How we compare banks
The method behind the bank directory and comparison tables — what we include, how we verify it, and what we deliberately refuse to claim.
Which banks are included
We currently profile 16 major consumer banks across megabanks, trust banks, the postal bank, online banks, app-only digital banks and in-store retail banks. These are prioritised by consumer relevance, not by any commercial relationship. Regional banks, shinkin, labour banks and JA Bank are planned as later tiers.
Which banks are excluded (for now)
We do not publish thin pages for institutions we have not yet researched. A bank appears only when we have enough verified, useful information to be worth reading. Business-only or highly specialised banks with limited consumer relevance are deprioritised.
How information is collected and verified
Every comparable field is a structured record with its own source, source type, verification status and verification date. We check facts against the provider’s official pages, the regulator, or the relevant industry body. Each field carries a status: officially verified, verified by a reliable secondary source, or not verified.
How unknown fields are handled
If we cannot verify a value, we leave it blank and display “Not confirmed”. We never infer it from a similar bank, and we never present community claims as official facts. Every “Not confirmed” field is an open item in our research queue. Volatile figures — ATM and transfer fees, campaign rates, free-transaction allowances — are treated as time-sensitive and are shown as “Not confirmed” until re-verified rather than published as a value that will quietly go stale.
How “best for” labels are assigned
There is no single universal score. We assign situational labels — best for English support, best for cash and branches, best for a given ecosystem — from verified fields only. A bank can be a strong fit for one situation and a poor fit for another, and we say so.
English support and “foreigner-friendly”
We never label a bank “foreigner-friendly” on anecdotes. We break the idea into verifiable channels — website, application, app, phone and branch — each verified separately. Where English support is not documented, it reads “Not confirmed”. We never estimate approval probability or call any bank “easy to open”.
How affiliate relationships are handled
Some outbound links may be affiliate links. Commercial compensation never affects inclusion, ordering, filtering, “best for” assignments, or editorial conclusions. Affiliate relationships are disclosed near the relevant links.
What this comparison cannot determine
We have not personally opened an account at every bank, and we do not describe firsthand experience we have not documented. We cannot tell you whether you personally will be approved, and we do not predict it. Always confirm current fees, rates and requirements on the bank’s official pages before deciding.
Corrections
Found something out of date or wrong? Corrections are welcome and are treated as priority research items.