While interest rates in the United States declined three times by late 2024, average credit card interest rates did not immediately follow suit. This reveals itself when comparing the Federal Reserve interest rate against the APR, or annual percentage rates, of credit cards issued by commercial banks. The APR reached a record high in the country in 2024, likely adding to the growing credit card debt in the United States. This was below the APR of credit cards in a country like Brazil, however. It is expected that the credit card interest rates will continue to need time to catch up with the Fed interest rate.

Commercial bank interest rates on credit card plans in the United States were over *** percent higher in early 2025 than in the same period in 2022. In February 2025, the interest amount on credit card plans amounted to ***** percent. Alongside this development, the overall amount of credit card debt in the U.S. reached an all-time high in Q4 2023. Credit cards are considered one of the most common ways to pay in the United States, so potential changes on credit card debt are closely tied to both the inflation figure and central bank interest rate of the country.

Graph and download economic data for Commercial Bank Interest Rate on Credit Card Plans, Accounts Assessed Interest (TERMCBCCINTNS) from Nov 1994 to May 2025 about consumer credit, credit cards, loans, consumer, interest rate, banks, interest, depository institutions, rate, and USA.

The interest rate for credit cards in the UK grew to an all-time high in May 2025, even though the base rate for the Bank of England grew at a slower pace that month. Credit card interest rates tend to be significantly higher than other forms of lending, and the United Kingdom is no exception to this. By May 2025, the average interest rate had increased to ***** percent. The Bank of England base rate stood at **** percent since April 2025 – which was not yet the highest value observed. Nevertheless, the central bank's interest rate grew slower than that of credit cards.

Credit card debt in the United States has been growing at a fast pace between 2021 and 2025. In the fourth quarter of 2024, the overall amount of credit card debt reached its highest value throughout the timeline considered here. COVID-19 had a big impact on the indebtedness of Americans, as credit card debt decreased from *** billion U.S. dollars in the last quarter of 2019 to *** billion U.S. dollars in the first quarter of 2021. What portion of Americans use credit cards? A substantial portion of Americans had at least one credit card in 2025. That year, the penetration rate of credit cards in the United States was ** percent. This number increased by nearly seven percentage points since 2014. The primary factors behind the high utilization of credit cards in the United States are a prevalent culture of convenience, a wide range of reward schemes, and consumer preferences for postponed payments. Which companies dominate the credit card issuing market? In 2024, the leading credit card issuers in the U.S. by volume were JPMorgan Chase & Co. and American Express. Both firms recorded transactions worth over one trillion U.S. dollars that year. Citi and Capital One were the next banks in that ranking, with the transactions made with their credit cards amounting to over half a trillion U.S. dollars that year. Those industry giants, along with other prominent brand names in the industry such as Bank of America, Synchrony Financial, Wells Fargo, and others, dominate the credit card market. Due to their extensive customer base, appealing rewards, and competitive offerings, they have gained a significant market share, making them the preferred choice for consumers.

Graph and download economic data for Delinquency Rate on Credit Card Loans, All Commercial Banks (DRCCLACBS) from Q1 1991 to Q1 2025 about credit cards, delinquencies, commercial, loans, banks, depository institutions, rate, and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Charge-Off Rate on Credit Card Loans, All Commercial Banks (CORCCACBN) from Q1 1985 to Q1 2025 about charge-offs, credit cards, commercial, loans, banks, depository institutions, rate, and USA.

Credit Card Payment Market Outlook

The global credit card payment market size was valued at approximately USD 3.4 trillion in 2023, and it is projected to reach around USD 5.9 trillion by 2032, expanding at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.4% during the forecast period. This remarkable growth can be attributed to the increasing adoption of credit cards as a preferred payment method across various sectors, driven by factors such as the convenience they offer, reward schemes, and the expanding e-commerce market. The surge in online shopping, coupled with the need for seamless and secure transactions, is significantly fueling the demand for credit card payments globally.

