Overview
The U.S. economic environment has turned 180 degrees since the recession ended. In 2009, credit card issuers were awash with delinquent accounts and struggling to scale their collections operations to meet an exploding need. Today, the delinquency rates on credit card balances are at an all-time low and continue to trend lower. The regulatory environment has also changed considerably since the financial crisis. And recent guidance from multiple regulatory agencies regarding how financial institutions should manage vendor risk is also influencing creditors’ collection strategies.
“The context for credit card collections has changed considerably over the last five years, but it isn’t necessarily any closer to normal,” comments Michael Misasi, Senior Analyst, Credit Advisory Service at Mercator Advisory Group and the author of the Note. “The industry pendulum has swung from one extreme to the other. The only comparison we might make is that creditors and the technology providers that serve them are still waiting for a sustainable environment.”
This report contains 15 pages and 3 figures.
Companies mentioned in this report include: ACI, CMC, CGI, FICO, SAS
Members of Mercator Advisory Group’s Credit Advisory Service have access to these reports as well as the upcoming research for the year ahead, presentations, analyst access, and other membership benefits.
One of the exhibits included in this report:

Highlights of the report include:
- A discussion of historical and ongoing compliance challenges facing first-party creditors
- An analysis of key competitive considerations such as self-service options, and customer service issues
- A review of 5 leading providers of credit card collection platforms and tools
- Mercator Advisory Group’s expectations for future shifts in banks’ collection strategies
Book a Meeting with the Author
Related content
Evolutions in Secured Cards: Not Ready for Traditional Lenders
An emerging fintech payment card is a variation of the long-established secured credit card, with a significant twist. Instead of requiring a credit-challenged consumer with a weak...
Honor All Cards: The U.S. Credit Card Model Takes a Hit
The Honor All Cards principle—that any merchant with a Visa and/or Mastercard sticker in the window accepts all card products on those networks—could be undermined by a recent sett...
2026 Credit Payments Trends
The U.S. credit card market is healthy and strong, but performances among banks diverge along size lines. Large issuers have been able to better curate their customers through acqu...
Make informed decisions in a digital financial world