CardRatings
CardRatings.com is a U.S. consumer credit card review and comparison website founded in 1998, operated by QuinStreet Inc., that publishes expert editorial reviews, side-by-side comparison tools, and Dynata-surveyed cardholder ratings to help U.S. consumers research and apply for credit cards via tracked affiliate links to issuers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1998
- HeadquartersFoster City, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What CardRatings does
CardRatings.com is a U.S. consumer-facing credit card review and comparison website founded in 1998 by Curtis Arnold and operated by QuinStreet Inc. from Foster City, California. The site curates a database of more than 850 credit cards and publishes 175+ detailed expert reviews plus hundreds of category-best lists, how-to guides, and resource articles, targeting U.S. consumers shopping for personal, business, student, and secured credit cards. Editorial ratings are produced on a 1-5 scale by in-house editors and supplemented each year by an independent Dynata-administered cardholder satisfaction survey (the most recent wave, in November 2025, polled 2,797 cardholders and produced scores on Value for Price, Features Satisfaction, Competitive Edge, Customer Service, and Overall).
The underlying platform is an editorial content site with an integrated set of consumer tools — a three-step CardFinder personalization tool, a side-by-side Card Compare tool, a Credit Journey credit-education resource, and a suite of five financial calculators (interest, monthly payment, balance transfer, payoff, credit utilization). The site is free to consumers; monetization is driven by an affiliate-referral model in which tracked "Apply Now" CTAs route clicks through apply.cardratings.com and the Rakuten/Linkshare network to issuer application pages, with compensation paid on click, approval, or account opening. CardRatings also surfaces a limited-time-offer display banner (e.g., Chase Sapphire Preferred with a 100,000-point bonus), operates an outbound "Become An Affiliate" program, and maintains press/earned-media exposure via editors such as Jennifer Doss in CNBC and Fortune.
The business is a small editorial team (1-10 employees reported) embedded inside QuinStreet Inc., with all major U.S. card issuers (Chase, Bank of America, Capital One, Citi, Discover, Wells Fargo, American Express, U.S. Bank, USAA) participating as paid advertiser/affiliate partners. Distribution is U.S.-only, and there is no public API, no mobile app, and no disclosed use of AI/ML within the products described.
CardRatings firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- CardRatings
- Legal name
- QuinStreet Inc.
- Website
- https://cardratings.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1998
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- CardRatings.com is a U.S. consumer credit card review and comparison website founded in 1998, operated by QuinStreet Inc., that publishes expert editorial reviews, side-by-side comparison tools, and Dynata-surveyed cardholder ratings to help U.S. consumers research and apply for credit cards via tracked affiliate links to issuers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
CardRatings industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Credit Card Reviews and Comparison
- NAICS
- Credit Card Issuing (52221), Credit Card Issuing (522210)
- SIC
- Services-Consumer Credit Reporting, Collection Agencies (7320)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Credit Education, Monitoring & Consumer Credit Management Tools (FSAKAKAJ)
Keywords
Where CardRatings is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Foster City
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
CardRatings business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Operations
Revenue model
- Card issuer affiliate referral commissions: CardRatings.com receives compensation from credit card companies when a customer clicks on a link, when an application is approved, or when an account is opened. Compensation impacts how and where products appear on the site (e.g., listing order) but does not influence editorial ratings or reviews. This is the primary revenue stream and operates as a pay-for-performance affiliate/referral model with major issuers including Chase, Bank of America, Capital One, Citi, Discover, Wells Fargo, American Express, and USAA.
- Display advertising and sponsored placements: CardRatings sells display advertising and limited-time offer placements (e.g., the Chase Sapphire Preferred featured card with 100,000 bonus points appears in a limited-time-offer banner on the homepage). Per the Editorial note, many or all cards discussed could be from partners that compensate CardRatings when users click or are approved.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | — | Free consumer access — no pricing tiers |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
CardRatings product offering
Product offeringCore offering
CardRatings.com is a consumer-facing credit card review and comparison website founded in 1998 that provides expert editorial reviews of more than 850 credit cards, side-by-side comparison tools, financial calculators, and educational resources. Visitors self-serve research credit cards across categories such as cash back, travel rewards, balance transfer, and business, and click out via tracked affiliate "Apply Now" links to card issuers. CardRatings monetizes through referral commissions on resulting applications and account openings, plus display advertising and sponsored featured placements.
