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Credit Cards in China

Publisher Euromonitor International
Published Jan 19, 2026
Length 28 Pages
SKU # EP20807776

Description

In China, credit cards saw declines in both transaction value and cards in circulation in 2025, reflecting cautious consumer spending, tighter oversight of fees and add-ons, and bank-led closures of dormant “sleep accounts”. Usage also weakened as consumers increasingly opted for embedded, point-of-sale credit from platforms such as Huabei and JD Baitiao, while subdued price expectations reinforced a wait-and-see mindset for discretionary purchases. Over the forecast period, credit card transact...

Euromonitor International's Credit Card Transactions in China report establishes the size and structure of the market for ATMs cards, smart cards, credit cards, debit cards, charge cards, pre-paid cards and store cards. It looks at key players in the market (issuers and operators), number of cards in circulation, numbers transactions and value of transactions. It offers strategic analysis of sector forecasts and trends to watch.

Product coverage: Commercial Credit Card Transactions, Personal Credit Card Transactions.

Data coverage: market sizes (historic and forecasts), company shares, brand shares and distribution data.

Why buy this report?
* Get a detailed picture of the Credit Card Transactions market;
* Pinpoint growth sectors and identify factors driving change;
* Understand the competitive environment, the market’s major players and leading brands;
* Use five-year forecasts to assess how the market is predicted to develop.

