If you google “credit card comparison” you’ll get a long list of review websites.  These sites purportedly provide an objective, unbiased analysis for consumers looking for a good credit card.   But if you dig into the fine print, you’ll discovered that very often lenders pay to advertise on those sites!  If fact, credit card providers take a heavy hand in dictating how their cards show up on these sites.

These six websites’ credit card comparison tools show only cards from lenders that pay to advertise:

• Credit.com
• CreditDonkey.com
• CreditSeasame.com
• FindTheBest.com
• Mint.com
• MyRatePlan.com

Many others show mostly advertiser cards and those credit cards receive preferential treatment.

Usually, the card-comparison sites get paid only if consumers start the card application process on the site and the lender approves them for a card.

Buyer (or credit card carrier) be ware!

Source: WSJ