CHICAGO—The credit card market continued to show steady momentum and healthier consumer risk signals in the third quarter of 2025, according to TransUnion’s latest Credit Industry Insights Report.
Credit card origination volumes—reported one quarter in arrears—rose for the third consecutive period, increasing 9% year-over-year to 20.5 million in Q2 2025. That marks the largest annual increase in two years and reflects growth in both the super-prime and subprime borrower segments.
Despite rising account openings, lenders tightened risk settings modestly. Average new account credit lines declined 1.6% year-over-year, with subprime borrowers seeing the sharpest pullback at 5.0%.
Delinquency performance continued to strengthen, with consumer-level 90-day-plus past-due rates falling to 2.37%, a 7-basis-point improvement year-over-year. Similar declines were reported across 30-day and 60-day delinquency buckets, pointing to improved payment behavior and stronger borrower profiles following adjustments to underwriting standards.
“The credit card industry continued its steady expansion in Q3 2025, with origination volumes from Q2 rising for the third consecutive quarter, driven by consistent growth in both super prime and subprime segments. Total new account credit lines also increased, while lenders managed risk through smaller credit limits. Encouragingly, delinquency rates continued to improve, signaling healthier consumer credit behavior and reinforcing the impact of more disciplined and consistent lending practices,” said Paul Siegfried, senior vice president, credit card business leader at TransUnion.