Credit Card Statistics 2026
This page collects 52 figures on U.S. credit cards: how much people owe, who carries a balance, what cards cost in interest, how many borrowers fall behind, how lenders are extending credit, and how cards are used to pay and earn rewards. A few comparison figures cover the UK. Sources include the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, the Federal Reserve Board (the G.19 consumer credit release and the Survey of Household Economics and Decisionmaking), the Federal Reserve Banks of Philadelphia and St. Louis, the CFPB, TransUnion, Experian, Bankrate, Pew Research Center, Federal Reserve Financial Services, the Bank of England, American Express and JPMorgan Chase. Most figures describe 2025 and 2026, and each one is labeled with the year it describes.
By the HearSmart research desk · Updated November 13, 2026 · 52 numbers drawn from 17 publishers and reports
57 of 57 quotes matched to the publisher's page by our checker on November 13, 2026
Short answer
Americans owe a record $1.29 trillion on credit cards, according to the New York Fed's third-quarter 2026 data, and the average card rate is 19.71% in Bankrate's November 2026 reading (21.19% on all accounts in the Federal Reserve's G.19 survey). About half of cardholders carry a balance: 45% in the Federal Reserve's 2025 survey and 47% in Bankrate's. Delinquency is easing, with 6.87% of card balances moving into serious delinquency over the past year, down from 7.05%, and credit cards are now the most used payment method at 34% of payments (Pew Research Center).
Headline numbers
- $1.29 trillionU.S. credit card balances reached $1.29 trillion at the end of September 2026, after rising $22 billion in the third quarter, according to the New York Fed.Federal Reserve Bank of New York
- 19.71%The average U.S. credit card interest rate was 19.71% in Bankrate's November 4, 2026 reading, based on popular cards from the largest issuers.Bankrate
- 21.19%The average interest rate on all U.S. credit card plan accounts at commercial banks was 21.19% in the third quarter of 2026, according to the Federal Reserve's G.19 release.Federal Reserve Board
- 45%45% of U.S. credit card owners carried a balance at least once in the 12 months before the Federal Reserve's late 2025 survey, down 12 percentage points over a decade.Federal Reserve Board
- 61%61% of Americans with credit card debt had been in debt for at least a year in Bankrate's 2026 survey, up from 53% in late 2024.Bankrate
- 6.87%An annualized 6.87% of U.S. credit card balances moved into serious delinquency (90 days or more late) in the third quarter of 2026, down from 7.05% a year earlier, per the New York Fed.Federal Reserve Bank of New York
- 42.3%42.3% of new U.S. credit card accounts in the third quarter of 2026 went to borrowers with below-prime scores (VantageScore 660 or lower), up from 40.6% a year earlier, per TransUnion.TransUnion
- 34%Credit cards made up 34% of U.S. consumer payments in 2025, the largest share of any method, according to Pew Research Center's analysis of Federal Reserve diary data.Pew Research Center
Reading the numbers
Credit card debt keeps setting records, but slowly. The New York Fed counted $1.29 trillion in card balances at the end of September 2026, up $52 billion in a year, and the Federal Reserve's G.19 put revolving credit at $1,368.5 billion, growing at a 4.1% annual rate. Per person the picture is flat: Experian's average balance rose just 0.6% to $6,659 and utilization held at 28.3%. The Philadelphia Fed adds that revolving balances at large banks grew only 1.5% in a year, so more of the growth is spending that gets paid off.
Carrying a balance is common and expensive. The Federal Reserve's 2025 survey found 45% of card owners carried a balance at some point in the prior year, and Bankrate found 47% doing so in December 2025, with 61% of those debtors owing for a year or more. Rates stay near record highs: 19.71% in Bankrate's advertised-rate average, 21.19% on all accounts and 22.36% on interest-charged accounts in the G.19, and 25.2% on general purpose cards in the CFPB's balance-weighted 2024 data. The CFPB counted $160 billion in interest charges in 2024, up from $105 billion in 2022.
