CFPB Exposes Credit Card Tricks: 2025 Report Flags Fee Hikes
Published Date: 1/7/2026
Notice
Summary
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau just dropped its 2025 credit card market report, showing how credit card rules and fees have changed since 2023. This affects anyone with a credit card by highlighting fairer practices and clearer info, helping you avoid surprise fees and unfair interest hikes. The report, released at the end of 2025, signals ongoing efforts to keep credit cards safer and more transparent for all consumers.
Analyzed Economic Effects
8 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 3 costs, 3 mixed.
Credit Card APRs and Interest Rise
If you have a credit card, average APRs were very high in 2024: 25.2% for general purpose cards and 31.3% for private label cards. Consumers were charged $160 billion in interest in 2024, up from $105 billion in 2022.
More Cardholders Making Minimum Payments
The share of cardholders making only the minimum payment was at its highest level since at least 2015. Paying only the minimum typically extends how long you owe and increases total interest paid.
Alternative Data Expands Credit Access
The report says using alternative data, such as bank account cash flow information, is helping expand credit card access, particularly for people with limited credit history. This change is presented as increasing access to credit.
AI Is Increasing Payments Fraud
The report states that artificial intelligence is accelerating the incidence and seriousness of payments-related fraud in 2024. The report identifies rising AI-related fraud as a growing problem.
Applications and New Accounts Declined
U.S. consumers submitted over 153 million credit card applications in 2024, down from over 160 million in 2022 and 2023. New account originations declined 19% to 89 million in 2024, while total credit line across cards rose to over $5.7 trillion.
Large Volume of Disputes and Chargebacks
In 2024, cardholders disputed $9.8 billion in credit card charges and received $5.9 billion in chargebacks. For general purpose cards, 40% of disputes were for cancelled recurring transactions like subscriptions.
Delinquencies Peaked Then Fell
Delinquencies and charge-offs reached historically high levels in early 2024 but later fell back to pre-pandemic levels by the end of 2024. The report documents this rise and subsequent decline during 2024.
CFPB Not Proposing New Card Rules Now
The Bureau says it is not proposing any new or revised consumer credit card regulations at this time and is focusing on deregulation and reconsideration of past rulemakings. This reflects the Bureau's current regulatory agenda for credit cards.
Your PRIA Score
Personalized for You
How does this regulation affect your finances?
Sign up for a PRIA Policy Scan to see your personalized alignment score for this federal register document and every other regulation we track. We analyze your financial profile against policy provisions to show you exactly what matters to your wallet.
Key Dates
Department and Agencies
Related Federal Register Documents
2026-08494 — Small Business Lending Under the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (Regulation B)
Starting June 30, 2026, new rules will help banks and lenders better track loans to small, women-owned, and minority-owned businesses. These changes make it easier for lenders to follow the rules, improve the quality of loan data, and support fair lending. Lenders must fully comply by January 1, 2028, so small businesses get a fair shot at credit.
2026-07804 — Equal Credit Opportunity Act (Regulation B)
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is updating rules to make sure everyone gets a fair shot at credit without being unfairly discouraged or discriminated against. These changes clarify how lenders should handle special credit programs and prevent hidden biases. The new rules kick in on July 21, 2026, helping protect your rights and keep lending fair and square.
2025-19864 — Equal Credit Opportunity Act (Regulation B)
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is updating rules to make sure everyone gets a fair shot at credit, no matter who they are. These changes clarify how lenders should avoid unfair treatment and support special credit programs. If you want to share your thoughts, you’ve got until December 15, 2025, to speak up!
2025-19865 — Small Business Lending Under the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (Regulation B)
The CFPB is updating rules for small business loans to make things simpler and fairer for lenders and borrowers. These changes affect banks and lenders by redefining which loans count and what info they must collect, aiming to improve data quality. Comments on the proposal are open until December 15, 2025, so get ready to weigh in!
2025-19689 — Registry of Nonbank Covered Persons Subject to Certain Agency and Court Orders; Rescission
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is canceling a rule that made certain nonbank companies report government orders about their financial products. This change means those companies won’t have to share this info anymore, saving them and the Bureau time and money. The new rule takes effect right away on October 29, 2025, and aims to keep things simpler without hurting consumer protection.
2025-19687 — Rules of Practice for Adjudication Proceedings
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is rolling back some changes it made in 2022 and 2023 to how it runs legal hearings, like depositions and deadlines. These old rules are mostly gone, but a few small clarifications stick around. This update kicks in on October 29, 2025, and affects anyone involved in CFPB legal cases, making the process clearer and smoother without adding new costs.
Previous / Next Documents
Previous: 2026-00080 — Combined Notice of Filings #1
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission got new filings from energy companies like Midland Cogeneration and Apache Hill Energy, who say they qualify as exempt wholesale generators. Several wind and energy storage companies also updated their rate plans, aiming for changes to start December 10, 2025. If you want to comment, mark your calendar for deadlines between January 21 and 28, 2026—these updates could affect energy prices and operations soon!
Next: 2026-00082 — Utility Scale Wind Towers From Canada, Indonesia, South Korea, and Vietnam; Scheduling of Expedited Five-Year Reviews
The U.S. International Trade Commission is speeding up reviews to decide if special taxes on big wind towers from Canada, Indonesia, South Korea, and Vietnam should stay. This affects companies making or selling these towers and could impact prices or trade rules soon. The decision process kicked off on November 24, 2025, and aims to keep the playing field fair for U.S. businesses.