In Brief: Study: Cards Easier To Get at Web Banks

PORTLAND, Ore. — Applying for credit is easier at pure-play Internet banks than at the Web sites of traditional banks, according to WebCriteria Inc., a Web site analysis and consulting firm.

WebCriteria ranked Internet-only banks and traditional banks’ sites by the time and effort it took to apply for a credit card.

Internet-only banks required the least time, an average of four minutes, compared with an average of more than five minutes at the bank sites. E-Trade Bank ranked highest overall, while FleetBoston Financial led traditional banks in ease of use.