Consumer Reports Adds BillShrink's Recommendations

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BillShrink has landed a partnership and integration with Consumer Reports, which could signal more growth for the start-up.

Consumer Reports, known for its comprehensive reviews of products from refrigerators to lawnmowers, was looking to add reviews of services as well--and decided to go with BillShrink.

Now Consumer Reports' website will provide all of BillShrink's analysis of services, including cell phone plans, credit cards, gas station prices and television service, in a co-branded service.

"We see this as being the biggest validation," said Schwark Satyavolu, CEO and co-founder of BillShrink. "This is definitely going to put us in the context of the gold standard of product recommendations."

Where there is a product that Consumer Reports is reviewing that has a related service that BillShrink covers, BillShrink's content will be integrated. For example, a television that is reviewed by Consumer Reports would have a link to BillShrink analysis of television (cable or satellite) service.

The companies are doing the partnership on a revenue share basis. BillShrink makes money when a customer uses one of its recommendations and purchases a service. So Consumer Reports will take a cut of revenue that BillShrink generates on their co-branded service.

BillShrink, which is backed by $10 million from Bessemer Venture Partners and Trinity Ventures, is also prepping to launch its new StatementRewards service. This service, which is in testing and slated to roll out within a couple months, is designed as a kind of highly customized version of Groupon.

BillShrink will launch with about 2,000 community banks, serving 7 million people. Banks will give customers the option of signing up for the service. If they do, they will get customized deals offered to them directly in their online bank statement. For example, if a person buys at Lowe's, he will get a notice next to the transaction that he is being offered a deal at Home Depot.

"We're taking the good part of the entire deal space and making it a lot more useful on a personal level," Satyavolu said. "We're making sure you see things that are interesting or relevant to you."

