Russian banks began to lure new customers with credit cards with improved conditions, writes RBC with reference to the data of the National Bureau of Credit Stories (NBS).
According to the Bureau, in April, the average limit at the Russian issued credit cards increased by 3.6 thousand rubles, or 5.2 percent to 72.9 thousand rubles. This indicator has become the highest since the beginning of 2019.
Compared to April 2020, the average credit card limit rose by 12.3 percent. However, this indicator is partly associated with the effect of a low base: in the spring of 2020 banks tightened the requirements for potential borrowers, including credit cards, against the background of the coronavirus pandemic.
These credit bureaus also confirm such a tendency: the average limit increased by 4.5 thousand rubles to the Equifax Bureau, or 6.7 percent – up to 72.5 thousand, in the United Credit Bureau (OKB) – on 3.3 percent, up to 71.4 thousand rubles.
Banks, as a rule, consider credit cards not as a channel for granting a loan, but as a way of earning a commission for acquiring accumulations (receiving payments on cards in outlets) – by the growth of customer card transactions.