The total personal credit card portfolio experienced a considerable reduction in its growth rate between July 2025 and July 2026, with its year-on-year expansion going from +17.2% last year to +2.1% this year, a difference of -15.1 percentage points.
In this way, the portfolio reached RD$125.429 billion in July of this year, according to the Performance Report of the Personal Credit Card Portfolio July 2026, published by the Superintendency of Banks (SB), which also highlights the lower issuance of new cards and the improvement in the main risk indicators over the last year.
The report reveals a decrease in the number of credit cards, which stood at 3.57 million, equivalent to a year-on-year reduction of -1.3%. Likewise, the issuance of new credit cards fell by -20.2% in the last 12 months, going from 871,364 to 695,168 cards, with a more pronounced decrease in lower-income segments.
As of July 2026, the financial system recorded 2.05 million cardholders, a figure that represents a year-on-year growth of +0.2%. On average, each user holds 1.74 credit cards, slightly below the level observed a year earlier.
“In real terms, the balance showed a contraction, becoming one of the least dynamic portfolios within the financial system,” according to the publication, which also attributes this behavior to the fact that the segment is in the final stage of a credit cycle following the expansion recorded in 2024.
The study published each year by the SB analyzes the behavior of credit cards, which are an important payment instrument intended to be used also as a credit product.
The study also highlights that credit cards continue to be the main gateway to the financial system for new users. During the last twelve months, 55.8% of new debtors entered the system through this financial product, far exceeding the historical levels observed before the pandemic.
Risk
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Risk indicators showed a favorable trend. Delinquency over 90 days decreased from 6.0% to 5.3%, while the non-performing loan ratio fell from 11.5% to 10.6%, reflecting better portfolio quality and lower credit deterioration.
In general, the report concludes that the analyzed indicators do not show a pattern of systemic household over-indebtedness or a generalized accumulation of risks in financial intermediation entities.
In that sense, the Superintendency of Banks will continue to monitor the evolution of the portfolio, especially in the lower-income segments, with the purpose of preserving the stability and health of the Dominican financial system.