Delinquency is improving from its 2024 peak. The New York Fed's flow into serious card delinquency fell to 6.87% from 7.05%, TransUnion's balance-level 90-day rate dropped to 1.99%, and JPMorgan's card net charge-off rate was 2.91%. One caution: TransUnion's borrower-level rate rose to 2.50%, and lenders are lending to riskier borrowers again, with 42.3% of new card accounts going to below-prime consumers at TransUnion and 18.5% below a 660 score at large banks per the Philadelphia Fed.
Cards are also the main way Americans pay. Pew Research Center found credit cards made up 34% of payments in 2025, up from 18% in 2015, and the average credit card purchase was $80. Rewards keep spending on cards: American Express billed business grew 8% in the third quarter of 2026, and its Membership Rewards and cash back expenses rose $421 million. Federal Reserve research found rewards costs outweighed interchange income, which is why interest on revolving balances makes up about 80% of card profitability.
How much Americans owe on credit cards
- 1.
U.S. credit card balances reached $1.29 trillion at the end of September 2026, after rising $22 billion in the third quarter, according to the New York Fed.
Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Household Debt Increased Moderately; Delinquency Transition Rates Remain Flat (Nov 2026)
Exact wording at the source
Credit card balances rose by $22 billion and stood at $1.29 trillion, and auto loan balances increased by $21 billion to $1.73 trillion.
- 2.
Credit card balances grew 1.7% from the second to the third quarter of 2026, per the New York Fed's Consumer Credit Panel.
Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Quarterly Report on Household Debt and Credit, 2026 Q3 (Nov 2026)
Exact wording at the source
Auto loan balances rose by $21 billion (1.2%), and credit card balances increased by $22 billion (1.7%).
- 3.
U.S. credit card debt was $52 billion higher in the third quarter of 2026 than a year earlier, per the New York Fed.
Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Household Debt Increased Moderately; Delinquency Transition Rates Remain Flat (Nov 2026)
Exact wording at the source
Credit Card Debt (+) $22 (+) $52 $1.285
- 4.
U.S. revolving consumer credit, which is mostly credit card debt, grew at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.1% in the third quarter of 2026, according to the Federal Reserve's G.19 release.
Federal Reserve Board, Consumer Credit, G.19, September 2026 (Nov 2026)
Exact wording at the source
Revolving credit increased at an annual rate of 4.1 percent, while nonrevolving credit increased at an annual rate of 4.2 percent.
- 5.
Revolving consumer credit outstanding in the U.S. stood at $1,368.5 billion at the end of the third quarter of 2026, seasonally adjusted, per the Federal Reserve's G.19 table.
Federal Reserve Board, Consumer Credit, G.19, September 2026 (Nov 2026)
Exact wording at the source
Revolving 1,033.5 1,192.6 1,298.9 1,297.0 1,324.3 1,312.7 1,324.3 1,338.2 1,354.4 1,368.5
- 6.
Total U.S. bankcard balances rose 4.5% year over year to $1.16 trillion in the third quarter of 2026, according to TransUnion.
TransUnion, Q3 2026 Credit Industry Insights Report (Nov 2026)
Exact wording at the source
Total bankcard balances climbed 4.5% YoY to $1.16 trillion in Q3 2026, continuing steady growth that has ranged between 4.2% and 4.6% since Q1 2025.
- 7.
The average U.S. consumer credit card balance was $6,659 in March 2026, up 0.6% from a year earlier, according to Experian.
Experian, Average Credit Card Debt Increases Just 0.6% to $6,659 in 2026 (Jul 2026)
Exact wording at the source
Average consumer credit card balances barely increased, rising just 0.6% to $6,659, suggesting many consumers may be hitting a limit on how much additional card debt they can carry.
- 8.
The number of U.S. credit card accounts rose 4.4% to 636.6 million in 2026, per Experian's March data.
