Editorial policy

Last updated: October 4, 2026

This page says who writes Roaming Cactus and what a post on this site is. It is short on purpose. How a post is judged is on How we rate and choose. Dated fixes are on Updates and corrections.

Who writes

Joe writes the points and miles guides, the credit card guides, and the destination guides.

Erika writes the first-hand place reviews: hotels, lounges, and other places after she has been there. Those reviews are credited to her. Posts that are not in that review list are credited to Joe.

What a post is

A card or points post explains a program, a card, or a way to book. Figures we treat as current are the ones printed on the issuer’s or the program’s own page when that page was last checked. A line that says a card is “worth it” is the writer’s judgment for the trip in that post. It is not a promise that the card fits you, and it is not a promise you will be approved.

A place review is what the stay or the visit was like for Erika. It is not a test of every room. The property can change after the visit.

Some older posts include a score. That score is the writer’s judgment in that one post. This site does not use one formula that every card or place has to pass.

What we do not do

We do not sell a card recommendation. The site earns from ads, from affiliate links (Amazon, Stay22, and others named on the advertising policy), and from an Amex referral link. Those are described on the advertising and affiliate policy.

We do not run a lab, a secret-shopper panel, or a checklist that every review has to complete.

Corrections

When a published figure is changed, the change is noted on Updates and corrections. If you see a mistake, write to us from the contact page or at [email protected].

More about us is on the about page.