Capital Access Network Inc.'s (CAN) Data Services Division reports that the nation’s "Main Street" brick-and-mortar retailers and service providers experienced a 3.09% decline in same store credit and signature debit card sales in Q1 2011 as compared to Q1 2010.

The average charge-off rate on U.S. consumer credit cards fell in March, resuming its general trend of improvement after a slight uptick in February, and account-delinquencies also declined, according to new data Moody’s Investors Service released April 25.

American Express Co. earned first quarter net income of $1.2 billion, up 35.6% from $885 million during the same period in 2010. Total revenues net of interest expense rose 6.1%, to $7 billion from $6.6 billion, the company announced April 20.

As the average credit card charge-off rate has declined sharply over the past six months, so has demand for collection agencies’ services.

Early data show consumers survived the holidays with less financial distress than in previous few years, and the average U.S. credit card charge-off rate for most major issuers is on track to decline for at least the next few months, according to analysts at Moody’s Investors Service.

Citing increased consumer spending and improving economic conditions, Bank of America Corp.’s Global Card Services unit posted a sharp profit-increase during the first quarter ended March 31.

Driven by lower provision for credit losses, partially offset by lower net revenue, JPMorgan Chase & Co.’s Card Services unit generated net income of $1.34 billion for the first quarter ended March 30; it reported a $303 million loss during the same period last year, the New York-based issuer reported April 13.

Credit scores nationwide fell two points to 665 in the first quarter ended March 31, according to CreditKarma.com, which released its U.S. Credit Score Climate Report on Wednesday.

Most consumers hold at least one rewards-based credit card and would consider paying an annual fee if it meant they would receive and earn more rewards, new research suggests.

Even a brief, voluntary online financial-literacy lesson can have a significant positive effect on how college students use credit cards, including driving them to have higher average credit scores and fewer credit card late fees, new research suggests.

Recent data indicating that U.S. consumer credit card delinquency rates continue to improve is a positive for card issuers, despite what analysts view as a short-term uptick in U.S. consumer credit card defaults during February.

Certain effects of the economic downturn have begun to ease, but one recession-hatched trend persists: Cash-strapped consumers continue to show a preference for paying their credit card bills over their mortgages, according to new data TransUnion LLC released Tuesday.

Experian unveiled an income model this week to help lenders comply with the Federal Reserve’s amendment to Regulation Z (Truth in Lending) of the CARD Act. The amendment requires credit card issuers to judge borrowers’ ability to pay individually rather than relying on household income.

The average charge-off rate on U.S. consumer credit cards inched upward in February, ending a streak of five consecutive months of declines. But the uptick is the result of “seasonal patterns” and is unlikely to affect the general trend of improving card-portfolio health, according to Moody’s Investors Service.

Continued improvement in Discover Financial Services’ card portfolio driven by higher Pulse, Diners Club and third-party issuer volume helped the payments company generate net income of $465 million for the fiscal first quarter ended Feb. 28, the card company reported Tuesday. Discover reported a $104 million loss for the same period last year.

Certain card issuers grappling with the fallout of new and pending regulations are beginning to recognize that a dramatically different approach to designing payment products may be needed to cope with even more potential regulatory changes ahead.

American Express Co. cardholders borrowed less on using their cards in February compared with the two previous months, AmEx reported this week in a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filing.

U.S. consumer credit card defaults declined again in January, reaching their lowest levels in more than two years as the economy gradually stabilized and more consumers were able to meet their payment obligations, according to new data from Fitch Ratings Inc. and Standard & Poor’s.

Many consumers still are not familiar with the Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility and Disclosure Act and believe it has not had any effect on them, new research suggests.

The number of U.S. credit card accounts rose slightly during last year’s fourth quarter, to 380 million accounts from 378 million the previous quarter, reversing a trend of declining accounts that had gone on since the second quarter of 2008, according to the New York Federal Reserve.