FTC Action Against Credit Karma Underscores That Conversion Cannot Trump Compliance

The Federal Trade Commission's recent action against Credit Karma serves as a reminder to advertisers that optimizing consumer conversion is not—and cannot be—the be-all and end-all. Regardless of what split or A/B testing results show, claims must be truthful, substantiated, and not misleading.

Per the FTC's administrative complaint, Credit Karma advertised third-party credit offers to Credit Karma members as "pre-approved," but, in fact, the creditors had not pre-approved the credit offers and consumers were required to apply and go through the creditors' underwriting process. The FTC's investigation showed that about one-third of those customers were denied the advertised credit.