Credit card issuers advertising on CardWeb's consumer channels have apparently discovered a gold mine of traffic. According to official Internet traffic statistics released last week, a record 4.4 million page views were delivered during January. One major card issuer revealed card application rates exceeded target by 147% and approvals hit 112% of the goal. All advertising slots for CardWeb's consumer channels are currently booked under one year minimum contracts. Current participants include: Capital One, First USA, NationsBank, Chase Manhattan, AFBA, Wachovia, Commerce Bank, NextCard, People's Bank and Arkansas National Bank. Harriet Bailey, CardWeb's national sales manager, says the higher than average application and approval rates are due to a simple format, whereby consumers seeking info about the best credit card deals from CardWeb, do so without having to reveal any personal data. CardWeb's high traffic is driven by many elements including its long-term credibility with the national news media. For example this past weekend CardWeb was cited to consumers by Parade magazine as the sole source of objective credit card information. Yesterday, Robert McKinley, president of CardWeb, announced after the firm's annual board meeting in the Florida Keys, that CardWeb's flagship consumer publication, CardTrak, will be switching this year to a not-for-profit structure.