Think back to the last time you signed up for a new service or product online. If you tend to check the box labeled “Yes, I’ve read the terms of this agreement” without giving it a second thought, it’s probably time to reconsider how you approach the fine print.
Buried in the fine print can be all sorts of details explaining how the transaction will affect you. For example, you might be giving up your rights to private information or even enabling a third party to make copies of your information on social media and in other places on the internet.
It’s especially important to study the terms and conditions of any loan, credit card or other financial product for which you intend to apply. At Credit Sesame, we include a number of important statements in the fine print of our website to provide transparency and to ensure the financial offers you view are easy to understand in context.
Here are a few of the fine-print terms and conditions you’ll find on Credit Sesame—and what they mean to you.
What Credit Sesame says about your approval odds:
Approval odds are estimations only and are meant to serve as an illustration of the likelihood for you to be approved for a particular product based on a comparison of similar Credit Sesame members who have historically been approved for the product. Approval Odds are not meant to imply or guarantee that you will be approved by the lender / issuing bank or that credit will be extended.
What it means:
When you see your approval odds for a financial product, it represents Credit Sesame’s best guess as to whether your application for credit will be approved. Our best guess is not a shot in the dark. It’s based on a complex proprietary algorithm that compares your credit data to nine million other members (anonymously). We can’t make any promises as to whether a specific lender will extend credit. Think of it like a key on a map: It’s a helpful guide that helps you navigate the many available financial products to find those that may be a good fit for you.
What Credit Sesame says about others’ approvals:
Approvals with these TransUnion Vantage 3 credit scores have been received by Credit Sesame members. Average and Lowest scores are meant to serve as general guidelines only and approval is not guaranteed. Factors beyond credit scores can and may affect credit card approval. Each respective lender / credit card issuer is responsible for approval.
What it means:
We aggregate the highest and lowest TransUnion Vantage 3 scores of Credit Sesame customers who have been approved for the credit cards on our site. You can then look at your own score, available for free in your Credit Sesame member dashboard, to see whether it falls in the range of scores that have successfully applied for a specific card. Keep in mind, though, that credit score isn’t the only factor card issuers consider when handing out approvals. They also consider the specific data in your credit report, your reported income, any history you already have with them, and other factors.
What Credit Sesame says about star ratings:
CreditSesame.com star ratings are an average based on contributions from independent users not affiliated with CreditSesame.com. Banks, issuers and credit card companies are not responsible for star ratings, nor do they endorse or guarantee any posted comments or reviews.
What it means:
We invite Credit Sesame users to rate their experiences with financial providers. These users aren’t employees of Credit Sesame, and their opinions don’t reflect the opinions of our company or of the financial providers we work with. You might enjoy reading them, but they’re unfiltered and not endorsed by anyone in an official capacity.
What Credit Sesame says about terms and conditions:
See the online provider’s application for details about terms and conditions. Reasonable efforts have been made to maintain accurate information. However all information is presented without warranty or guarantee. When you click on the “Apply Now” button, you can review the terms and conditions on the provider’s website. Offers are subject to change and the terms displayed may not be available to all consumers. Please visit the provider’s site for current information and verify all terms and conditions of any offer prior to applying.
What it means:
We work very hard to give you the best, most reliable information. That said, the financial world changes constantly and terms can be added or removed quickly. To get the most up-to-date information, you should not only look at our website but also review the terms of any financial product on the provider’s website to ensure you have all of the details you need to make an informed decision. We’ve made this process easy. Simply click “Apply Now” when you find a product you’d like to know more about. The information there will be the most up-to-date, and there’s no obligation to complete an application after you review it.
What Credit Sesame says about advertisers:
Advertiser Disclosure: The credit card offers that appear on this site are from credit card companies from which this site may receive compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear). This site does not include all credit card companies or all available credit card offers.
The loan offers that appear on this site are from companies from which Credit Sesame receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear). Credit Sesame does not include all lenders or loan offers available in the marketplace.
