not agree, do not use the Site or our services.

2. What We Do, and What We Do Not Do

The Card Optimization Method, LLC provides financial education and strategic analysis regarding publicly available consumer credit card products.

Our services consist of:

Reviewing information you voluntarily provide about your spending patterns, existing cards, and stated goals
Providing educational analysis of publicly available credit card products and their published reward structures
Delivering a written document (the "Card Optimization Plan") containing our educational analysis and suggestions for your consideration
Answering your questions about credit card products during the engagement period
Holding 30-minute educational one-on-one sessions ("Method Sessions") about credit cards and general credit concepts

The Card Optimization Method, LLC expressly does NOT:

Submit, complete, or file any credit application on your behalf
Contact any card issuer, bank, credit bureau, or lender on your behalf
Dispute, challenge, remove, or seek modification of any item on your credit report
Provide credit repair services of any kind
Provide investment advice, securities recommendations, tax advice, accounting advice, or legal advice
Act as your agent, fiduciary, broker, lender, or representative in any capacity
Guarantee, promise, or represent that you will be approved for any credit product
Guarantee, promise, or represent that your credit score will change in any particular direction or amount
Guarantee any specific dollar amount of rewards, cash back, or savings that you will actually earn (the Plan Value Guarantee in Section 5.6 is a refund commitment tied to your Plan's projected value, not a promise of earnings)

The Card Optimization Method, LLC is not a credit repair organization, credit services business, registered investment adviser, broker-dealer, lender, bank, or licensed financial planner. All information we provide is educational in nature and is presented for your independent consideration.

3. You Make Your Own Decisions

Every decision to apply for, open, close, use, or not use any credit product is solely yours. You are responsible for:

Independently verifying all card terms, rates, fees, reward structures, caps, and promotional offers directly with the issuer before acting. Card terms change frequently and without notice, and any information we provide reflects only what was publicly available at the time we provided it.
Reading and understanding the cardholder agreement for any product you apply for.
Assessing whether any suggestion fits your own financial circumstances, risk tolerance, and goals.
Consulting a licensed attorney, tax professional, or financial adviser where your situation calls for professional advice we do not provide.

All credit approval decisions rest solely with the issuing institution. The Card Optimization Method, LLC has no involvement in, influence over, or knowledge of any issuer's underwriting criteria or decision.

Applying for credit may result in a hard inquiry on your credit report and may affect your credit score. Opening new accounts affects the average age of your accounts and other scoring factors. You accept these consequences as your own.

4. Eligibility

You must be at least 18 years of age and a resident of the United States to use our services. By using the Site or purchasing any service, you represent that you meet both requirements.

5. Services, Fees, and Payment

5.1 Free Consultation

We offer a complimentary 30-minute consultation. No payment is required and no purchase obligation arises from it. We may decline or end a free consultation at our discretion.

5.2 Paid Engagement

Our paid engagement is offered in three options, each described on the Site at the time of purchase: The Card Optimization Plan ("COP"), COP Support, and COP Support+. The price shown for your option on the Site or at checkout is the price that governs your purchase. We aim to deliver your Plan within 5 business days after we receive both your payment and your completed questionnaire.

Every option includes:

A written Card Optimization Plan prepared from the information you provide, including three card suggestions matched to your stated spending
An application timeline and a target credit score, with the reasoning behind each suggestion
Educational guidance on how issuers generally evaluate new account applications and how to think about sequencing

The options differ in follow-up access and plan updates:

COP: the written Plan only, with no on-demand follow-up access and no life event updates.
COP Support: the Plan, plus on-demand access for 3 months from delivery and one life event update (see Section 5.3).
COP Support+: the Plan, plus on-demand access for 6 months from delivery and unlimited life event updates during the first year (see Section 5.3).