Experian, Average Credit Card Debt Increases Just 0.6% to $6,659 in 2026 (Jul 2026)
Exact wording at the source
U.S. credit card debt rose 5.4% to about $1.25 trillion in 2026, while the number of credit card accounts increased 4.4% to 636.6 million.
- 9.
The average credit card utilization ratio in the U.S. was 28.3% in March 2026, unchanged from a year earlier, according to Experian.
Experian, Average Credit Card Debt Increases Just 0.6% to $6,659 in 2026 (Jul 2026)
Exact wording at the source
The average credit card utilization ratio among consumer credit cards remained at 28.3% in March 2026.
- 10.
Total credit card balances at large U.S. banks grew 3.4% year over year in the second quarter of 2026, reaching a new high, per the Philadelphia Fed.
Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, Large Bank Consumer Credit Card and Mortgage Data, 2026 Q2 (Oct 2026)
Exact wording at the source
Total credit card balances increased 3.4 percent year over year, reaching a new high, with the growth rate slightly elevated but broadly consistent with the pattern observed over the past six quarters.
- 11.
Revolving card balances at large U.S. banks, the part carried from month to month, grew only 1.5% year over year in the second quarter of 2026, according to the Philadelphia Fed.
Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, Large Bank Consumer Credit Card and Mortgage Data, 2026 Q2 (Oct 2026)
Exact wording at the source
Total balances have grown by about 3.3 percent on average year over year, while revolving balance growth has slowed further, reaching 1.5 percent by the second quarter of 2026.
- 12.
In the UK, credit card borrowing grew at an annual rate of 13.1% in September 2026, according to the Bank of England.
Bank of England, Money and Credit, September 2026 (Oct 2026)
Exact wording at the source
Over the same period, the annual growth rate for credit card borrowing decreased slightly to 13.1%, from 13.3% in August, and the annual growth rate for other forms of consumer credit increased slightly to 8.3%, from 8.1% in August (Chart 4).
Who carries a balance
- 13.
82% of U.S. adults had a credit card in 2025, compared with a high of 84% in 2021, according to the Federal Reserve's Survey of Household Economics and Decisionmaking.
Federal Reserve Board, Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households in 2025: Credit (May 2026)
Exact wording at the source
No disability 85 43 36 Overall 82 45 37
- 14.
45% of U.S. credit card owners carried a balance at least once in the 12 months before the Federal Reserve's late 2025 survey, down 12 percentage points over a decade.
Federal Reserve Board, Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households in 2025: Credit (May 2026)
Exact wording at the source
In 2025, 45 percent of credit card owners said they carried a balance at least once during the prior 12 months, down 12 percentage points over the past decade (figure 32).
- 15.
47% of U.S. credit cardholders reported carrying a credit card balance in Bankrate's survey fielded in December 2025.
Bankrate, Credit card debt survey 2026 (Jan 2026)
Exact wording at the source
47% of American credit cardholders carry a balance as of December 2025.
- 16.
61% of Americans with credit card debt had been in debt for at least a year in Bankrate's 2026 survey, up from 53% in late 2024.
Bankrate, Credit card debt survey 2026 (Jan 2026)
Exact wording at the source
About 3 in 5 cardholders (61%) with credit card balances have been in debt for at least a year — that’s up from 53% in late 2024.
- 17.
22% of U.S. credit card debtors do not think they will ever pay off their card debt, according to Bankrate's 2026 survey.
Bankrate, Credit card debt survey 2026 (Jan 2026)
Exact wording at the source
About 1 in 5 (22%) debtors don’t think they’ll ever pay it off.
- 18.
41% of U.S. credit card debtors say their balance came mainly from emergency or unexpected expenses such as medical bills and car repairs, per Bankrate's 2026 survey.
Bankrate, Credit card debt survey 2026 (Jan 2026)
Exact wording at the source
Among credit card debtors, 41% say their debt comes primarily from emergency/unexpected expense(s), including medical bills (12%), car repairs (8%), home repairs (8%) and other emergency or unexpected expenses (13%).
