The Credit Card Statistics provide data in relation to monthly credit card transactions. A breakdown of the number of credit cards issued to Irish residents is also provided.

The market size for credit cards in the United States grew by over *** percent between 2022 and 2023, a continuation of previous years. This according to estimates from on the value of transactions conducted with cards with a credit function. Credit cards are the most popular payment method available in the country for several years in a row, with a market share that slightly increased during the first year of COVID-19. The United States' credit card penetration is forecast to reach more than ** percent come 2025.

Credit Card Transaction: Quarterly: Volume data was reported at 9,502.716 Unit mn in Jun 2022. This records an increase from the previous number of 9,301.651 Unit mn for Mar 2022. Credit Card Transaction: Quarterly: Volume data is updated quarterly, averaging 6,627.430 Unit mn from Mar 2019 (Median) to Jun 2022, with 14 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 9,502.716 Unit mn in Jun 2022 and a record low of 4,705.638 Unit mn in Jun 2020. Credit Card Transaction: Quarterly: Volume data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Central Bank of Brazil. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Brazil – Table BR.KAA001: Credit Card Statistics.

Daily Card Payments by Irish Households. A subset of the monthly Card Payment Statistics. The onset of the Covid-19 pandemic created the need for timely, high-frequency data, such as the Daily Credit and Debit Card Statistics, to better understand the impact of the pandemic on personal expenditure and economic activity. This high-frequency daily Credit and Debit Data captures expenditure of euro-denominated credit and debit cards issued to Irish residents. The dataset consists of total daily debit and credit card spending and ATM withdrawals, while from 1 October 2020, expenditure in a number of key sectors of the economy, and a split of online and in-store spending is also available.

About one out of four of all Mastercard credit cards issued worldwide were found within the United States, as of the first quarter of 2025. The value inside the U.S. grew noticeably over the past few years. By mid-2023, the number of credit cards issued in the United States grew by more than ** million when compared to the same period in 2022. Compared to Visa credit cards, Mastercard is issued relatively more often outside the U.S. than inside the country. Mastercard in the United States A sizable share of Americans use Mastercard credit cards regularly. Mastercard and Visa dominate the purchase card market, both in the United States and worldwide. Other leading credit card companies are Chase, American Express and Discovery. Credit card market One way that credit card companies earn money is by collecting a fee. These fees include interest on balances and transaction fees, both of which depend on the number of purchase transactions.

Introduction

Credit Card Statistics: A credit card is a widely used financial tool that allows consumers to make purchases or withdraw cash on credit, accruing debt to be repaid later. As of Q4 2024, Americans held approximately USD 1.21 trillion in credit card debt, marking a 4% increase from the previous year. The average credit card balance per consumer reached USD 6,730, up by 3.5% from 2023.

In the same period, the number of credit card accounts in the U.S. rose to about 617 million. Globally, Visa and Mastercard have approximately 1.3 billion and 1.1 billion credit cards in circulation, respectively. Credit cards accounted for 32% of all payment transactions in 2023, reflecting their significant role in consumer spending. However, 22% of credit card users make only minimum payments, indicating potential financial strain. Additionally, credit card delinquency rates rose to 3.6% in Q4 2024, highlighting challenges in debt repayment. These statistics underscore the importance of responsible credit card usage and financial management.

Credit cards also allow customers to build a debt balance that is related to the interest being charged. Let’s shed more light on “Credit Card Statistics†through this article.

Canada was one of three countries worldwide in 2021, where credit card ownership among consumers 15 years and up was over ** percent. This according to a major survey held once every three years in over 140 different countries. The results highlight the major differences in how countries prefer to pay: In Europe, for instance, the Nordics, Luxembourg, and the United Kingdom are regarded as top credit card countries, whereas the Netherlands ranked significantly lower than all these countries. Credit card usage Cardholders use their credit cards for billions of purchase transactions per year. Some do this to avoid carrying cash around, while others carry out transactions. Many also use credit cards because they do not have to pay immediately. While this can help with monthly cash flow issues, it can also lead to credit card debt that can take years to pay off. Regional differences in credit cards Some counties have a culture of credit card usage. For example, the leading credit card companies in the United States have issued hundreds of millions of credit cards, more than the number of U.S. citizens. Other countries do not have the culture of non-cash transactions. Overcoming this requires both an investment in payment infrastructure and putting people in the habit of using cards instead of cash.

Credit Card: Domestic Banks: Commission: Transaction data was reported at 2,933.000 NTD mn in Sep 2018. This records a decrease from the previous number of 3,130.000 NTD mn for Aug 2018. Credit Card: Domestic Banks: Commission: Transaction data is updated monthly, averaging 1,754.000 NTD mn from Jun 2004 (Median) to Sep 2018, with 172 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 3,130.000 NTD mn in Aug 2018 and a record low of 870.820 NTD mn in Feb 2007. Credit Card: Domestic Banks: Commission: Transaction data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Banking Bureau, Financial Supervisory Commission. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Taiwan – Table TW.KA027: Credit Card Statistics.

