More than a dozen commercial websites already offer credit card comparison tools. But the sites often work with a relatively narrow range of large issuers, consumer advocates say, and earn fees when shoppers apply for a card. (Most sites disclose this.) Offerings from smaller banks and credit unions, which may charge lower rates, may not be included.
“Comparison sites only show products with which they have an economic relationship,” said David Silberman, a senior fellow at the nonprofit Center for Responsible Lending. The sites can be useful, he said, as long as consumers understand the limitations. “It’s not objective advice.”