- 19.
33% of U.S. credit card debtors cite day-to-day expenses such as groceries, childcare and utilities as the main source of their debt, according to Bankrate.
Bankrate, Credit card debt survey 2026 (Jan 2026)
Exact wording at the source
About 1 in 3 (33%) cited day-to-day expenses such as groceries, childcare and utilities as the primary cause.
- 20.
37% of credit card accounts at large U.S. banks paid the full balance in the second quarter of 2026, matching the 2021 peak, according to the Philadelphia Fed.
Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, Large Bank Consumer Credit Card and Mortgage Data, 2026 Q2 (Oct 2026)
Exact wording at the source
Payment behavior is consistent with this interpretation: The share of accounts making a full payment on card balances reached 37 percent, matching the pandemic-era peak in the second quarter of 2021, when fiscal stimulus and elevated household savings supported consumers’ ability to pay down card balances.
- 21.
The average monthly credit card balance per cardholder rose 18% between 2022 and 2024, according to the CFPB's 2025 credit card market report.
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, The Consumer Credit Card Market (Federal Register notice of the 2025 report) (Jan 2026)
Exact wording at the source
This increase was driven by higher APRs, a 9.5 percent increase in cardholders, and an 18 percent increase in the average monthly credit card balance per cardholder.
Chart
Share of U.S. adults with a credit card by family income, 2025
Federal Reserve Survey of Household Economics and Decisionmaking, fielded October 2025, all adults.
- Under $25,00046%
- $25,000 to $49,99971%
- $50,000 to $99,99988%
- $100,000 or more97%
Source: Federal Reserve Board, Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households in 2025: Credit
Credit card APRs and interest costs
- 22.
The average U.S. credit card interest rate was 19.71% in Bankrate's November 4, 2026 reading, based on popular cards from the largest issuers.
Bankrate, Current credit card interest rates (Nov 2026)
Exact wording at the source
The average credit card interest rate is 19.71%, down from a record-high 20.79% set on Aug. 14, 2024.
- 23.
Bankrate's record high average credit card rate was 20.79%, set on August 14, 2024.
Bankrate, Current credit card interest rates (Nov 2026)
Exact wording at the source
The average credit card interest rate is 19.71%, down from a record-high 20.79% set on Aug. 14, 2024.
- 24.
The average interest rate on all U.S. credit card plan accounts at commercial banks was 21.19% in the third quarter of 2026, according to the Federal Reserve's G.19 release.
Federal Reserve Board, Consumer Credit, G.19, September 2026 (Nov 2026)
Exact wording at the source
Credit card plans All accounts 14.60 16.26 20.90 21.58 21.22 21.39 20.97 21.00 20.94 21.19
- 25.
U.S. credit card accounts that were assessed interest paid an average rate of 22.36% in the third quarter of 2026, per the Federal Reserve's G.19 release.
Federal Reserve Board, Consumer Credit, G.19, September 2026 (Nov 2026)
Exact wording at the source
Accounts assessed interest 16.45 17.91 22.15 22.89 22.32 22.83 22.30 21.52 22.15 22.36
- 26.
The average APR on U.S. general purpose credit cards reached 25.2% in 2024, the highest since at least 2015, according to the CFPB.
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, The Consumer Credit Card Market (Federal Register notice of the 2025 report) (Jan 2026)
Exact wording at the source
Cost of credit: In 2024, the average annual percentage rate (APR) reached 25.2 percent for general purpose cards and 31.3 percent for private label credit cards, the highest level since at least 2015.
- 27.
The average APR on U.S. private label (store) credit cards reached 31.3% in 2024, per the CFPB.
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, The Consumer Credit Card Market (Federal Register notice of the 2025 report) (Jan 2026)
Exact wording at the source
Cost of credit: In 2024, the average annual percentage rate (APR) reached 25.2 percent for general purpose cards and 31.3 percent for private label credit cards, the highest level since at least 2015.
