Intensified competition in cards results in waste

According to statistics from the People's Bank of China, banks have, to date, issued 20 million credit cards in more than 20 kinds on the Chinese mainland. There are 12 million personal card holders, accounting for one percent of the total population.

Competition in the credit card market has intensified to its most fierce. More banks joined the war by launching series of new credit card products, particularly since the beginning of this year. For instance, China Everbright Bank, whose credit card center was just set up in the latter half of 2005, had issued 500,000 cards by October 10.

This year alone, it issued seven kinds: Yanhuang, Sunshine Commercial, World Cup Theme, Zhengzhou Zhengda Garden Sponsored, Fu Card, Ruyi Sanbao and Golf UnionPay credit cards. The China CITIC Bank issued six products: AirChina, Magic Gold, CITIC Star, Southern Fund, World Cup and Student I cards. The largest card issuer, China Merchants Bank, launched its ANA credit cards, in cooperation with Japanese airline ANA.