U.S. lenders issued more credit cards than ever last year, with a growing share of them going to consumers with lower credit scores.
A record 196 million Americans held cards at the end of 2021, according to a report by credit-data agency TransUnion. In the third quarter, the latest with detailed numbers, the number of new cards issued hit an all-time high of 20.1 million, it said. Some 9 million of them went to so-called nonprime borrowers with poor or fair credit.
The surge shows how lenders seeking growth are eager to tap into consumers who've largely been able to meet their obligations even after pandemic stimulus programs ended last year. Credit-card issuers have been ramping up marketing campaigns and competing to lure customers. Interest rates charged on cards were at longtime highs last year relative to risk-free rates on Treasury debt.
Capitol One Financial Corp., primarily a card lender, spent almost $1 billion on marketing in the October-December period, double the sum it spent in the first quarter.
The average balance per borrower was little changed from a year earlier in the fourth quarter, at $5,127, and remained well below pre-pandemic levels, TransUnion said.
One unknown risk for issuers is that unless student loan repayments are forgiven or paused again, millions of Americans will have to meet those obligations in May when the forbearance period ends.