- 28.
U.S. consumers were assessed $160 billion in credit card interest charges in 2024, up from $105 billion in 2022, according to the CFPB.
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, The Consumer Credit Card Market (Federal Register notice of the 2025 report) (Jan 2026)
Exact wording at the source
In 2024, consumers were assessed $160 billion in interest charges, up from $105 billion in 2022.
- 29.
In the UK, the effective interest rate on interest-charging credit cards was 21.71% in September 2026, according to the Bank of England.
Bank of England, Money and Credit, September 2026 (Oct 2026)
Exact wording at the source
The effective rate on interest-charging credit cards increased slightly in September, to 21.71% from 21.55%.
Chart
Bankrate average credit card rate by month, 2026
Bankrate national average of advertised card APRs, first weekly reading of each month, May to November 2026.
Source: Bankrate, Current credit card interest rates
Delinquency and charge-offs
- 30.
An annualized 6.87% of U.S. credit card balances moved into serious delinquency (90 days or more late) in the third quarter of 2026, down from 7.05% a year earlier, per the New York Fed.
Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Household Debt Increased Moderately; Delinquency Transition Rates Remain Flat (Nov 2026)
Exact wording at the source
Credit Card Debt 7.05% 6.87%
- 31.
1.99% of U.S. bankcard balances were 90 or more days past due in the third quarter of 2026, the lowest since the third quarter of 2023, according to TransUnion.
TransUnion, Q3 2026 Credit Industry Insights Report (Nov 2026)
Exact wording at the source
The borrower-level 90+ DPD delinquency rate rose 13 basis points YoY to 2.50%, while balance-level delinquency declined from 2.05% to 1.99%, the lowest level since 3Q23.
- 32.
2.50% of U.S. bankcard borrowers were 90 or more days past due in the third quarter of 2026, up 13 basis points from a year earlier, per TransUnion.
TransUnion, Q3 2026 Credit Industry Insights Report (Nov 2026)
Exact wording at the source
The borrower-level 90+ DPD delinquency rate rose 13 basis points YoY to 2.50%, while balance-level delinquency declined from 2.05% to 1.99%, the lowest level since 3Q23.
- 33.
U.S. credit card charge-offs were $15.76 billion in the third quarter of 2026, essentially flat from $15.79 billion a year earlier, according to TransUnion.
TransUnion, Q3 2026 Credit Industry Insights Report (Nov 2026)
Exact wording at the source
Credit card charge-offs remained essentially flat YoY, edging down from $15.79 billion to $15.76 billion in Q3 2026.
- 34.
JPMorgan Chase's Card Services net charge-off rate was 2.91% in the third quarter of 2026.
JPMorgan Chase, Third-quarter 2026 earnings release (Form 8-K, Exhibit 99.1) (Oct 2026)
Exact wording at the source
Card Services net charge-off rate of 2.91%
Chart
Share of U.S. bankcard balances 90+ days past due, third quarter
TransUnion credit file data, balance-level delinquency on bankcards, third quarter of each year.
- Q3 20231.91%
- Q3 20242.17%
- Q3 20252.05%
- Q3 20261.99%
Source: TransUnion, Q3 2026 Credit Industry Insights Report
Credit limits, new accounts and access
- 35.
Aggregate U.S. credit card limits rose by $115 billion in the third quarter of 2026, according to the New York Fed.
Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Household Debt Increased Moderately; Delinquency Transition Rates Remain Flat (Nov 2026)
Exact wording at the source
Aggregate limits on credit cards continued to rise, with a $115 billion uptick in the third quarter.
- 36.
Lenders opened a record 22.4 million new U.S. bankcards in the second quarter of 2026, up 9.5% from a year earlier, according to TransUnion.
TransUnion, Q3 2026 Credit Industry Insights Report (Nov 2026)
Exact wording at the source
Bankcard originations reached a record 22.4 million in Q2 2026, rising 9.5% YoY and marking the seventh consecutive quarter of growth.