What it means:
We provide more our members (nine million and counting) with a long list of free services. The reason we can do this is that we accept advertising. That can affect which credit cards, loans and other products you see on our site, and in what order they are shown, but it doesn’t affect our opinions and what we write about the products. Also, Credit Sesame is not an exhaustive resource for all of the financial products that are available in the US. We offer information about a huge number of them, but even more options exist.
What Credit Sesame says about accuracy:
Credit Sesame is an independent comparison service provider. Reasonable efforts have been made to maintain accurate information throughout our website, mobile apps, and communication methods; however, all information is presented without warranty or guarantee. All images and trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
What it means:
We work as a team to provide outstanding and comprehensive financial information, whether you are viewing our site from a desktop or a mobile device. But because of the changing nature of the financial industry, we know we might not get everything right all of the time, no matter how hard we try. Understand that we’re giving you financial information so you can compare products. We’re a resource, but we don’t make any promises in the form of warranties or guarantees. We trust you to be your own best guide.
What Credit Sesame says about our written content:
The editorial content on this page (including, but not limited to, Pros and Cons) is not provided by any credit card issuer. Any opinions, analysis, reviews, or recommendations expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any credit card issuer, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any credit card issuer.
These responses are not provided, reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser’s responsibility to ensure all posts are answered.
Savings and/or earnings calculations are estimates only and provided for illustrative purposes. These estimates savings or earnings are based upon several factors that are subject to change without notice. Any actual would depend on the terms and conditions of each particular offer and are not commissioned, guaranteed, or endorsed by any bank, partner, merchant, or advertiser. If the bonus is included in savings estimate, it is assumed the offer qualifications are met. Please review the terms and conditions on the provider’s website
What it means:
Understand the difference between editorial content (for example, an expert’s opinions about the pros and cons of a particular financial product) and content provided by the bank offering the credit card, loan or other financial product (for example, APR, terms and conditions, bonus offers, and so on). The banks don’t have a say in the editorial information we provide.
Many factors affect a lender’s willingness to extend credit (and on what terms). It’s up to the consumer to review any financial product and discuss questions and options with the creditor.
In all cases where you want more information or have any questions about the terms of a financial offer or how it might affect you, you should reach out directly to a customer service representative at the bank or lending institution that interests you.
What Credit Sesame says about the APR:
Annual Percentage Rates, loan terms and monthly payments shown are estimated based upon analysis of your credit profile, information you entered, and/or rate information provided by lenders. While efforts have been made to maintain accurate information, the loan information is presented without warranty and the estimated APR or other terms shown do not bind any lender. All loans are subject to credit review and approval. When evaluating offers, please review the lender’s Terms and Conditions for additional details.
What it means:
We take great pride in compiling information for your personal dashboard that is accurate and actionable. To us, it makes sense to provide you with your credit score and a report card that helps you understand the factors that affect it so that you can work toward better odds for credit approval. But lenders aren’t required to take the information from your dashboard and use it to approve or deny credit. They have their own internal policies and procedures for that.
Our dashboard is a roadmap to success. We help you understand where you stand, how you can improve and which products might be a good fit. From there, you can select the best candidates for you and connect directly with lenders and credit card companies using the “Apply Now” button.
What Credit Sesame says about mortgage lenders:
The advertisement and the loan products offered here are from third parties who are licensed or exempt mortgage lenders or mortgage brokers. Credit Sesame is not responsible for any of the products and services offered by the lenders or brokers here and have not acted as a mortgage broker or originator in publishing or displaying advertisement or loan products information to users. No recommendation, endorsement, sponsorship or referral may be implied or inferred by displaying this information.
What it means:
Credit Sesame is not a lender. We accept advertising from legitimate lenders, but we have no financial or editorial relationship with them.
Credit Sesame and you
The next time you log into your Credit Sesame account, take a moment to review the fine print as you browse through your personalized recommendations. You might learn something. If you have any questions about anything you see, click the “Contact Us” link at the very top of the screen, right next to your name. We’re here to give you the information you need to make the right financial choices for you.
