PLASTIC CARDS AND CONSUMER CREDIT Available to Purchase

Only a small proportion of consumer borrowing is provided by bank and retailer credit cards. Discusses how recent changes in credit card terms and societal attitudes may further reduce that borrowing. Suggests debit cards will become increasingly important as a means of payment in the UK –plastic cards in general will be used more as paper transactions decline. In Europe there may be convergence of plastic card usage with eventual reduction in the number of credit card issuers.