Using the CardMatch Tool: A Review

Wondering how to receive decent credit card offers to add to your arsenal of spending power? Read on.

It’s common knowledge in the credit card industry: targeted credit card offers usually are some of the best in the marketplace. These pre-vetted, targeted offers often come with a good welcome bonus than what is publicly offered to the average joe. They can also come with other perks, such as the coveted 0% promotional interest rate, waived fees for the first year, and more. 

But finding these offers is a challenge. Occasionally you’ll receive them in the mail. Other times, you might spot them in social media ads, or somewhere on a bank’s website in their “pre-approved offers” section. 

If you are actively seeking these offers, it can be a confusing process, and they can often slip through the cracks. They may get lost in the mail, and seeking them out online can be impractical, I mean, who’s got that kind of time? So then, what is one to do?

Enter a great tool called CardMatch. The darling of many credit card points and miles aficionados for years, it is a website that curates all of your targeted offers into one easy dashboard. The beauty of it is that it allows you to compare all of your offers in one place.

But how good is it, really? We will break down the details and give an in-depth explanation of what exactly CardMatch does, and if it’s right for you.

What Is CardMatch and Should I Use It?

This online tool will scour the internet for card offers and match them to you with only a few bits of your information. The offers it spits back are often much higher than what you would find on your own through public channels.

Most of the larger banks in the U.S. will publish their targeted offers to CardMatch; among these being Chase and American Express. Chase, in particular, will only give sign-on bonuses to those customers who visit their physical branches. Keep in mind, these are targeted offers, so those who have relatively few new credit cards and/or a high credit score are much more likely to be targeted. But if you do not meet these two critical criteria, it may still be worth a look to find out what, if any, offers you have.

Why? Because CardMatch will also show pre-qualified offers in their dashboard. These are credit cards that the bank will likely approve you for, should you want to apply. Although that isn’t a guarantee, you have a better chance of approval than just anyone who applies for the card online. That said, pre-qualified offers often don’t have the same sweet perks as targeted offers, so be sure to read over the entire offer (i.e. the fine print) before you decide to apply.

We can guess what your next question will be: will CardMatch need my personal information and/or perform a ‘hard pull’ on my credit? The answer is ‘yes’ to the first and ‘no’ to the second. CardMatch will only need the last 4 digits of your social security number, and they DO NOT perform a hard pull, rather they do a ‘soft pull’ that won’t show up on your credit report, so that is an advantage. They will ONLY use your information to match you to an eligible offer. 

Probably the main downside to using the CardMatch tool is for business owners. The tool does NOT show targeted business credit card offers. Only personal credit card offers are shown.

CardMatch can also be a useful tool for those who are just beginning their credit history or have lower credit scores. It is a great way to know which cards you may be eligible for so that you can make an informed decision when opening an account to help build (or re-build) your credit history.

Then, when you actually go to apply for a card, that is when a ‘hard pull’ will be performed on your credit by the specific bank. So be sure to carefully read over all of your offers, and choose wisely. The better your credit score, and other factors, the more likely you will be targeted for specific offers that the general public does not see. Any offers that CardMatch gives you are subject to change at any time.

How CardMatch Works

Unlike many online tools, CardMatch does not make you sign up for an account, where you begin to receive annoying email news or offers from them on a daily basis. You don’t even have to supply them with your email address. All you do is simply input a few tiny bits of information (including the last 4 of your SSN) into their secure online form, your current street address, your name, and away you go. 

CatdMatch is a PCI compliant organization (the highest level of certification issued by the Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council), and your information is sent via 256-bit encryption, which means that your information is treated with the utmost security. 

The Bottom Line

If you have been thinking about opening a new credit card account or have received a targeted offer, it is worth it to run a search on CardMatch to see if you are eligible for a better offer. You may walk away with a better deal than what you originally had. This can be more points, miles, bonuses, or other special perks. 

That said, CardMatch will not always hook you up with a better deal. Targeted offers by the banks are often fleeting – it is always up to the banks to determine to who exactly they will grant their offers. Nevertheless, it doesn’t hurt to check when you are looking to open a new account.