- 37.
42.3% of new U.S. credit card accounts in the third quarter of 2026 went to borrowers with below-prime scores (VantageScore 660 or lower), up from 40.6% a year earlier, per TransUnion.
TransUnion, Q3 2026 Credit Industry Insights Report (Nov 2026)
Exact wording at the source
Credit Card Below Prime Origination %* 42.3% 40.6% 38.7% 40.0%
- 38.
There were 590.5 million bankcards in the U.S. in the third quarter of 2026, up from 567.5 million a year earlier, according to TransUnion.
TransUnion, Q3 2026 Credit Industry Insights Report (Nov 2026)
Exact wording at the source
Number of Credit Cards (Bankcards) 590.5 million 567.5 million 545.1 million 530.6 million
- 39.
The average new credit line on cards opened at large U.S. banks fell to $6,066 in the second quarter of 2026 from $6,216 a year earlier, according to the Philadelphia Fed.
Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, Large Bank Consumer Credit Card and Mortgage Data, 2026 Q2 (Oct 2026)
Exact wording at the source
With new account growth outpacing commitment growth, the average new credit line fell from $6,216 in the second quarter of 2025 to $6,066 in the second quarter of 2026.
- 40.
18.5% of new credit card accounts at large U.S. banks in the second quarter of 2026 belonged to borrowers with scores below 660, up from 16.1% a year earlier, per the Philadelphia Fed.
Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, Large Bank Consumer Credit Card and Mortgage Data, 2026 Q2 (Oct 2026)
Exact wording at the source
Specifically, large banks have grown their share of newly originated accounts belonging to borrowers with credit scores below 660 — rising from 16.1 percent in the second quarter of 2025 to 18.5 percent in the second quarter of 2026.
- 41.
U.S. consumers submitted over 153 million credit card applications in 2024, fewer than in 2022 and 2023, according to the CFPB.
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, The Consumer Credit Card Market (Federal Register notice of the 2025 report) (Jan 2026)
Exact wording at the source
Availability of credit: In 2024, U.S. consumers submitted over 153 million credit card applications, a decrease from applications exceeding 160 million in 2022 and 2023.
- 42.
U.S. card issuers opened 89 million new credit card accounts in 2024, 19% fewer than in 2022, per the CFPB.
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, The Consumer Credit Card Market (Federal Register notice of the 2025 report) (Jan 2026)
Exact wording at the source
New account originations declined 19 percent from 2022 to 89 million new accounts in 2024.
- 43.
Total credit lines across all U.S. consumer credit cards rose to over $5.7 trillion in 2024, according to the CFPB.
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, The Consumer Credit Card Market (Federal Register notice of the 2025 report) (Jan 2026)
Exact wording at the source
Total credit line across all consumer credit cards increased to over $5.7 trillion.
Chart
Number of U.S. bankcards, third quarter (millions)
TransUnion count of open bankcards on U.S. credit files, third quarter of each year.
- Q3 2023531
- Q3 2024545
- Q3 2025568
- Q3 2026591
Source: TransUnion, Q3 2026 Credit Industry Insights Report
Card spending, payments and rewards
- 44.
Credit cards made up 34% of U.S. consumer payments in 2025, the largest share of any method, according to Pew Research Center's analysis of Federal Reserve diary data.
Pew Research Center, From cash to credit: How Americans' payment methods have changed in the past decade (Sep 2026)
Exact wording at the source
In 2025, credit cards made up the highest share of payments at 34%.
- 45.
Credit cards accounted for 18% of U.S. consumer payments in 2015, compared with a third paid in cash, per Pew Research Center.
Pew Research Center, From cash to credit: How Americans' payment methods have changed in the past decade (Sep 2026)
Exact wording at the source
A third of payments that year were in cash, followed by debit cards (29%) and credit cards (18%).
- 46.
