The largest credit unions also had higher average balances and a higher percentage draw on available credit.

Among the largest 10 credit unions, the average balance was $5,226, up 2.9% from a year earlier. The use rate was 34.2%, up slightly from 33.9% a year earlier.

Among the others with cards, the average balance was $2,380, up 2.4% from a year earlier. The use rate was 25.0%, up from 24.6% a year earlier.

Velera, the nation’s largest payments CUSO, reported last month that the total balances among its member credit unions rose 3.6% in the 12 months ending Sept. 30. On Tuesday it reported growth slowed to 3.1% for the 12 months ending Oct. 31.

The Velera Payment Index said spending by credit card in October was 0.7% greater than a year earlier. Spending by debit rose 5.1%.

The 10 largest credit card holders as of Sept. 30 were the same as a year earlier. They are:

• Navy Federal Credit Union of Vienna, Va. ($180.8 billion in assets, 14 million members), which held $30.5 billion in credit card balances as of Sept. 30, up 9% from a year earlier. The average balance was $6,508, up 2.7% from a year earlier. The use rate was 37.8%, up from 37.7% a year earlier.
• Pentagon Federal Credit Union of Tysons, Va. ($32.7 billion in assets, 2.8 million members), which held $2.1 billion in credit card balances, down 13.7% from a year earlier. The average balance was $2,504, down 6.4% from a year earlier. The use rate was 21%, down from 22.5% a year earlier.
• BECU of Tukwila, Wash. ($29.7 billion in assets, 1.5 million members), which held $1.7 billion in credit card balances, up 7.1% from a year earlier. The average balance was $4,546, up 2.3% from a year earlier. The use rate was 24.8%, up from 24.5% a year earlier.
• SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union of Santa Ana, Calif. ($31.1 billion in assets, 1.4 million members), which held $1.3 billion in credit card balances, up 14.9% from a year earlier. The average balance was $3,675, up 5.9% from a year earlier. The use rate was 30%, up from 28.6% a year earlier.
• State Employees’ Credit Union of Raleigh, N.C. ($57.2 billion in assets, 2.8 million members), which held $1.2 billion in credit card balances, up 6.7% from a year earlier. The average balance was $3,452, up 6.8% from a year earlier. The use rate was 33%, down from 33.3% a year earlier.
• Suncoast Credit Union of Tampa, Fla. ($18.4 billion in assets, 1.2 million members), which held $1.1 billion in credit card balances, down 0.2% from a year earlier. The average balance was $4,007, down 4.6% from a year earlier. The use rate was 31.5%, up from 30% a year earlier.
• Mountain America Federal Credit Union of Salt Lake City ($20.3 billion in assets, 1.3 million members), which held $981.9 million in credit card balances, up 14.4% from a year earlier. The average balance was $2,257, up 1.5% from a year earlier. The use rate was 31.8%, up from 31.5% a year earlier.
• America First Federal Credit Union of Riverdale, Utah ($21.4 billion in assets, 1.5 million members), which held $932.2 million in credit card balances, up 9.2% from a year earlier. The average balance was $3,680, up 3.7% from a year earlier. The use rate was 24.6%, down from 24.9% a year earlier.
• Pennsylvania State Employees Credit Union of Harrisburg ($8.5 billion in assets, 594,078 members), which held $825.4 million in credit card balances, down 1.6% from a year earlier. The average balance was $5,108, down 0.5% from a year earlier. The use rate was 43.3%, down from 44.5% a year earlier.
• Digital Federal Credit Union of Marlborough, Mass. ($12.1 billion in assets, 1.6 million members), which held $694.2 million in credit card balances, up 5.2% from a year earlier. The average balance was $3,764, up 4.1% from a year earlier. The use rate was 21.2%, up from 20.7% a year earlier.