Monthly number of active credit card accounts in the UK 2012-2023

The number of active credit card accounts in the United Kingdom (UK) generally increased between 2012 and 2021 with significant variation between certain months. There was a sharp increase in active credit card accounts between February 2019 and February 2020 and an equivalent decline thereafter. As of October 2021, there were 34.79 million accounts in the UK. Active credit card accounts are those with balances outstanding at the end of the calendar month, and make up more than half of the total credit card accounts in the UK for the same period. As of October 2021, there were approximately 52.97 million active credit card accounts in the UK.

Transactions and purchases

The global coronavirus pandemic has had a negative effect on credit card transactions in the UK. Between December 2019 and June 2020, the number of monthly credit card transactions has almost halved. The value of purchases has also seen a decrease into 2020.

Average purchase amounts

Along with the number of transactions and the fall in the value of purchases made, the average amount spent per purchase using a credit card has also fallen in 2020. This suggests that the current economic situation is making individuals far more cautious of the purchases they make.