Xelector, part of the Dublin based Enba group, has formed an alliance with iE, a leading UK financial ecommerce specialist, to provide internet users with the opportunity to compare and apply for credit cards via the net.

The alliance is initially targeting the top 50 internet sites in the UK as customers, with a roll out later in the year to the rest of the Europe. The service will be extended later to include all financial services including mortgages, house and car insurance.

Mr Jussi Laurimaa, chief executive officer of Xelector, said that "by joining forces, we will offer consumers the most efficient Internet service for comparing and applying for credit cards and credit card issuers the most surgically precise distribution channel."

iE, formerly Intelligent Environments, will manage all application requests from customers as the well as handling the direct interface with the credit card issuers. Xelector will provide origination, comparison and application side of the service.

Chief executive of iE, Mr Roger Wilcocks, said that the alliance will extend its reach and overall distribution capability.

The services will allow individual customers to research, evaluate and acquire the credit cards that suit them.