Show Users Where Their Rate Really Stands
Give your users instant competitive intelligence across 4,300+ credit unions. No affiliate relationships, no biased recommendations—just pure market data.
What is Rate Shopping with RateAPI?
Rate shopping means comparing a user's quoted mortgage rate against the market. RateAPI's decisions endpoint accepts a current offer (rate, APR, state, loan amount) and returns where it ranks against 4,300+ credit unions, plus estimated savings from better options. One API call replaces thousands of individual website visits. Unlike affiliate sites, results are ranked by true cost—not advertising revenue.
Users Can't Tell If Their Quote Is Competitive
A homebuyer gets a mortgage quote from their bank: 6.75% APR. Is that good? They have no idea. The bank says it's "competitive," but competitive compared to what? The consumer has zero visibility into what rates are actually available in the market.
Meanwhile, credit unions down the street are offering 6.125%—but the buyer doesn't know these institutions exist, let alone what rates they offer. The information asymmetry costs them tens of thousands of dollars.
Your app can change this. With one API call, show users exactly where their quote ranks against 4,300+ credit unions—and how much they could save by shopping around.
One API Call, Complete Market Intelligence
// Get mortgage recommendations for CaliforniaPOST /v1/decisions { "decision_type": "financing", "context": { "geo": { "state": "CA" } }, "product_request": { "product_type": "mortgage", "amount": 500000, "term_months": 360, "intent": "purchase" }, "current_offer": { "rate": 6.75, "apr": 6.89 }}{ "summary": { "recommended_action": "shop_providers", "confidence": 0.92, "current_offer_rank": 847, "total_providers_analyzed": 1203, "estimated_savings": { "monthly": 187, "total": 67320 } }, "actions": [{ "offers": [ { "rank": 1, "credit_union_name": "Navy Federal Credit Union", "apr": 6.125, "monthly_payment": 3038, "estimated_monthly_savings": 187 }, // ... more offers ] }]}Built for Rate Comparison
Instant Market Benchmarking
One API call returns ranked recommendations by true cost—APR, points, and fees. Show users exactly where their quote stands against the entire market.
4,300+ Credit Union Coverage
Access rates from institutions most users never discover. Credit unions often offer rates 0.5-1% below big banks.
Transparent Savings Calculations
Every recommendation includes monthly payment and total interest savings. Users see real dollar impact, not abstract rate differences.
Always Current Data
Daily updates via automated scraping. Every rate includes a timestamp so users know exactly when it was observed.
True Cost Ranking
Lower advertised rates sometimes rank below higher ones when fees make them more expensive. We rank by what users will actually pay, not headline APR.
Who Uses Rate Comparison APIs
Real Estate Platforms
Show estimated monthly payments with live rates next to property listings.
Mortgage Brokers
Give clients transparent market data to build trust and close deals faster.
Financial Advisors
Help clients optimize their largest liability with data-driven recommendations.
Data You Can Trust
Zero Affiliate Relationships
Zero affiliate relationships means zero incentive to promote specific lenders. We rank purely by what's best for users.
Source URL Verification
Every rate links back to the original source page. Users can verify any data point themselves.
Published Methodology
Our data collection and normalization process is fully documented. No black boxes.
No Lead Selling
We never sell user data or inquiries to lenders. Your users' privacy stays protected.
Explore Rates in the Live CLI Demo
Run our rate explorer locally to see exactly what data is available. Filter by state, product type, and see ranked recommendations instantly.
# Clone and run the rate explorer demogit clone https://github.com/rate-api/demoscd demos/rate-explorernpm installnode rate-explorer.js --state CA --amount 500000Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about rate shopping with RateAPI
How does the decisions endpoint work?
The decisions endpoint accepts a user's current offer (rate, APR, state, loan amount) and returns ranked alternatives from 4,300+ credit unions. It calculates where the current offer ranks, estimates potential savings, and provides actionable recommendations. One API call replaces manual comparison across thousands of lender websites.
What data do I need to compare rates?
To compare rates, you need the user's state (2-letter code), loan amount, loan intent (purchase or refinance), and optionally their current quoted rate and APR. The API uses this context to return relevant offers ranked by true cost, including monthly payment and total interest savings calculations.
How are savings calculated?
Savings are calculated by comparing the user's current offer against better alternatives. The API computes monthly payment differences and total interest savings over the loan term. For example, a 0.5% rate reduction on a $500,000 loan can save over $50,000 in total interest over 30 years.
Why is RateAPI different from affiliate rate sites?
Unlike affiliate sites that rank by advertising revenue, RateAPI ranks offers by true cost—APR, points, and fees combined. We have zero affiliate relationships, so there's no incentive to promote specific lenders. Results reflect what's genuinely best for users, not who paid the most for placement.
How fresh is the rate data?
Rate data is updated daily through automated scraping of 4,300+ credit union websites. Every rate includes a timestamp showing when it was last observed. This ensures users see current market conditions, not stale data from weeks or months ago.
Ready to Add Rate Comparison to Your App?
Get your API key in seconds. Free tier includes 20 requests/month (or 50 with email). No signup form, no sales calls.