Consumers are becoming increasingly confident about applying for credit cards online but still shy away from buying mortgages over the internet.

A report by moneysupermarket.com, an independent web site on which people can compare and buy financial products from different prov-iders, said 72 per cent of people who visited its credit card site made an online application, compared to just three per cent who looked at mortgages.

Chief executive Simon Nixon said: "The appetite for financial information is huge. Consumers are logging on in their masses to research mortgages, credit cards and personal loans.

"However, online purchasing confidence is obviously effected by the big ticket nature of the products they are researching and, at the moment, consumers are far more likely to apply for a credit card online than a mortgage."

During the first quarter, the number of online mortgage applications made through moneysupermarket.com fell by two per cent, with only three per cent of all people looking at mortgage rates on the site applying for a loan online, despite a 49 per cent increase in the number of people looking up rates.

By contrast, the group had a 20 per cent increase in credit card applications made over the internet, with 72 per cent of people visiting its credit card channel applying for a card online.

The channel was the most visited section of the web site, which the group puts down to people wanting better rates on their credit cards following increased spending in the run up to Christmas.

Loan applications increas-ed, jumping 16 per cent, with just under one in four people who looked at loan rates on the site going on to make an application.

The group found consumers who looked up mortgage rates online were more influenced by good rates than the brand name of the group offering them.

The most popular mortgage product was from Northern Rock, followed by Woolwich Open Plan and Bank of Ireland mortgages.

By contrast, popular High Street providers such as Halifax and Nationwide were only the eighth and 25th most looked at products.

Mr Nixon said: "The figures demonstrate mortgage rates are the main driver for inquiries from consumers online and brand awareness is of little consequence on the web."

The situation with credit cards was similar, with the Egg/Boots Advantage Card attracting the largest number of online inquiries, followed by Cahoot and Capital One.

More established brands, such as Barclaycard and American Express, ranked 16th and 14th, respectively.

More than 136,000 people visited the web site during the first three months of the year, a 49 per cent increase on the last quarter of 2000.