3年，信用卡注销近1亿张！银行这项业务持续调整

Core Viewpoint - The credit card industry in China has experienced a significant contraction over the past three years, with a total reduction of nearly 100 million cards, indicating a shift from expansion to quality optimization in credit card business [2][3]. Group 1: Credit Card Quantity and Trends - As of September 2025, the total number of credit cards in China has decreased to 707 million, down from a peak of 807 million in September 2022, marking a continuous decline for 12 consecutive quarters [3]. - The decline in credit card issuance is attributed to stricter regulatory oversight, which has shifted the focus from quantity metrics to quality metrics in evaluating banks' credit card operations [3]. - Major banks have accelerated the cleanup of "sleeping credit cards," defined as those with no active transactions for over 18 months, in response to regulatory requirements [3]. Group 2: Performance of Major Banks - In the first half of 2025, several major state-owned banks, including Bank of Communications, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, and China Construction Bank, reported a year-on-year decline in credit card issuance, with reductions of approximately 4.79 million, 4 million, and 2 million cards, respectively [4]. - Conversely, some banks like Citic Bank and Bank of China have seen growth in credit card issuance, with Citic Bank increasing by about 6.37 million cards [4]. Group 3: Closure of Credit Card Centers - A total of 63 credit card centers have ceased operations in 2025, including significant closures by Bank of Communications, which shut down 56 centers in major cities [5][6]. - The closures reflect a strategic shift in banks' operations, moving from centralized credit card management to localized branch management to better serve customers [7]. Group 4: Credit Card Loan Performance - The total transaction amount using credit cards has decreased, with major banks reporting declines in credit card consumption amounts, such as China Merchants Bank's credit card consumption dropping by approximately 188.8 billion yuan year-on-year [8][9]. - The credit card overdue loan balance has also seen a decline in several joint-stock banks, indicating pressure on retail assets [8][9]. Group 5: Asset Quality and Risk - The credit card non-performing loan (NPL) ratio has increased for several banks, with Industrial and Commercial Bank of China reporting an NPL ratio of 3.75%, up 0.72 percentage points year-on-year [9]. - The overall retail loan risk is becoming more apparent, with rising NPL ratios in credit card loans, although the rate of increase appears to be slowing [9].