Americans made 67.1 billion credit card payments worth $6.51 trillion in 2024, according to the Federal Reserve Payments Study, an average of $97 per payment. 82% of adults had a credit card in 2025, compared to a high of 84% in 2021, a Federal Reserve household survey found. Those credit card statistics describe cards that work mainly as a payment tool, used often and for larger tickets.
The average consumer made 16.14 credit card payments a month in 2025, down from 16.64 in 2024, per the Diary of Consumer Payment Choice. Credit card payments still grew more than debit card payments from 2021 to 2024, the first measured three-year period since 2000 when that happened. Debit still leads on volume, but credit added more payments than debit from 2021 to 2024.
Key Takeaways
- Credit cards handled 35.7% of US card payments by number in 2024, yet 56.6% of card payment value.
- Credit card payments rose to 67.1 billion in 2024, up 16.2 billion from 2021.
- 46% of adults with family income under $25,000 had a credit card in 2025, against 97% of those at $100,000 or more.
- 38% of consumers prefer credit cards for in-person payments, up from 24% in 2016.
- 71% of consumers used a credit card in the prior 30 days in 2025, ahead of debit cards at 67%.
- Consumers were assessed $160 billion in credit card interest charges in 2024, up from $105 billion in 2022.
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- US credit card payment value: $6.51 trillion in 2024.
- Average credit card payment: $97 in 2024, against $41 on debit cards.
- Adults with a credit card account: 208 million at the end of 2023.
- Consumer credit card purchase volume: $3.6 trillion in 2024.
- Average annual percentage rate (APR) on private label cards: 31.3% in 2024.
- Cards’ share of noncash payments: 79% by number in 2024.
US Credit Card Statistics: Payments in 2024
- Credit card payments increased to 67.1 billion in 2024, up 16.2 billion from 2021.
- Debit card payments accounted for 64% of all card payments by number in 2024, down from 68% in 2021.
- General purpose cards made up 96% of credit card payments by number in 2024, up from 92% in 2015.
- Private label credit card payments declined to 2.9 billion in 2024, down from a peak of 3.7 billion in 2018.
- Cards made up 79% of noncash payments by number in 2024, but only 8% of their total value.
- Credit cards handled 35.7% of card payments by number but 56.6% of card payment value in 2024.
- The average credit card payment of $97 was 2.37 times the average debit card payment.
| Card type | Payments (billions) | Value ($ trillions) | Average payment ($) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All cards | 187.7 | 11.50 | 61 |
| Debit cards | 120.6 | 4.99 | 41 |
| Credit cards | 67.1 | 6.51 | 97 |
| General purpose credit cards | 64.3 | 6.17 | 96 |
Source: Federal Reserve Payments Study 2025 (calendar year 2024 data)
About This Data
Compiled from 13 sources: 8 central bank and regulator publications, 4 company earnings releases and 1 UK Finance industry report. Source publication dates run from 2025 to October 2026. Only central bank and regulator publications, company filings and UK Finance industry data qualified. Figures are reviewed on a rolling basis and updated when sources publish new editions.
Credit Card Payments by Year
- US credit card payments climbed from 33.7 billion in 2015 to 67.1 billion in 2024.
- Credit card payments grew 9.6% a year by number and 10.1% a year by value from 2021 to 2024.
- Debit card payments grew 4.1% a year by number and 3.1% by value over the same 2021 to 2024 period.
- The average credit card payment rose from $91 in 2015 to $97 in 2024.
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Key finding: Federal Reserve data show credit card payments grew more than debit card payments from 2021 to 2024, a first for any measured three-year period since 2000. Debit cards still accounted for 64% of card payments by number in 2024. Debit keeps the volume lead, but credit is gaining the larger and faster-growing slice of card spending.
Recent Developments
- October 27, 2026: Visa reported payments volume growth of 9% in constant dollars for fiscal 2026, with processed transactions up 10% in the fourth quarter.
- October 23, 2026: American Express reported a third-quarter net write-off rate of 1.8%, down from 1.9% a year ago.