One of the primary growth factors driving the credit card payment market is the proliferation of the internet and smartphones, which has revolutionized the way consumers shop and pay for goods and services. The widespread availability of high-speed internet and the penetration of smartphones have made online shopping more accessible, leading to an increase in online transactions. Credit cards, with their robust security features and ease of use, have become the preferred payment method for online purchases, contributing to the market's growth.

Another significant factor contributing to the growth of the credit card payment market is the attractive rewards and loyalty programs offered by credit card issuers. These programs provide incentives such as cashback, travel miles, and discounts on purchases, encouraging consumers to use their credit cards more frequently. The competition among credit card issuers to offer the best rewards has intensified, leading to innovative and lucrative offers that appeal to a broad spectrum of consumers, thereby driving market growth.

Credit Settlement plays a crucial role in the credit card payment ecosystem, ensuring that transactions between merchants and cardholders are processed smoothly and efficiently. This process involves the reconciliation of payments, where the merchant receives the funds from the cardholder's bank, minus any fees charged by the credit card issuer or payment processor. Effective credit settlement mechanisms are essential for maintaining trust in the payment system, as they guarantee that merchants receive their due payments promptly. As the volume of credit card transactions continues to rise, advancements in credit settlement technologies and processes are being developed to enhance speed, accuracy, and security, further supporting the growth of the credit card payment market.

The increasing urbanization and rising disposable incomes in emerging economies are also playing a crucial role in the expansion of the credit card payment market. As more people move to urban areas and their incomes rise, their spending patterns change, leading to an increased demand for credit cards. Credit cards offer a convenient way to manage finances, especially in scenarios where immediate funds are required, making them an essential financial tool for many consumers in these regions.

Regionally, North America holds a significant share of the credit card payment market, driven by the high adoption rates of credit cards among consumers and the presence of leading credit card issuers. The region's well-established financial infrastructure and the early adoption of technological advancements in payment systems contribute to its dominance. However, the Asia Pacific region is expected to witness the highest growth rate during the forecast period, owing to the rapid economic development, increasing digitization, and the rising middle-class population in countries such as China and India. The growing acceptance of cashless transactions and government initiatives to promote digital payments are further propelling the market in this region.

Card Type Analysis

The credit card payment market can be segmented by card type into standard credit cards, premium credit cards, business credit cards, secured credit cards, and others. Standard credit cards are the most commonly used type and are typically offered to consumers with average credit scores. These cards often come with basic features such as a credit limit, interest rates, and in some cases, a rewards program. The widespread use of standard credit cards is attributed to their accessibility and the basic financial management tools they offer, making them a popular choice among consumers.

Premium credit cards, on the other hand, are targeted a

Delinquency rates for credit cards picked up in 2025 in the United States, leading to the highest rates observed since 2008. This is according to a collection of one of the United States' federal banks across all commercial banks. The high delinquency rates were joined by the highest U.S. credit card charge-off rates since the Financial Crisis of 2008. Delinquency rates, or the share of credit card loans overdue a payment for more than ** days, can sometimes lead into charge-off, or a writing off the loan, after about six to 12 months. These figures on the share of credit card balances that are overdue developed significantly between 2021 and 2025: Delinquencies were at their lowest point in 2021 but increased to one of their highest points by 2025. This is reflected in the growing credit card debt in the United States, which reached an all-time high in 2023.

Peru Number of Credit Cards: Consumption data was reported at 6,506,335.000 Unit in Feb 2025. This records an increase from the previous number of 6,489,574.000 Unit for Jan 2025. Peru Number of Credit Cards: Consumption data is updated monthly, averaging 6,536,391.000 Unit from Sep 2018 (Median) to Feb 2025, with 78 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 6,999,206.000 Unit in Feb 2023 and a record low of 5,896,694.000 Unit in Apr 2021. Peru Number of Credit Cards: Consumption data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Association of Banks of Peru. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Peru – Table PE.KA015: Number of Credit Cards.

