Surging Consumer Credit Demand Pushes Issuers to Upgrade Payments Infrastructure

Traditional credit card platforms typically rely on batch processing, fixed billing cycles and a single revolving balance, making it difficult to support real-time credit-limit changes, installment plans for individual purchases and hybrid repayment options. As BNPL features become integrated into credit cards, PYMNTS Intelligence and Paymentology say unified cloud ledgers have become critical to helping issuers accelerate product launches and compete more effectively.

Research released on March 3, 2026, found that 81% of U.S. consumers with a credit card or store card carried an average monthly balance of $3,564 in November 2025, up 9% in two months. A separate Mastercard survey found that 74% of cardholders were more likely to use a card offering installment payments, while installment spending surged 46% during the peak travel season.