- October 16, 2026: UK Finance reported 442 million UK credit card transactions in July 2026, 6.5% more than in July 2025.
- October 7, 2026: The Federal Reserve’s consumer credit release showed revolving credit decreased at an annual rate of 4.2% in August 2026.
- Q3 2026: JPMorgan Chase debit and credit card sales volume rose 10% year over year; the Card Services net charge-off rate was 2.91%.
- August 11, 2026: Credit card balances rose by $21 billion to $1.26 trillion in Q2 2026, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York reported.
How Many Americans Have a Credit Card
- 82% of adults had a credit card in 2025, compared to a high of 84% in 2021.
- The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) estimates that 208 million of 267 million US adult residents had a credit card account at the end of 2023.
- Roughly 103 million consumers hold only a general purpose card, 11 million only a private label card and 94 million at least one of each.
- 97% of adults with family income of $100,000 or more had a credit card in 2025, against 46% below $25,000.
- In 2025, 45% of credit card owners said they carried a balance at least once during the prior 12 months.
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The two federal counts differ in method: One is a household survey, the other reads credit records. Both put card ownership at roughly four in five adults.
Credit Card Ownership by Age, Race and Disability
- 92% of adults aged 60 and older had a credit card in 2025, against 65% of those aged 18 to 29.
- 90% of Asian adults and 87% of White adults had a credit card, compared with 68% of Black adults.
- 70% of adults with a disability had a credit card, against 85% of those without one.
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Ownership rises with each age band, from 65% of adults aged 18 to 29 to 92% of those 60 and older. The spread across racial and ethnic groups is almost as wide as the spread across ages.
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How Often Americans Use Credit Cards
- The average consumer made 47 payments per month across all payment methods in 2025, compared to 48 in 2024.
- 81% of consumers used cash to make a payment in the last 30 days in 2025.
- 38% of consumers now prefer using credit cards in person, up from 24% in 2016 and nearly equal to the 40% preferring debit.
- The average number of debit card payments rose from 14.27 in 2024 to 14.70 in 2025.
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How many credit card payments does the average American make each month?
The average consumer made 16.14 credit card payments a month in 2025, down from 16.64 in 2024, according to the Diary of Consumer Payment Choice. Cash remained the third most-used payment instrument, following credit and debit cards, at an average of six payments per month. 71% reported using credit cards in the prior 30 days.
Credit Card Purchase Volume
- Purchase volume on consumer credit cards increased to $3.6 trillion in 2024, up from $3.2 trillion in 2022.
- That is a two-year gain of 12.5%.
- Credit card spending grew around 5% in 2024, virtually all of it from cardholders with prime plus credit scores or higher.
- Purchase volume growth for cardholders with prime or lower scores has been about zero since late 2023.
The CFPB figure covers purchases on consumer cards only, so it runs below the Payments Study total for every credit card payment.
Credit Card Network and Issuer Volume
- Mastercard cross-border volume grew 12% on a local currency basis in Q2 2026, and switched transactions grew 9%.
- American Express delivered record third-quarter revenue of $20.1 billion in 2026.
- Visa net revenue was $12.1 billion in its fiscal fourth quarter of 2026, an increase of 13%.
- JPMorgan Chase reported a Card Services net charge-off rate of 2.91% in the third quarter of 2026.
| Company | Measure | Period | Figure |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visa | Payments volume growth, constant dollars | Fiscal 2026 | 9% |
| Visa | Processed transactions growth | Fiscal 2026 | 9% |
| Mastercard | Gross dollar volume | Q2 2026 | $2.9 trillion |
| Mastercard | Purchase volume growth, local currency | Q2 2026 | 10% |
| American Express | Billed business | Q3 2026 | $454.0 billion |
| JPMorgan Chase | Debit and credit card sales volume growth | Q3 2026 | 10% |
Source: Visa, Mastercard, American Express and JPMorgan Chase earnings releases, 2026
Credit Card APRs, Interest and Fees
- The average APR on private label credit cards reached 31.3% in 2024, the highest level since at least 2015.