Graph and download economic data for Consumer Loans: Credit Cards and Other Revolving Plans, All Commercial Banks (CCLACBW027SBOG) from 2000-06-28 to 2025-07-09 about revolving, credit cards, loans, consumer, banks, depository institutions, and USA.

Despite considerable rebounds in economic conditions following the pandemic and the continued adoption of credit cards across downstream consumers’ financial arsenal, credit bureaus and collection agencies struggled amid high interest rates and rising competition. To combat the inflationary spikes that took place post-pandemic, the European Central Bank (ECB) raised key interest rate levels to as high as 4.75% in September 2023, creating a cascade effect where credit card interest rates also spiked across France. Amid higher credit card interest rates, consumers began to cut back on discretionary spending, dampening demand for frequent credit monitoring services and significantly curtailing growth. The rapid digitalisation of the financial industry, fuelled by advances in artificial intelligence (AI), accelerated automation and enabled sector-oriented companies to adopt their in-house technology for collecting late payments. This forced collection agencies to invest larger amounts of capital into their digital infrastructure, constraining profit and expediting change in how late payments are collected. Revenue is expected to fall at a compound annual rate of 3.6% to an estimated €673.6 million through the end of 2025, including an anticipated 11.35% decline in 2025 alone fuelled by in-house competition. Automation has been a key factor in change across credit bureaus and collection agencies’ workflows. As more consumers continue to embrace online banking and credit cards as part of their lifestyle, credit bureaus have been forced to adapt how they provide credit monitoring services and expand the inclusivity of their credit measurement services. Online mobile applications like CreditSafe have allowed credit bureaus with economies of scale to expand their sphere of influence by pivoting to digital servicing and being able to gain a more accurate picture of the average client’s finances. Moving forward, credit bureaus and collection agencies face a shaky future due to higher competition and gradual economic stabilisation. As household debt continues to fall, positive household finances also constrain the amount of debt within the French economy, lowering the need for portfolio-acquisition services and pushing collection agencies to focus on corporate clients that face bankruptcy. Even as innovation in new technologies like blockchain will offer a streamlined way of gathering and storing client data, revenue is expected to fall at a compound annual rate of 1.1% to an estimated €638.6 million through the end of 2030.

A revolving credit card in Brazil had an average of APR that was over *** percent, as the country dealt with inflation and a lack of credit card regulation. This is according to information from the country's central bank, which tracked the Annual Percentage Rate or APR for both installment credit cards and revolving credit cards. The interest rates in Brazil are sizable: Out of 63 regulated institutions that deal with credit cards in the country, only ***** had an APR that was below 100 percent. This 100 percent is part of a proposal in late 2023 to impose of a maximum interest rate. Credit cards long ranked as Brazil's most popular payment method for online shopping.

Graph and download economic data for Finance Rate on Personal Loans at Commercial Banks, 24 Month Loan (TERMCBPER24NS) from Feb 1972 to May 2025 about financing, consumer credit, loans, personal, consumer, interest rate, banks, interest, depository institutions, rate, and USA.

Key information about China Household Debt

• China Household Debt reached 11,498.4 USD bn in Jan 2025, compared with the reported number of 11,347.6 USD bn in the previous month
• China Household Debt: USD mn data is updated monthly, available from Jan 2007 to Jan 2025
• The data reached an all-time high of 11,691.0 USD bn in Sep 2024 and a record low of 517.7 USD bn in Jan 2007

CEIC converts monthly Household Debt into USD. The People's Bank of China provides Household Debt in local currency. The Federal Reserve Board period end market exchange rate is used for currency conversions. Loans are used due to the lack of Flow of Funds statistics.