The average U.S. credit card purchase was $80 in 2025, compared with $74 for debit cards and $58 for cash, per Pew Research Center's reading of Federal Reserve data.
Pew Research Center, From cash to credit: How Americans' payment methods have changed in the past decade (Sep 2026)
Exact wording at the source
The average value of a cash purchase was $58 in 2025, compared with $74 for debit card purchases and $80 for credit card purchases, according to the Federal Reserve survey.
- 47.
U.S. consumers made an average of 16 credit card payments out of 47 total payments per month in the 2026 Diary of Consumer Payment Choice, which reflects late 2025 data.
Federal Reserve Financial Services, 2026 Diary of Consumer Payment Choice (May 2026)
Exact wording at the source
Notably, they made 16 payments with credit card, 15 with debit card and six with cash.
- 48.
38% of U.S. consumers say they prefer paying by credit card in person, up from 24% in 2016, according to the 2026 Diary of Consumer Payment Choice.
Federal Reserve Financial Services, 2026 Diary of Consumer Payment Choice (May 2026)
Exact wording at the source
More consumers now say they prefer using credit cards in person (38% compared to 24% in 2016), nearly equal to the amount who say they prefer debit (40%).
- 49.
American Express billed business grew 8% year over year in the third quarter of 2026.
American Express, Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2026 (Oct 2026)
Exact wording at the source
Billed business grew 8 percent year-over-year, in line with the trend of the past several quarters.
- 50.
American Express's Membership Rewards and cash back rewards expenses rose by a combined $421 million year over year in the third quarter of 2026, driven mainly by higher card spending.
American Express, Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2026 (Oct 2026)
Exact wording at the source
Card Member rewards expense increased for both the three and nine month periods, driven by increases in Membership Rewards and cash back rewards expenses, collectively, of $421 million and $1,051 million, and cobrand rewards expense of $61 million and $377 million, respectively, all of which were primarily driven by higher billed business.
- 51.
U.S. banks collected nearly $66 billion in debit and credit card interchange fees in 2025, up from $64 billion in 2024, according to the St. Louis Fed.
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, Banking Analytics: Credit and Debit Card Fees Collected by Banks Rose in 2025 (Apr 2026)
Exact wording at the source
U.S. banks collected nearly $66 billion in interchange, or “swipe,” fees in 2025, up from $64 billion in 2024 and $52 billion in 2021.
- 52.
Interest on balances (the credit function) made up about 80% of U.S. credit card profitability, while the transaction function was slightly negative because rewards outpaced interchange, in Federal Reserve research covering 2014 to 2021 (an older baseline).
Federal Reserve Board, Credit Card Profitability (FEDS Notes) (Sep 2022)
Exact wording at the source
First, we find that, on average, the credit function makes up approximately 80 percent of the credit card profitability, whereas the contribution of the transaction function is slightly negative, as rewards and other expenses on credit card transactions outpace banks' interchange revenues.
Questions readers ask
- How much credit card debt do Americans have?
- Americans owed $1.29 trillion on credit cards at the end of September 2026, according to the New York Fed, up $52 billion from a year earlier. TransUnion counts $1.16 trillion in bankcard balances, and Experian puts the average consumer balance at $6,659.
- What is the average credit card interest rate right now?
- Bankrate's average advertised rate was 19.71% on November 4, 2026, below its 20.79% record from August 2024. The Federal Reserve's G.19 survey puts the average at 21.19% on all accounts and 22.36% on accounts charged interest in the third quarter of 2026.
- What share of cardholders carry a balance?
- About half. The Federal Reserve found 45% of card owners carried a balance at least once in the year before its October 2025 survey, and Bankrate found 47% carrying a balance in December 2025. At large banks, 37% of accounts paid the full balance in the second quarter of 2026, per the Philadelphia Fed.
- Are credit card delinquencies rising or falling?