- Ten years earlier, the average APR on new general purpose accounts was 19.8%.
- Consumers paid $31.3 billion in credit card fees in 2024, up 23% from 2022.
- About 15% of general purpose cardholders made only the minimum payment in 2024, up from 13%.
- For private label cardholders, that share climbed to 20% from 17%.
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Why it matters: Consumers were assessed $160 billion in interest charges in 2024, up from $105 billion in 2022, the CFPB found. Higher APRs, a 9.5% increase in cardholders and an 18% increase in the average monthly balance per cardholder drove that increase. A card paid in full each month avoids that cost.
Credit Card Rewards and Promotional Cards
- Cash back cards grew to 36% of general purpose accounts over ten years, making them the most common general purpose credit card.
- Cards with points or miles gained a modest share, while cards with no rewards substantially declined.
- Credit cards with an introductory APR promotion of zero carried $899 billion in purchase volume in 2024.
- About one-third of purchase volume and outstanding balances in 2024 were on cards with an introductory promotional rate.
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Cash back share of general purpose accounts, ten years earlier | 28% |
| Cash back share of general purpose accounts, latest | 36% |
| Purchase volume on 0% introductory APR cards, 2024 | $899 billion |
| Balances on 0% introductory APR cards, end of 2024 | $352 billion |
Source: Consumer Financial Protection Bureau 2025
Cash back has become the most common general purpose card, and promotional rates now sit behind about one-third of purchase volume.
Credit Card Disputes and Chargebacks
- Cardholders disputed $9.8 billion in credit card charges in 2024.
- Chargebacks equaled 60.2% of the disputed amount.
- The CFPB found AI is also accelerating the incidence and seriousness of payments-related fraud.
- Alternative data such as bank account cash flow information is helping expand credit card access, particularly for consumers with limited credit history.
| Measure, 2024 | Figure |
|---|---|
| Credit card charges disputed | $9.8 billion |
| Chargebacks | $5.9 billion |
| Share of general purpose disputes from cancelled recurring transactions | 40% |
Source: Consumer Financial Protection Bureau 2025
By the numbers: Cancelled recurring transactions such as subscriptions and utility bills made up 40% of general purpose card disputes in 2024, per the CFPB. Disputes covered $9.8 billion in charges and resulted in $5.9 billion in chargebacks. Cancelled recurring charges were the most common reason for disputes on general purpose cards.
UK and Euro Area Card Payment Statistics
- UK credit card spending totaled £23.8 billion in July 2026, 4.7% higher than in July 2025.
- Contactless payments accounted for 68% of all UK credit card transactions in July 2026.
- UK residents held 60 million credit cards across 39 million credit card accounts in July 2026.
- 47.8% of outstanding UK credit card balances incurred interest in July 2026, compared to 47.9% in July 2025.
- Euro area card payments reached 47.8 billion in the second half of 2025, 7.9% more than a year earlier.
- Card payments accounted for 57% of all non-cash transactions in the euro area in that period.
| Market | Measure | Period | Figure |
|---|---|---|---|
| UK | Credit card transactions | July 2026 | 442 million |
| UK | Credit card spend | July 2026 | £23.8 billion |
| UK | Credit cards in issue | July 2026 | 60 million |
| Euro area | Card payments, all card types | Second half of 2025 | 47.8 billion |
| Euro area | Value of card payments | Second half of 2025 | €1.8 trillion |
Source: UK Finance Card Spending Update July 2026, European Central Bank payments statistics H2 2025
Conclusion
Americans made 67.1 billion credit card payments worth $6.51 trillion in 2024, and 82% of adults had a credit card in 2025. The data points to a mature product that gained share of US card payments from 2021 to 2024, while access still splits sharply by income.
The next markers are quarterly network and issuer results, the Federal Reserve’s monthly consumer credit release and the next CFPB market review. Card ownership moves slowly; payment volume and the cost of carrying a balance move much faster.