Method Session. Separately from the options above, we offer 30-minute one-on-one sessions called "Method Sessions." A Method Session is an educational conversation about credit cards and general credit concepts, such as how scores, utilization, and payment history work, and strategy for your own consideration. It does not include a written Plan or on-demand follow-up between sessions, and the exclusions in Section 2 apply in full. You may purchase Method Sessions one at a time at the price shown on the Site or at checkout, or as a bundle of three sessions at the bundle price shown there.

Booking. After payment you book each session through Calendly (see Section 6). Sessions are 30 minutes. Time not used in a session does not carry over.
Bundles. A three-session bundle must be used within 6 months of purchase, after which unused sessions expire without refund. Bundles are for one person and are not transferable. Each session is booked separately.
Single sessions. A single session purchase must be booked and used within 6 months of purchase.
Refunds. A Method Session fee is refundable in full before the session takes place; after the session, it is non-refundable. For a bundle, you may cancel for a full refund before your first session. After your first session, unused sessions in the bundle may be refunded at the bundle price divided by three for each unused session, if requested before the bundle expires. The Plan Value Guarantee in Section 5.6 applies only to the Card Optimization Plan and does not apply to Method Sessions.

5.3 On-Demand Access and Life Event Updates

"On-demand access" applies only to COP Support (3 months) and COP Support+ (6 months), measured from the date your Plan is delivered. During that period you may email questions and we will respond within 3 business days during normal business hours. COP (the Plan only) does not include on-demand access. On-demand access does not include unlimited live calls, same-day response, availability outside business hours, or work unrelated to the scope described above. We reserve the right to decline requests that fall outside the engagement scope or that constitute unreasonable use.

"Life event update" means a revised Plan prepared at your request when a significant change in your circumstances, such as a change in income, household, housing, employment, or spending patterns, reasonably warrants a different set of card suggestions. COP Support includes one life event update, and COP Support+ includes unlimited life event updates, in each case requested within one year after your Plan is delivered. Life event updates are for genuine changes in your circumstances, not for re-running a Plan because you would like different suggestions on the same facts, and we may decline requests that do not reflect a material change. Life event updates are educational in nature and are not legal, tax, or financial advice. The Plan Value Guarantee in Section 5.6 applies to your original Plan and does not renew with updates.

5.4 Payment

Payment is processed by Stripe, Inc. The Card Optimization Method, LLC does not collect, process, or store your card number, CVC, or bank credentials. Your payment is subject to Stripe's terms and privacy policy. You represent that you are authorized to use the payment method you provide.

5.5 Refund Policy

You may cancel and receive a full refund at any time before we deliver your Card Optimization Plan, for any reason or no reason. Email us at info@thecardoptimizationmethod.com and we will refund the full amount to your original payment method, typically within 5 to 10 business days depending on your bank.

Once the Card Optimization Plan has been delivered to you, the engagement fee is non-refundable, except as provided in Section 5.6 (Plan Value Guarantee), because the substantive work has been performed and the deliverable cannot be returned.

If you are dissatisfied after delivery, contact us. We are not obligated to refund, but we would rather hear from you than have you file a chargeback.

5.6 Plan Value Guarantee

If your Card Optimization Plan does not identify at least $500 in Projected First-Year Value, you may request a full refund.

"Projected First-Year Value" means the estimated additional value, over the 12 months following delivery, that your Plan calculates from the spending information you provided in your questionnaire. It equals (a) the published welcome bonuses of the suggested cards, where the bonus spending requirement can be met through your stated normal spending, plus (b) the rewards the suggested cards would earn on your stated spending, minus (c) any annual fees of the suggested cards, compared against (d) the rewards your current cards would earn on the same spending. The figure shown in your Plan, calculated from card terms published at the time of delivery, is the figure that governs this guarantee.

To use the guarantee:

Email info@thecardoptimizationmethod.com within 7 calendar days after your Plan is delivered.
The information you provided in your questionnaire and during your engagement must have been accurate and complete to the best of your knowledge. The guarantee does not apply if the Projected First-Year Value fell short because of materially inaccurate or incomplete information.
The guarantee is available once per person.

