National banks dominate the world of credit. According to a 2023 survey of credit-seeking U.S. consumers, close to 70% of active-card users rely primarily on credit cards issued by a national bank, while only 8.3% turn to credit-union-issued cards. And despite the historical tendency to offer lower interest rates than big banks, credit unions only open about 4% of new credit card accounts, Forbes reported. These two figures are concerning when you consider that credit unions have a 16% market share for primary bank accounts, according to a PYMTS study, pointing to a long road ahead for credit unions that want to increase the footprint of their credit card programs.