Card Activation

In this issue, we re-examine how consumers go about the process of activating and using new general-purpose credit cards, including what consumers look for when acquiring a card, if they are replacing an existing card, how long it takes them to activate a card and what method they use to activate it. In this survey, respondents were told that the terms “activate” or “activated” referred to the authorization of a credit card for purchases, balance transfers, or cash advances.

Data included in this report were gathered using a web survey administered to 400 credit card users in the U.S. during February 2009. This topic was last addressed in the October 2007 issue of Cardbeat; in this issue, we will compare how consumers’ attitudes and behaviors have changed since the publication of that report.