Approved refunds are returned in full to your original payment method, typically within 5 to 10 business days depending on your bank. On refund, any on-demand access and life event updates included with your option end.

The guarantee is measured by your Plan's projection only. It is not a promise that you will be approved for any card, that you will earn any amount of rewards, or that card terms will remain unchanged, and a refund under it does not depend on whether you apply for or receive any card.

5.7 Chargebacks

If you initiate a chargeback without first contacting us to resolve the issue, we reserve the right to terminate your engagement and decline future service. Initiating a chargeback for a delivered Plan after the refund window may constitute a breach of these Terms.

6. Scheduling, Rescheduling, and No-Shows

Consultations and Method Sessions are booked through Calendly. You may reschedule using the link in your confirmation email up to 24 hours before the scheduled time.

If you do not attend a scheduled call without notice, we may, at our discretion, decline to reschedule. For a paid engagement, a missed call does not extend the engagement period and does not entitle you to a refund.

7. Information You Provide

To prepare a Card Optimization Plan, we ask you to provide information about your spending, income, existing cards, recent account activity, and credit score range. You agree that:

The information you provide is accurate and complete to the best of your knowledge
You understand that our analysis is only as good as the information you give us
Inaccurate or incomplete information may produce suggestions that are not appropriate for you, and The Card Optimization Method, LLC bears no responsibility for that outcome

Do not send us your Social Security number, full account numbers, passwords, or online banking credentials. We do not need them and we will not ask for them. If you send them anyway, you do so at your own risk.

How we handle the information you do provide is described in our Privacy Policy.

8. Intellectual Property

8.1 Our Materials

The Site, the Card Optimization Plan, the Credit Card Starter Guide, and all The Card Optimization Method, LLC content, branding, logos, methodology, and written materials are the property of The Card Optimization Method, LLC and are protected by U.S. copyright and trademark law.

8.2 Your License

Upon payment, we grant you a personal, non-exclusive, non-transferable license to use your Card Optimization Plan for your own personal financial decision-making.

You may not resell, redistribute, publish, post publicly, or commercially exploit any The Card Optimization Method, LLC materials, and you may not use them to provide competing services. Sharing your own Plan with your spouse, partner, or immediate household is permitted.

8.3 Feedback and Testimonials

If you provide feedback, a testimonial, or a review, you grant us permission to use it in our marketing, with your prior written consent as to the specific form used, including whether your name, first initial, city, or role appears. You may withdraw that consent at any time by emailing us, and we will remove it from materials going forward.

9. Compensation and Independence

9.1 We Receive No Compensation From Issuers

The Card Optimization Method, LLC does not receive any commission, referral fee, affiliate payment, or other compensation from any credit card issuer, bank, or financial institution in connection with our recommendations. Our recommendations are not influenced by, and we do not participate in, any issuer affiliate or referral program. Our only revenue from you is the fee you pay us directly.

If this ever changes, we will disclose the material connection clearly and conspicuously, adjacent to the affected recommendation, in compliance with the Federal Trade Commission's Endorsement Guides (16 C.F.R. Part 255), and we will update these Terms before any such compensation is accepted.

9.2 We May Pay Others to Refer You to Us

We may pay a flat referral fee to independent referral partners who introduce prospective clients to us, including for group workshops and presentations we are engaged to deliver. This is money flowing out of our business, not in. It does not change your price, and it has no effect on the card recommendations you receive, which are based solely on the spending and goals you share with us.

Anyone who refers you to us under a paid referral arrangement is required to disclose that they are compensated, at the time they recommend us. Referral partners are independent contractors. They are not our employees or agents, they do not provide financial advice on our behalf, they are not authorized to make any promise or representation about our services, and they never receive your financial information, your intake responses, or your Card Optimization Plan.

If you believe someone recommended us without disclosing that they are paid, or made a promise about our services we would not make ourselves, email us at info@thecardoptimizationmethod.com.