Product overview
CardRatings.com (founded in 1998 by Curtis Arnold and operated by QuinStreet Inc. from Foster City, CA) is a single-platform credit card review and comparison website — not a multi-module SaaS suite — built around a core website (CardRatings.com) that unifies its editorial products (Credit Card Reviews, Best Cards Editorial Lists, Resource Hubs, Credit Card Database) with a set of built-in interactive modules (Card Finder Tool, Card Compare Tool, Credit Journey Tool, Credit Card Calculators, and Featured Credit Cards Compare Table). Together, these offerings let consumers browse curated card lists, read expert reviews scored on a CardRatings Editorial Rating, compare offers side-by-side, run financial calculators, and complete a partner referral funnel that routes "Apply Now" clicks to card issuers. The Cardholder Survey & Ratings Program layers proprietary consumer-research data on top of the editorial content to power user-rating scorecards shown alongside each featured card.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Quantifiable outcome
- 20+ years of editorial history
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use CardRatings
Customer profileSegments7 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
CardRatings technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
CardRatings partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
14 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, minor and core.
- QuinStreet Inc.flagshipQuinStreet Inc. is the parent company that owns and operates CardRatings.com (footer reads 'QuinStreet Inc, 950 Tower Lane, Suite 1200, Foster City, CA 94404'). QuinStreet provides the underlying marketing-technology, affiliate-tracking, and editorial-platform infrastructure that powers CardRatings, including the apply.cardratings.com subdomain used for tracked issuer applications.
- Chase (JPMorgan Chase)flagshipChase is a featured advertiser on CardRatings across multiple products including Chase Sapphire Preferred (100,000 bonus point limited-time offer surfaced on the homepage), Chase Freedom Unlimited, Chase Freedom Flex, and Ink Business Cash. Chase pays CardRatings via affiliate commission when users click 'Apply Now' through tracked links. CardRatings' editorial notes explicitly flag Chase as a CardRatings advertiser relationship.
- Bank of AmericaflagshipBank of America is a featured advertiser across multiple products on CardRatings, including the Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards credit card (top featured cash back pick) and the Bank of America Travel Rewards credit card. BoA pays CardRatings via affiliate commission on approved applications.
- Capital OneflagshipCapital One is featured across multiple products on CardRatings — Capital One VentureOne, Capital One Venture Rewards, Capital One Quicksilver, Capital One QuicksilverOne, and Capital One Savor. Capital One pays CardRatings via affiliate commission on approved applications. CardRatings notes Capital One explicitly as an advertiser partner.
- DiscoverflagshipDiscover is featured across multiple products on CardRatings — Discover it Cash Back, Discover it Chrome, and Discover it Secured. CardRatings carries explicit 'See Rates and Fees' links to Discover disclosures and rates product applications through tracked affiliate links.
- Wells FargoflagshipWells Fargo is featured across the Wells Fargo Active Cash Card (top-rated cash back card with 4.8 editorial rating and Cardholder Favorite 8.51 overall rating), Wells Fargo Reflect, and Wells Fargo Autograph. Wells Fargo pays CardRatings via affiliate commission on approved applications.
- American ExpressflagshipAmerican Express is featured across multiple products on CardRatings — Blue Cash Preferred (top grocery rewards pick), Blue Cash Everyday (top gas rewards pick), and the American Express Platinum Card (premium rewards). CardRatings explicitly flags 'American Express is a CardRatings advertiser' on multiple cards. Amex pays CardRatings via affiliate commission.
- Citi (Citibank)flagshipCiti is featured across multiple products on CardRatings — Citi Double Cash (top balance transfer pick), Citi Custom Cash (top flexible earnings pick), and Citi Strata Premier. CardRatings explicitly flags 'Citi is a CardRatings advertiser' on the Citi Double Cash card. Citi pays CardRatings via affiliate commission.
- U.S. BankminorU.S. Bank is listed in CardRatings' navigation as a card issuer category and is included in the Card Issuers filter on the compare page (alongside Chase, Bank of America, Capital One, Citi, Discover, Wells Fargo, etc.). The U.S. Bank Altitude Connect and other U.S. Bank products are tracked via affiliate links.
- USAAminorUSAA appears as a Card Issuer filter option on the CardRatings compare page and is represented in the site's card database (USAA's credit cards are listed alongside the major issuers). USAA products are distributed through CardRatings' tracked apply links.
- Rakuten Advertising (Linkshare / linksynergy.com)coreRakuten Advertising's affiliate network (operated through linksynergy.com) is the underlying tracking infrastructure for many of CardRatings' card-issuer affiliate links, including Chase, Citi, and others (URLs of the form click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click...). Rakuten routes referred application traffic from CardRatings to issuer partners and handles commission attribution.
