Dominican credit card debt reached RD$122,364 million by July 2026, according to data published by the Asociación de Bancos Múltiples de la República Dominicana on Thursday.
This portfolio equals 5.8% of all bank loans in the country, encompassing the balances held by both households and businesses.
The banking association presented the portfolio as healthy, noting that more than 93% of these credits held an optimal "A" rating from the Superintendencia de Bancos as of July 2026. Credit card delinquency stood at 5.5%, remaining below the 7% average recorded across analyzed Latin American countries, revistamercado.do reported.
However, this delinquency rate exceeds the 1% average for total loans across the Dominican banking sector, which stands as the lowest in Latin America according to a Federation of Latin American Banks report cited by Bloomberg Línea.
Active credit cards expanded by 1,098,088 units between 2022 and June 2026, based on analysis from the banking association’s economic studies and technical directorates. Growth concentrated primarily in two tiers: cards with limits ranging from RD$25,000 to RD$50,000, which added about 320,000 accounts, and cards with limits of RD$150,000 and above, which grew by 289,105 units. Meanwhile, cards with the lowest limits of up to RD$10,000 declined by 45,024, leaving 616,336 active in that category.
The banking association attributed the expansion of higher-limit cards to increased household purchasing capacity and broader credit offerings as banks adjust policies for lower-risk clients. The organization views credit cards alongside savings accounts as a primary gateway to the formal financial system, allowing users to build the credit history required for housing, vehicle, or working capital loans.
While cards offer up to 50 days to settle balances interest-free when paid in full by the due date, finance costs remain a central point of contention. A legislative initiative in Congress aims to cap interest rates, while the Superintendencia de Bancos warns that such controls could restrict credit access for certain users and push them toward informal lenders.