Publication Type

Journal Article

Version

submittedVersion

Publication Date

4-2023

Abstract

Using account-level credit card data from a large Turkish bank, we study the impact of a unique credit card policy that increases minimum payment on consumption and debt repayment. We show that the policy reduces credit card spending and debt, boosts existing debt repayment, and reduces credit card delinquency. The credit card debt of affected consumers falls on average by 50% two years into the policy’s implementation. An increase in minimum payment has a stronger effect than does a decrease of a similar magnitude. We build a benchmark life cycle model with soft liquidity constraint to explain the reduction in credit card spending.

Keywords

credit card policy, minimum payment, consumption, debt repayment, credit card spending, credit card debt, delinquency, Turkish bank, life cycle model, liquidity constraint

Discipline

Economic Policy | Finance | Finance and Financial Management

Research Areas

Finance

Publication

Review of Financial Studies

ISSN

0893-9454

Identifier

10.1093/rfs/hhad024

Publisher

Oxford University Press

Copyright Owner and License

Authors

hhad024_supplementary_data.pdf (867 kB)
Appendix

Additional URL

https://doi.org/10.1093/rfs/hhad024

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