Internet 'Increasingly Important' to Credit Card Users

The internet has become increasingly important to the credit card industry in recent times, Global Reviews has found.

According to the online researchers, almost two-thirds of consumers use the internet when looking to purchase a credit card; websites of card firms as well as online price comparison sites are both often used by potential customers in order to make their decision. Additionally, Global Reviews said that 68 per cent of people go online to manage their account after the purchase is made.

While not covered by the study, the continued popularity of online shopping is also forming an important growth area of credit card use. Latest figures from Point Topic show that around 69 per cent of people currently shop on the internet at least once a month, with a large majority of purchases made through plastic card.

Global Reviews said in a statement that many card providers should improve their websites in order to take advantage of these trends. "With so many customers going online, providers wanting to attract these customers need to make sure that their website offers the information customers are looking for," the firm claimed.

"All the online applications we looked at could be significantly improved. There is a lot more that providers can be doing to make it easier for their customers online."