No. of Active Credit Cards: by Brand: Visa data was reported at 1,376,258.000 Unit in May 2024. This records a decrease from the previous number of 1,377,289.000 Unit for Apr 2024. No. of Active Credit Cards: by Brand: Visa data is updated monthly, averaging 1,073,697.000 Unit from Jan 2021 (Median) to May 2024, with 41 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 1,377,289.000 Unit in Apr 2024 and a record low of 850,942.000 Unit in May 2021. No. of Active Credit Cards: by Brand: Visa data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Superintendency of Banks. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Ecuador – Table EC.KA012: Active Credit Cards Statistics.

No. of Credit Cards: by Classification: Small & Medium Enterprise data was reported at 4,059.000 Unit in Apr 2019. This records an increase from the previous number of 3,959.000 Unit for Mar 2019. No. of Credit Cards: by Classification: Small & Medium Enterprise data is updated monthly, averaging 3,286.500 Unit from Jan 2018 (Median) to Apr 2019, with 16 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 4,059.000 Unit in Apr 2019 and a record low of 2,528.000 Unit in Jan 2018. No. of Credit Cards: by Classification: Small & Medium Enterprise data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Superintendence of Banks. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Ecuador – Table EC.KA011: Credit Cards Statistics.

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.

A year before Covid-19 reached the United States, the number of credit cards was already declining. In 2019, there were over three times more credit cards in the USA debit cards - although the latter continued to increase in 2019 whereas credit cards did not. In 2019, Visa was the biggest credit card brand across the nation with over *** million cards issued. Credit cards in the U.S. The credit card industry is a major business in the United States. By 2014, the number of credit cards in the country was estimated to exceed *** billion. The number of credit card accounts registered a peak in the fourth quarter of 2016, with around *** million credit card accounts owned in the United States as of that time. In terms of credit available on credit cards, the industry reported the highest figure to date in the fourth quarter of 2017, amounting to **** trillion U.S. dollars. Visa in the U.S. Visa is the most popular credit card company in the U.S., both in terms of cards issued and purchase volume. Visa issued approximately *** million credit cards in 2010. The purchase volume of the Visa credit cards amounted to *** billion U.S. dollars in the same year. In comparison, there were about *** million MasterCard credit cards in circulation in the U.S. in 2010 with their purchase volume amounting to *** billion U.S. dollars in the same year.

The Credit Cards Market is Segmented by Application (Food and Groceries, Health and Pharmacy, and More), by Card Type (General Purpose Credit Cards, Specialty and Other Credit Cards), by Card Format (Physical, Digital), by Provider (Visa, Mastercard, Other Providers) and by Geography (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa, and More). The Market Forecasts are Provided in Terms of Value (USD).

No. of Active Credit Cards: by Type of Card: Personal data was reported at 3,031,521.000 Unit in May 2024. This records a decrease from the previous number of 3,045,993.000 Unit for Apr 2024. No. of Active Credit Cards: by Type of Card: Personal data is updated monthly, averaging 2,576,194.000 Unit from Jan 2021 (Median) to May 2024, with 41 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 3,045,993.000 Unit in Apr 2024 and a record low of 2,100,511.000 Unit in Jan 2021. No. of Active Credit Cards: by Type of Card: Personal data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Superintendency of Banks. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Ecuador – Table EC.KA012: Active Credit Cards Statistics.

Daily, weekly and monthly data showing seasonally adjusted and non-seasonally adjusted UK spending using debit and credit cards. These are official statistics in development. Source: CHAPS, Bank of England.

Statistical data on the number of credit cards in circulation, amount of credit card transactions, cash advances, and revolving credit amounts.

No. of Active Credit Cards: by Brand: Mastercard data was reported at 904,794.000 Unit in May 2024. This records a decrease from the previous number of 923,449.000 Unit for Apr 2024. No. of Active Credit Cards: by Brand: Mastercard data is updated monthly, averaging 752,867.000 Unit from Jan 2021 (Median) to May 2024, with 41 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 923,449.000 Unit in Apr 2024 and a record low of 633,369.000 Unit in May 2021. No. of Active Credit Cards: by Brand: Mastercard data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Superintendency of Banks. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Ecuador – Table EC.KA012: Active Credit Cards Statistics.

The Rewards-based Credit Card market has evolved significantly over the past few decades, emerging as a dynamic segment within the broader financial services industry. With a growing consumer preference for value-added benefits, these credit cards offer an enticing array of rewards, from cash back and travel points

Credit Card Payments Data is provided by Card Issuers and contain statistics on number of cards, transactions, payments and outstanding value

Visa's reported number of accounts that hold a credit card in late 2024 saw its biggest growth increase since 2017. In the fourth quarter of 2024, account figures grew by over **** percent when compared to the same quarter one year before. It is believed that credit cards have increasingly become popular to counter cost of living in countries like the United States. That said, year-on-year growth figures were not as high as in 2016 and 2017. This, however, may be attributed to the inclusion of "Europe" in Visa's data reporting.