10. Confidentiality

We treat the financial information you share with us as confidential. We will not disclose it to any third party except:

To the service providers listed in our Privacy Policy, who process it on our behalf
Where you direct us to
Where required by law, subpoena, or valid legal process

You likewise agree to keep confidential any non-public methodology or materials we share with you.

11. Disclaimers

THE SITE AND ALL SERVICES ARE PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE," WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED. To the fullest extent permitted by law, The Card Optimization Method, LLC disclaims all warranties including merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, non-infringement, and accuracy.

Without limiting the above, The Card Optimization Method, LLC makes no warranty that:

Any information provided is current, complete, or free of error
Card terms, rates, bonuses, or reward structures described will remain as stated
You will be approved for any product
Your credit score will improve, or will not decline
You will earn any particular amount of rewards or cash back
Any outcome you hope for will occur

The Plan Value Guarantee in Section 5.6 is a limited refund commitment and is not a warranty of any outcome.

Nothing on the Site or in any The Card Optimization Method, LLC deliverable constitutes financial, investment, legal, tax, or accounting advice.

12. Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by Virginia law, The Card Optimization Method, LLC's total aggregate liability to you for any claim arising from or relating to these Terms, the Site, or our services shall not exceed the total amount you actually paid The Card Optimization Method, LLC in the twelve (12) months preceding the claim.

The Card Optimization Method, LLC shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, consequential, special, exemplary, or punitive damages, including lost profits, lost rewards, denied credit applications, changes to your credit score, interest charges, annual fees, or any other financial loss, whether based in contract, tort, negligence, strict liability, or otherwise, even if advised of the possibility of such damages.

Some jurisdictions do not allow certain limitations, so portions of this section may not apply to you. Nothing here limits liability that cannot lawfully be limited.

13. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless The Card Optimization Method, LLC, its members, officers, and agents from any claim, loss, liability, or expense (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising from your misuse of our services, your breach of these Terms, your violation of any law, or your provision of inaccurate information to us.

14. Third-Party Services and Links

The Site and our services rely on third-party providers including Netlify, Resend, Calendly, and Stripe. Their availability, security, and terms are outside our control.

Our materials may reference or link to issuer websites or third-party resources. We do not control, endorse, or assume responsibility for third-party content, products, or practices. Your dealings with any third party are solely between you and them.

15. Termination

You may stop using our services at any time. Sections 5.5 and 5.6 govern refunds.

We may suspend or terminate your access, with or without notice, if you breach these Terms, provide false information, behave abusively, or use our services for any unlawful purpose. Sections 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 16, and 17 survive termination.

16. Governing Law and Dispute Resolution

These Terms are governed by the laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia, without regard to conflict-of-law principles.

Informal resolution first. Before filing any action, you agree to contact us at info@thecardoptimizationmethod.com and allow thirty (30) days to resolve the dispute informally. Most problems are solved in one email.

If informal resolution fails, any action shall be brought exclusively in the state or federal courts located in Fairfax County, Virginia, and you consent to personal jurisdiction there. Either party may bring a qualifying claim in small claims court.

17. General Provisions

Entire Agreement. These Terms, together with the Privacy Policy and any order confirmation, are the entire agreement between us and supersede all prior discussions.

Severability. If any provision is held unenforceable, the remainder stays in force and the unenforceable provision is modified to the minimum extent necessary.

No Waiver. Our failure to enforce any provision is not a waiver of it.

Assignment. You may not assign these Terms. We may assign them in connection with a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets.

Changes to These Terms. We may update these Terms. The "Last Updated" date will change and the revised Terms take effect when posted. Changes do not apply retroactively to an engagement already purchased. The version in effect when you paid governs that engagement. Continued use of the Site after changes constitutes acceptance.

Force Majeure. Neither party is liable for delays caused by events beyond reasonable control.

18. Contact

The Card Optimization Method, LLC
4450 Rivanna River Way #1392
Fairfax, VA 22030
Email: info@thecardoptimizationmethod.com

By checking the box at checkout, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to these Terms of Service and the Privacy Policy.