Table of Contents

28 Pages
Credit Cards in China
Euromonitor International
January 2026
List Of Contents And Tables
CREDIT CARDS IN CHINA
KEY DATA FINDINGS
2025 DEVELOPMENTS
Digital wallets and point-of-sale credit erode credit card relevance
INDUSTRY PERFORMANCE
Cautious consumer sentiment undermines progress for credit cards in China
Chinese consumers unconvinced by value of credit cards
WHAT’S NEXT?
Credit card transactions set to resume growth over the forecast period
Credit card non-performing rate set to alleviate, while inbound travel card payments rise
COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE
Competitive landscape remains steady, with Mastercard accelerating product offerings
China Merchant Bank boasts most credit cards in circulation, and tourists benefit from digital wallets
CATEGORY DATA
Table 1 Credit Cards: Number of Cards in Circulation 2020-2025
Table 2 Credit Cards Transactions 2020-2025
Table 3 Credit Cards in Circulation: % Growth 2020-2025
Table 4 Credit Cards Transactions: % Growth 2020-2025
Table 5 Commercial Credit Cards: Number of Cards in Circulation 2020-2025
Table 6 Commercial Credit Cards Transactions 2020-2025
Table 7 Commercial Credit Cards in Circulation: % Growth 2020-2025
Table 8 Commercial Credit Cards Transactions: % Growth 2020-2025
Table 9 Personal Credit Cards: Number of Cards in Circulation 2020-2025
Table 10 Personal Credit Cards Transactions 2020-2025
Table 11 Personal Credit Cards in Circulation: % Growth 2020-2025
Table 12 Personal Credit Cards Transactions: % Growth 2020-2025
Table 13 Credit Cards: Number of Cards by Issuer 2020-2024
Table 14 Credit Cards: Number of Cards by Operator 2020-2024
Table 15 Credit Cards Payment Transaction Value by Issuer 2020-2024
Table 16 Credit Cards Payment Transaction Value by Operator 2020-2024
Table 17 Commercial Credit Cards: Number of Cards by Issuer 2020-2024
Table 18 Commercial Credit Cards: Number of Cards by Operator 2020-2024
Table 19 Commercial Credit Cards Payment Transaction Value by Issuer 2020-2024
Table 20 Commercial Credit Cards Payment Transaction Value by Operator 2020-2024
Table 21 Personal Credit Cards: Number of Cards by Issuer 2020-2024
Table 22 Personal Credit Cards: Number of Cards by Operator 2020-2024
Table 23 Personal Credit Cards Payment Transaction Value by Issuer 2020-2024
Table 24 Personal Credit Cards Payment Transaction Value by Operator 2020-2024
Table 25 Forecast Credit Cards: Number of Cards in Circulation 2025-2030
Table 26 Forecast Credit Cards Transactions 2025-2030
Table 27 Forecast Credit Cards in Circulation: % Growth 2025-2030
Table 28 Forecast Credit Cards Transactions: % Growth 2025-2030
Table 29 Forecast Commercial Credit Cards: Number of Cards in Circulation 2025-2030
Table 30 Forecast Commercial Credit Cards Transactions 2025-2030
Table 31 Forecast Commercial Credit Cards in Circulation: % Growth 2025-2030
Table 32 Forecast Commercial Credit Cards Transactions: % Growth 2025-2030
Table 33 Forecast Personal Credit Cards: Number of Cards in Circulation 2025-2030
Table 34 Forecast Personal Credit Cards Transactions 2025-2030
Table 35 Forecast Personal Credit Cards in Circulation: % Growth 2025-2030
Table 36 Forecast Personal Credit Cards Transactions: % Growth 2025-2030
COUNTRY REPORTS DISCLAIMER
FINANCIAL CARDS AND PAYMENTS IN CHINA
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Debit-led mobile payments drive progress, while credit and prepaid lose relevance
KEY DATA FINDINGS
INDUSTRY PERFORMANCE
Debit cards remain favoured within financial cards and payments
Credit cards and pre-paid cards continue to lose ground
Non-performing loan (NPL) rate of credit cards sees improvement, while international payments are easier for inbound tourists
WHAT’S NEXT?
Debit cards to remain on top
Credit cards will see positive growth in forecast period
Pre-paid cards will record slight improvement
COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE
China UnionPay dominates landscape
China Merchant Bank benefits from direct foreign transactions, as newer players continue to rise
MARKET INDICATORS
Table 37 Number of POS Terminals: Units 2020-2025
Table 38 Number of ATMs: Units 2020-2025
Table 39 Value Lost to Fraud 2020-2025
Table 40 Card Expenditure by Location 2025
Table 41 Financial Cards in Circulation by Type: % Number of Cards 2020-2025
Table 42 Domestic versus Foreign Spend 2025
MARKET DATA
Table 43 Financial Cards by Category: Number of Cards in Circulation 2020-2025
Table 44 Financial Cards by Category: Number of Accounts 2020-2025
Table 45 Financial Cards Transactions by Category: Value 2020-2025
Table 46 Financial Cards by Category: Number of Transactions 2020-2025
Table 47 Consumer Payments by Category: Value 2020-2025
Table 48 Consumer Payments by Category: Number of Transactions 2020-2025
Table 49 M-Commerce by Category: Value 2020-2025
Table 50 M-Commerce by Category: % Value Growth 2020-2025
Table 51 Financial Cards: Number of Cards by Issuer 2020-2024
Table 52 Financial Cards: Number of Cards by Operator 2020-2024
Table 53 Financial Cards: Card Payment Transactions Value by Operator 2020-2024
Table 54 Financial Cards: Card Payment Transactions Value by Issuer 2020-2024
Table 55 Forecast Financial Cards by Category: Number of Cards in Circulation 2025-2030
Table 56 Forecast Financial Cards by Category: Number of Accounts 2025-2030
Table 57 Forecast Financial Cards Transactions by Category: Value 2025-2030
Table 58 Forecast Financial Cards by Category: Number of Transactions 2025-2030
Table 59 Forecast Consumer Payments by Category: Value 2025-2030
Table 60 Forecast Consumer Payments by Category: Number of Transactions 2025-2030
Table 61 Forecast M-Commerce by Category: Value 2025-2030
Table 62 Forecast M-Commerce by Category: % Value Growth 2025-2030
COUNTRY REPORTS DISCLAIMER
SOURCES
Summary 1 Research Sources

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