- DynataminorDynata is the third-party market-research panel provider that CardRatings commissions to run its annual cardholder satisfaction survey. CardRatings' most recent survey (November 2025) was administered by Dynata across 2,797 cardholders nationwide, producing the Value for Price, Features Satisfaction, Competitive Edge, Customer Service, and Overall Rating scores that CardRatings uses to rank cards.
- VisaminorVisa is listed as a card issuer filter option on CardRatings (Visa-branded products issued by partner banks are tracked through CardRatings' affiliate flow). CardRatings notes that for Capital One products listed on the page, some benefits may be provided by Visa or Mastercard and may vary by product.
- MastercardminorMastercard is listed as a card issuer filter option on the CardRatings compare page. Mastercard-branded products issued by partner banks (e.g., Wells Fargo Active Cash on the Visa network, others on Mastercard) are distributed through CardRatings' tracked apply links.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
CardRatings competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- NerdWallet: NerdWallet is a personal finance comparison and credit card review platform that uses an editorial-led, affiliate-driven business model essentially identical to CardRatings — covering credit cards, loans, banking, and insurance, with a much larger audience, broader verticals, and stronger brand recognition.
- The Points Guy: The Points Guy is a credit card rewards and travel-focused editorial and affiliate site (now part of Static Media) that competes directly with CardRatings' travel and rewards credit card categories, with a deeper focus on premium and travel cards.
- MagnifyMoney: MagnifyMoney is a personal finance comparison site (credit cards, savings, loans) owned by LendingTree that competes with CardRatings in credit card reviews and balance transfer / rewards content via an affiliate-driven model.
- Bankrate: Bankrate is a long-standing personal finance content and comparison site (credit cards, mortgages, deposits, loans) monetized through affiliate referrals to financial institutions; it competes head-on with CardRatings in the credit card comparison category and is owned by Red Ventures.
- WalletHub: WalletHub is a personal finance comparison platform (credit cards, loans, insurance) that provides editor reviews, side-by-side comparison tools, and a credit-score product, monetized via affiliate referrals — closely overlapping with CardRatings' product surface.
- CreditCards.com: CreditCards.com is a credit card comparison and affiliate site owned by Future plc that competes directly with CardRatings on the same U.S. consumer credit card research journey, with similar card database, comparison, and apply-link monetization.
Broad incumbents
- LendingTree: LendingTree is a large financial-services marketplace covering credit cards, loans, banking, and insurance with a lead-generation/affiliate model — overlapping with CardRatings on the credit card category but operating at much broader scale and category scope.
- Money.com (Money Magazine): Money.com is the digital property of Money Magazine, a legacy personal-finance editorial brand covering credit cards, investing, and banking with affiliate-driven monetization — overlapping with CardRatings' editorial credit card content at broader personal-finance scale.
Emerging players
- CardCruncher: CardCruncher (formerly CardBonkers) is a smaller, focused credit card comparison and optimization site targeting the same U.S. consumer card-shopper audience as CardRatings with a narrower feature set and editorial depth.
- Finder.com: Finder.com is a personal finance comparison platform spanning credit cards, banking, loans, and insurance across multiple geographies; it overlaps with CardRatings in U.S. credit card comparison but is broader and operates internationally.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
CardRatings social profiles
Digital presenceCardRatings financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
CardRatings leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
CardRatings funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
CardRatings M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about CardRatings
What does CardRatings do?
CardRatings.com is a consumer-facing credit card review and comparison website founded in 1998 that provides expert editorial reviews of more than 850 credit cards, side-by-side comparison tools, financial calculators, and educational resources. Visitors self-serve research credit cards across categories such as cash back, travel rewards, balance transfer, and business, and click out via tracked affiliate "Apply Now" links to card issuers. CardRatings monetizes through referral commissions on resulting applications and account openings, plus display advertising and sponsored featured placements.
Is CardRatings a public or private company?
CardRatings is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was CardRatings founded?
CardRatings was founded in 1998. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is CardRatings based?
CardRatings is headquartered in Foster City, United States, in the North America region.
How does CardRatings make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Card issuer affiliate referral commissions are the primary driver. The others are display advertising and sponsored placements.
Who are CardRatings's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are NerdWallet, The Points Guy, MagnifyMoney, Bankrate, WalletHub and CreditCards.com. Broad incumbents are LendingTree and Money.com (Money Magazine). Emerging players are CardCruncher and Finder.com.
Does CardRatings have an API?
No public API is recorded for CardRatings.
What industry is CardRatings in?
CardRatings's product category is Credit Card Reviews and Comparison. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAKAKAJ, Credit Education, Monitoring & Consumer Credit Management Tools. Its NAICS code is 52221 and its SIC code is 7320.