Credit Card Market Update: The Future Brightens for U.S. Issuers

For the last several years, credit card issuers in the United States have experienced a paradox—strong growth in purchase volumes despite declining accounts on file and declining outstanding balances. Mixed performance metrics are finally starting to converge though, and 2014 is shaping up to be a strong year for general purpose and private label portfolios. Innovation is occurring within several familiar credit products. Even seemingly forgotten ones such as charge cards and secured cards are performing well.

Mercator Advisory Group’s research note, Credit Card Market Update: The Future Brightens for U.S. Issuers, provides the Credit Advisory Service’s assessment of the credit issuing business in 2014, noting key product strategies for credit issuers and networks.

“Issuers should feel pretty good heading into 2015," comments Michael Misasi, Senior Analyst, Credit Advisory Service at Mercator Advisory Group and author of the research note. “Not only have industry performance metrics shown signs of acceleration, but a few concerning strategic issues have also abated in 2014.”

This research note contains 10 pages and 5 figures.

Companies mentioned in this note include: American Express, Bank of America, Capital One, Citibank, Discover, Fifth Third, JPMorgan Chase, MasterCard, PNC, US Bank, Visa, and Wells Fargo.

Members of Mercator Advisory Group’s Credit Advisory Service have access to this research note as well as the upcoming research for the year ahead, presentations, analyst access, and other membership benefits.