Finder makes money from featured partners, but editorial opinions are our own. Advertiser Disclosure
What is CardMatch and how does it work?
More importantly, is it it legitimate and safe?
CardMatch is an application that presents you with targeted credit card offers after you provide various pieces of personal information, such as your income and birthdate. It is owned by CreditCards.com, a privately owned company within the parent company of major media company Red Ventures. While it’s a handy feature, the limited cards offered to you may not be worth giving up your personal data over.
What is the CardMatch tool?
CardMatch is an online tool that lets you view credit cards you’re prequalified for, as well as targeted offers from major US providers. To use the tool, enter your name, address and last four digits of your Social Security number. Then, you’ll see a list of suggested cards in one place.
Pros and Cons of CardMatch
Pros
- Doesn’t affect your credit score. CardMatch doesn’t perform a hard credit pull when checking for card eligibility, meaning you won’t see a dip in your credit score for using it.
- Can help you filter your options. If you’re not interested in comparing all of your available options, CardMatch can save you time with its recommendations tailored to cards you’re likely to qualify for.
Cons
- You have to give up a lot of personal information. To get your card recommendations, CardMatch asks for an unusual amount of personal information, including name, address, employment status, income, home ownership, rent or mortgage payments, banking information and the last 4 digits of your Social Security Number.
- Card recommendations are limited. CardMatch can only match you with its card partners. Currently this list just includes American Express, Citi, Discover, Bank of America, and CreditOne.
If the idea of giving away such a large amount of personal information worries you, check out our Card Finder Quiz instead. After answering just a few questions, Finder can connect you with a wider variety of cards within your credit range and tailored to your preferences.
How does CardMatch work?
To use CardMatch and get your credit card suggestions, you’ll need to do the following:
- Select Get Started in the section below.
- Enter your name in the fields provided and click “Next” to start filling out your personal information.
- In addition to your name, you’ll need to enter your:
- Address
- Employment status
- Whether you own or rent your house
- What you pay for your monthly rent or mortgage
- The last 4 digits of your Social Security Number
- Your email address
- After filling in your email address, click “Next” to view CardMatch’s personalized credit card offers.
Find your next credit card in just a few steps
Select Get started, and then answer a few simple questions. Within seconds, you’ll get your personalized credit card offers. All with no impact to your credit score.
Searching for the best rates...
Types of offers you’ll find using the CardMatch tool
- Prequalified offers. These are cards that match your credit profile and that you’re more likely to qualify for. Remember that approval is never guaranteed, and it’s be selective about which cards you apply for.
- Targeted offers. These are special promotions offered to you based on factors such as your credit history, location and spending habits.
- Normal offers.These are credit card offers you’re not prequalified for and that are normally available on provider websites.
Is CardMatch safe?
CardMatch collects a lot of personal information in order to provide you with their personalized card offers. CreditCards.com states on its website that your information is protected with 256-bit encryption, the same as major banks. With that said, RedVentures, the parent company of CreditCards.com, does share your personal information with partners. You can read more about how your information is used and how to request they delete your information at the Red Ventures privacy policy page.
Compare credit cards
If you want an idea of what cards you might qualify for across a wider variety of providers, use our comparison table below.
1 - 3 of 100
Bottom line
CardMatch can give you a decent idea of which cards you’re eligible for without the need for a hard credit pull. However, the limited card options and personal information requirements make it difficult to recommend unless you’re specifically avoiding credit checks.
For a look at all of your card options along with recommendations from Finder’s credit card experts, Visit our guide to the best cards of 2023.
Frequently asked questions
More guides on Finder
-
Sable ONE Secured Credit Card Review
A user-friendly secured card with no credit check required.
-
Bread Cashback™ American Express® Credit Card review
A simple 2% cashback card that could benefit from extra features.
-
Aspire® Cash Back Reward Card Review
A credit building card held back by fees.
-
Corpay Mastercard® review
Earn 1.5% back on your eligible business purchases.
-
Aeroplan® Credit Card review
Chase’s new Air Canada card offers a big signup bonus.
-
Cleo Credit Builder card Review
A secured charge card with an unfortunate monthly fee.
-
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card review
An excellent luxury travel card from Capital One.
-
Capital One Quicksilver Secured Cash Rewards Credit Card review
Qualify with bad credit and earn 1.5% on all purchases.
-
Revvi Card review
A card with far too many fees to properly serve its purpose.
-
9 exclusive experiences the Luxury Card Concierge® team delivered on
Including a breathtaking wedding proposal straight out of the movies.
Ask an Expert
