Credit card spendings, issuances hit record highs in July, shows RBI data

CREDIT card spends and new issuances made a surprise growth in July. Spendings through credit cards increased by 5.5% to ₹1.93 lakh crore, and new card issuances surged to a five-month high of 4.25 lakh, indicating a revival in unsecured lending, according to the latest data from the Reserve Bank.

- ENS ECONOMIC BUREAU @ Mumbai

In the previous month, the industry had reported a marginal contraction of 235 cards. This growth indicates a resurgence in unsecured lending, with major banks like HDFC Bank and SBI Cards, which are the industry leaders with over 24.8 million and 21.2 million customers, respectively, contributing to the expansion.