In Brief: Direct Mail Card Offers Set Record in 2Q

TARRYTOWN, N.Y. — A record number of credit card solicitations was mailed to U.S. consumers in the second quarter of 2000 — a whopping 992 million — and response rates dipped to an all-time low of 0.4%, according to a report released Thursday by BaiGlobal Inc.

The market research firm, which tracks credit card mailings, said that 79% of all U.S. households received at least one solicitation during the second quarter. The ten largest card issuers accounted for 91% of all mailings.

The second-quarter volume was significantly higher. In the first quarter of this year, 629 million card offers were sent, and in the last quarter of 1999, 510 million went out.

Responses slipped from the 0.7% rate that had held in the previous two quarters, furthering a decline which began in early 1999.

There was a silver lining: Card issuers received 4 million applications in response to direct mail offers, 14% more applications than they received from the same source a year ago, the report said.

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