Global Reviews says it asked over 1000 people how they choose a credit card, the role the Internet plays in the process and what information and service they would like their provider to offer online.

Around two thirds (64%) of people prefer to apply for credit cards online, with only 20% saying they would rather go to a branch and seven per cent saying they would prefer to use the phone.

Over two thirds (68%) of respondents also want to be able to manage their credit card account via the Web.

But despite this, rates and fees are still the most important criteria for customers when choosing a credit card provider, with 51% citing 'no annual fee' as the most important criteria and 46% citing interest rates. Only 40% said online account management was most important to them when choosing a card.

However the Internet is also a popular tool for finding information, with 78% of credit card customers using the Web to research deals. In contrast, only 11% visit a branch for credit card information and two per cent use the phone.

As part of the study Global Reviews created a benchmark of best practice with over 540 different criteria against which 12 of the UK's leading provider Web sites were assessed. Criteria included the content and tools, customer support, prospective customer information, online application and site utility.

Lloyds TSB's credit card Web site came out top in the study and scored 60% against an industry average of 48%, followed by Egg with 53% and HSBC with 49%. Lloyds TSB was also found to offer the best online application service, scoring 56% against an industry average of only 36%.

Virtual bank First Direct came last in the study of 12, scoring just 33% against an industry average of 48%. Natwest was found to be the second worst site scoring 40%, followed by Hbos on 41% and Virgin with 42%.

Egg received the highest scores for information for prospective customers (73%) and customer support (69%), while Hbos scored only 14% for its online support. Egg was also found to offer the best content and tools with a score of 54% - compared to an abysmal 15% for Capital One.

Commenting on the findings, Adam Goodvach, director, Global Reviews, says: "With so many customers going online, providers wanting to attract these customers need to make sure that their Web site offers the information customers are looking for. All the online applications we looked at could be significantly improved. There is a lot more that providers can be doing to make it easier for their customers online."