How to Read Credit Card Advice Without Getting Misled

What Counts as “Credit Card Advice”?

Credit card “advice” can look like many things: detailed comparison tables, influencer videos, blog posts, call-center scripts or product pages at your local bank. Some content is clearly labeled as marketing. Other content looks independent but still earns money when you apply.

The goal of this minisite is not to tell you which card to choose, but to help you understand how recommendations are built, what may be missing, and how to combine multiple sources before you make a decision.

Common Places People Get Card Advice

Most people learn about cards through a mix of channels:

• Bank branches and call centers – direct sales channels for in-house products.
• Comparison and review sites – often funded by affiliate commissions.
• Influencers and social media – travel hackers, points enthusiasts, finance creators.
• Friends, family and colleagues – anecdotal experience based on their use-case.
• Official documentation – pricing, terms, insurance booklets, loyalty rules.

None of these sources are automatically “good” or “bad”. The key is to understand what incentives each one has, and what they might not be telling you.

Incentives, Conflicts of Interest and Bias

Many websites and creators are paid when you click a “Apply now” or “Go to provider” button. This is known as affiliate marketing. When done transparently, it can fund useful content. When done poorly, it can distort which products are shown or highlighted.

• Ranking bias: Top positions may favor cards that pay commission.
• Omissions: Non-paying cards, local banks or niche options might be missing.
• Over-optimism: Perks are highlighted, but exclusions or FX fees are buried.
• One-size-fits-all: Lists of “best cards” that ignore your income, travel pattern or country.

Good advice explains why a card fits a specific use-case and makes clear what data the recommendation is based on.

How to Sanity-Check Any Credit Card Recommendation

1. Check the funding model. Look for disclosure of affiliate links or sponsorships.
2. Match to your profile. Does the advice specify income, travel, currency or region?
3. Verify with documentation. Cross-check key numbers against the issuer’s own PDFs.
4. Compare at least two sources. See if other sites show the same strengths and trade-offs.
5. Look beyond sign-up bonuses. Ongoing FX fees and insurance matter more over time.

If anything feels unclear or overly hyped, treat it as a signal to dig deeper, not a reason to rush an application.

Explore Related Education Topics

Part of The CreditCard Collection

Advise.Creditcard is part of The CreditCard Collection — a network of focused, educational minisites operated by ronarn AS. Each site looks at one part of the credit card world: rewards, FX, protections, scores, applications and more.

This page is not financial advice and does not recommend specific products or providers. It is meant to help you understand how advice works so you can evaluate it critically.

Ready to Look at Real Cards?

After you understand how advice is created and funded, you can move on to structured comparisons with clearer expectations. Start with the Guides hub to learn the basics, then explore themed hubs like Travel, Protections, Rewards and Credit Score.