- Mostly falling from their 2024 peak. The New York Fed's annualized flow into serious delinquency fell to 6.87% in the third quarter of 2026 from 7.05% a year earlier, and TransUnion's balance-level 90-day delinquency fell to 1.99%. TransUnion's borrower-level rate did rise slightly, to 2.50%.
- How much do Americans pay in credit card interest?
- U.S. consumers were assessed $160 billion in credit card interest in 2024, up from $105 billion in 2022, according to the CFPB. The CFPB linked the rise to higher APRs, 9.5% more cardholders and an 18% higher average balance per cardholder.
- How often do Americans pay with credit cards?
- Credit cards were the most used payment method in 2025, at 34% of payments, according to Pew Research Center's analysis of Federal Reserve diary data. Consumers made 16 credit card payments out of 47 payments a month on average.
Where these numbers come from
We chose figures that describe U.S. credit card balances, borrowing costs, repayment, credit access and card use, with a few UK comparison figures. Balance totals differ by source because each counts something different: the New York Fed's Consumer Credit Panel covers credit card accounts on Equifax credit reports, the Federal Reserve's G.19 revolving credit series also includes some non-card revolving credit, and TransUnion and Experian report bankcards from their own credit files. Interest rates also differ by definition: Bankrate averages advertised APRs on popular cards, the G.19 rate comes from a survey of commercial banks, and the CFPB's 2024 APRs are weighted by account balances, so they run higher. Survey figures come from the Federal Reserve's Survey of Household Economics and Decisionmaking (October 2025), Bankrate's Credit Card Debt Survey (December 2025) and the Atlanta Fed's diary of consumer payments as reported by Federal Reserve Financial Services and Pew Research Center. Issuer figures from American Express and JPMorgan Chase describe their own portfolios only. The Federal Reserve profitability estimate covers 2014 to 2021 and is included as an older baseline. We did not use rate-shopping roundups or statistics aggregators as sources. Every quote was checked against the source page on the date shown. We store the sentence each number appears in, and a script loads the publisher's page again to make sure that sentence is still there. Our methodology has the details.
Sources
- American Express. Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2026 (Oct 2026).
- Bank of England. Money and Credit, September 2026 (Oct 2026).
- Bankrate. Credit card debt survey 2026 (Jan 2026).
- Bankrate. Current credit card interest rates (Nov 2026).
- Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The Consumer Credit Card Market (Federal Register notice of the 2025 report) (Jan 2026).
- Experian. Average Credit Card Debt Increases Just 0.6% to $6,659 in 2026 (Jul 2026).
- Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Household Debt Increased Moderately; Delinquency Transition Rates Remain Flat (Nov 2026).
- Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Quarterly Report on Household Debt and Credit, 2026 Q3 (Nov 2026).
- Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia. Large Bank Consumer Credit Card and Mortgage Data, 2026 Q2 (Oct 2026).
- Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. Banking Analytics: Credit and Debit Card Fees Collected by Banks Rose in 2025 (Apr 2026).
- Federal Reserve Board. Consumer Credit, G.19, September 2026 (Nov 2026).
- Federal Reserve Board. Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households in 2025: Credit (May 2026).
- Federal Reserve Board. Credit Card Profitability (FEDS Notes) (Sep 2022).
- Federal Reserve Financial Services. 2026 Diary of Consumer Payment Choice (May 2026).
- JPMorgan Chase. Third-quarter 2026 earnings release (Form 8-K, Exhibit 99.1) (Oct 2026).
- Pew Research Center. From cash to credit: How Americans' payment methods have changed in the past decade (Sep 2026).
- TransUnion. Q3 2026 Credit Industry Insights Report (Nov 2026).
Citing this page
Link to this page or to a single numbered figure. If you reuse a number, name the organization that released it in the first place.
HearSmart. (2026, November 13). Credit Card Statistics 2026. https://hearsmart.org/credit-card-statistics
Found a number that changed or a source that moved? Email editorial@hearsmart.org. We plan to check this page again by January 12, 2027.