Further information about China Household Debt

• In the latest reports, China Household Debt accounted for 63.3 % of the country's Nominal GDP in Mar 2023
• Money Supply M2 in China increased 44,045.8 USD bn YoY in Sep 2024
• China Foreign Exchange Reserves was measured at 3,209.0 USD bn in Jan 2025
• The Foreign Exchange Reserves equaled 13.9 Months of Import in Dec 2024
• China Domestic Credit reached 49,338.1 USD bn in Jan 2025, representing an increased of 7.9 % YoY

Key information about Czech Republic Bank Lending Rate

• Czech Republic Bank Lending Rate was reported at 5.674 % pa in Jan 2025.
• This records a decrease from the previous number of 5.748 % pa for Dec 2024.
• Czech Republic Bank Lending Rate data is updated monthly, averaging 3.227 % pa from Jan 2004 to Jan 2025, with 253 observations.
• The data reached an all-time high of 9.094 % pa in Oct 2022 and a record low of 1.341 % pa in Jun 2021.
• Czech Republic Bank Lending Rate data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by CEIC Data.
• The data is categorized under World Trend Plus’s Global Economic Monitor – Table: Bank Lending Rate: Monthly.

Czech National Bank provides monthly Bank Lending Rate. Bank Lending Rate is defined as lending rate for Non Financial Corporations of New Business excluding the Overdraft, Credit Card and Revolving loans.

Graph and download economic data for Household Debt Service Payments as a Percent of Disposable Personal Income (TDSP) from Q1 1980 to Q1 2025 about disposable, payments, debt, personal income, percent, personal, households, services, income, and USA.

The average energy consumption for one single Bitcoin transaction in 2025 could equal several hundreds of thousands of VISA card transactions. This according to a source that tries to estimate the energy consumption of both Bitcoin (BTC) over time. It does so by estimating how much income miners possibly spend on electricity, as there is no institution that tracks how much energy the cryptocurrency actually consumes. This also applies to which countries mine the most Bitcoin, as this is estimated by cross referencing IP addresses. A matter of design: why Bitcoin consumes so much energy Of all the 21 million Bitcoins that can exist at the same time, nearly 90 percent was already mined in mid-2021. This, however, does not necessarily mean that the Bitcoin supply is running out as the last Bitcoin was forecast to be mined around the year 2140. This is a design choice in the cryptocurrency: The closer Bitcoin gets to its supply limits, the computing power – and therefore energy - needed to mine goes up incrementally. The BTC mining difficulty or amount of computing power being applied to mine Bitcoin reflects that: Bitcoin mining in, say, 2014 – when there were less Bitcoin in circulation - was easier and less energy consuming than in 2021. By then, there were significantly more coins in circulation and the cryptocurrency’s design essentially tries to halt the creation of more. China’s doubts on whether Bitcoin is green Over the course of 2021, the price of Bitcoin was over 60,000 U.S. dollars but by the summer only half of that amount remained. This was partially caused by China’s Financial Stability and Development Committee trying to curb domestic crypto mining since May 2021 – which led some to doubt whether there was a future for the cryptocurrency. China’s efforts are said to have been triggered due to remote mining farms demanding so much electricity that idle coal mines were restarted without government approval. Whilst this was never confirmed, China is generally seen as the most coal consuming country in the world.

In the first quarter of 2025, roughly **** percent of all consumer loans at commercial banks in the United States were delinquent. The delinquency rate on this type of credit has been rising again since 2021. Loans are delinquent when the borrower does not pay their obligations on time. One of the reasons for the delinquency rate decreasing during the first years of the COVID-19 pandemic was that the personal saving rate in the U.S. soared during that period. What is the trend in consumer credit levels in the United States? Consumer credit refers to the various types of loans and credit extended to individuals for personal use, often to fund everyday purchases or larger expenses. When credit levels rise, it often signals that consumers are more confident in their ability to manage debt and make future payments. After a period of strong growth between 2021 and early 2023, consumer credit in the United States has been growing at a slower pace. By early 2024, consumer credit levels reached over **** trillion U.S. dollars. What is the main channel for acquiring consumer credit? In 2024, the leading type of consumer credit among consumers in the U.S. was credit card bills. Credit card usage in the North American country was substantial and credit card penetration was expected to reach over **** percent by 2029. Car loans ranked next as a common source of consumer credit, while other types of debt, such as medical bills, home equity lines of credit, and personal educational loans, had lower percentages.