More Good News on UK Cards Performance

As the UK economic recovery continues, so does the good news on how cardholders are spending and managing their payments. Today FICO released its quarterly UK cards data showing that average spend on “classic,” non-premium credit cards hit a 10-year high in December 2013. The proportion of classic UK credit cards with no delinquencies also hit a 10-year high.

Data from the FICO Benchmark Reporting Service show that sales per average card rose £74 to £612 between December 2011 and December 2013. Veteran accounts (open for at least five years) drove this growth, with average sales per card rising £101. In the same period, average sales grew by £46 for cards open less than five years, and fell by £35 for cards opened within the last year. Average sales per classic card hit their low point of £339 in September 2003.

Nearly 95 percent of classic cards were current (no delinquencies) in December 2013. For 2011, the figure was just over 93 percent. It certainly appears that cardholders with more mature accounts have renewed confidence in their ability to repay card balances.

The FICO Benchmarking Reporting Service also showed positive trends for credit lines and payments. Average credit lines have risen to £4,364, their highest point since June 2009. Cardholders are paying off more of their balance each month, with the percentage of payments to balance rising from 23.4 percent in December, 2011, to 27.5 percent in December, 2013.

If you’re a UK card issuer and want to get insights into how your portfolios are performing relative to the rest of the market, speak to your account representative or contact Stacey West at staceywest@fico.com.