The World’s Top 10 Credit Card Issuers based on year-end 2009 data are listed below:
1. Bank of America (BAC)
2. Chase (JPM) – Had 119.4 million cards in circulation in the US
3. Citibank (C) – Had 92 million cards in circulation in the US
4. American Express (AXP)
5. Capital One (COF) – Holds 6.95% of the US credit card market
6. HSBC (HBC) -Is the sixth largest issuer worldwide and holds just 2.05% of the US market
7. Discover (DFS) – Had 54.4 million cards in circulation
8. Wells Fargo (WFC) – Had 17.3 million cards in circulation
9. Barclays (BCS)
10. Llyods Group (LYG)
Source: Â CreditCards.com and Nilson Report, via CNBC
Except for HSBC, Barclays and Llyods, the rest of them are US-based issuers. While the US credit card issuers enjoyed great growth rates in the pre-credit crisis period, it remains to be seen how they would fare in the “new normal”.