If you regularly read this blog, you might’ve noticed some odd behavior with some of our links. (And also, thanks for being a regular reader!)
From time to time, you may see something like “card_name” or an “annual_fee” or “bonus_points_full” or weird-looking phrases along those lines.
So, what’s up?
Those are “placeholder tags” (the 100% accurate technical term I just made up) for credit card names, annual fees, and respective card’s welcome offers (using the above examples). Our credit card affiliate, CardRatings, rolled out a new system for its publishers (i.e., bloggers). We’re phasing out “standard” links we inserted into posts (I have a whole page of several hundred links from which I copied and pasted into posts!).
Instead, CardRatings now provides us with script codes that we put in posts. One of the huge benefits of this method is that the content is pulled directly from CardRatings — and helps ensure we’re compliant with various requirements.
For example, misspelling a credit card’s name or omitting a registered trademark symbol is a compliance violation. Those are big no-nos.
During its initial mentions in a blog post, for example, I must write “The Business Platinum Card® from American Express” for that specific card. I can’t say “Amex Business Platinum card.” Even “Business Platinum Card® from American Express” is incorrect because it leaves out “The” at the beginning.
Card names are always subject to change. So are their artwork. And annual fees. And welcome offers.
So, using scripts to stay up to date on that type of information is helpful — and will hopefully save us a lot of time in the compliance department. Compliance housekeeping can take up a lot of time.
(I know someone will comment, “the easiest way to fix this is by getting rid of credit cards!” Knock yourself out. But it’s not going to happen. 🙂 )
Load Times May Vary
It occasionally takes more time that we’d all like for those placeholder fields to populate with the relevant information. That’s why you may occasionally see those things like “card_name.”
How long it takes for them to populate varies on several factors: your internet speed, your browser cache, the device you use, various servers’ response times, some of our blog’s other content and tools loading, the current phase of the moon, and your birth sign. 😉
Commenter “David” snarked, “Def need to get the “card_name” in this post about the IHG® Rewards Premier Credit Card. ChickB said, “Come on, Chris, proofread your work.”
Trust me, I cringe when I see the “card name”s and “bonus points full”s. This is a work in progress for us. And we appreciate your patience and support!
We Still Write Our Own Content
I probably sound like an out-of-touch old geezer when I say this: we don’t use ChatGPS (or whatever the heck it is) to write posts. (Though, based on this interesting piece by Gary Leff, we may need to check it out more.)
I guess the affiliate scripts are a form of artificial intelligence, sure. But we still generate and create the meat of our own posts.
For example, this is what my view is when looking at the compose and edit mode for this post about a new American Airlines credit card offer:
The opinions and other content are all ours. For better or worse.
We heard of some nameless people alleging that we’re too lazy or dumb or something like that — because we didn’t paste a card’s name or bonus offer. Actually, we did — it’s just that the script hadn’t loaded. Someone else accused us of misusing artificial intelligence. (It’s cute those folks think they’re experts on intelligence. 😉 If you’re one of those people, thank you for being a regular reader and promoting our site! Keep those clicks a-comin’! 😉 )
Anyway, I wanted to explain those little placeholder tags and explain why they’re there. Thanks, as always, for your support!
Responses are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.
Chris
Dee
I thought so.
I never thought the posts were generated by AI, but sometimes it seems like the replies might be.
To all those complaining I can only say the immortal Roy Kent’s favorite 2 word phrase.