Lending A Hand to Credit Card Customers: Which Card Sites Provide The Best Online Experience?

IRVINGTON, N.Y. — New research released by Change Sciences Group, Inc. today scores 26 leading credit card sites on their ability to meet the goals of consumers shopping for a card. These goals include answering common questions about card products quickly and easily, transferring a balance from another card, and completing a painless application online. “The vast majority of card sites currently throw up obstacles right where they shouldn’t — just as they are attempting to start a relationship with a new customer. Not telling prospects directly how rewards can be redeemed, or making it hard to compare card offers, are common” said Steve Ellis, a Change Sciences partner.

Highlights from the research include:

• 70% of sites can make it easier to find the credit card section of the site
• 70% of sites can make it easier learn key details of a card offer
• 66% of sites can make online applications less painful
• 70% of sites can make balance transfer more intuitive

Change Sciences benchmarking research is based on a revolutionary technology for comparing web sites called Typifi(tm). Typifi quantifies what online customers experience as they use a site, across all meaningful dimensions, including look and feel, ease of use, content, trust, and effort. Web sites that provide a best-of-class customer experience attract and retain customers.

The overall rankings for the card sites follow:

1. National City
2. Fifth Third Bank
3. Capital One
4. Bank of America
5. Wachovia
6. Chase
7. E*Trade
8. Discover
9. Zions Bank
10. Key Bank
11. US Bank
12. Wells Fargo
13. American Express
14. SunTrust
15. MBNA
16. Citibank
17. M&T Bank
18. NetBank
19. HSBC
20. Providian
21. BB&T
22. Synovus
23. Hudson United
24. Compass Bank
25. AmSouth
26. Comerica

For information on the research visit: www.changesciences.com/d/financialservices.

Change Sciences was founded in January 2000 to help companies optimize online business by basing decisions on how people use technology while they live, work, and play.

Contact:
Neil Marcus
Change Sciences Group, Inc.
888-864-1160 x204
neil@changesciences.com
www.changesciences.com