More card facts

Harriet Johnson Brackey

We keep adding accounts

Almost one out of four Floridians has opened a new credit card account in the last 12 months. Meanwhile, the average credit score in the state is 672, slightly below the nationwide average of 675.

Retailers love it

Target, in its third quarter, showed that pretax profits on its credit-card operation surged 62.9 percent. Target earned $176 million before taxes on credit-card revenues of $414 million.

So do colleges

Universities can receive more than $2.5 million a year in deals with credit-card marketers to use the university's logo and provide student contact information.

1 IN 9 HIT BY CREDIT CARD FRAUD

ONE in nine people has fallen victim to credit card fraudsters, it was revealed yesterday.

A Europe-wide survey revealed nearly 23million people in eight countries had been swindled.

Now one in four Brits who have lost money to hi-tech thieves are shunning cards in favour of cash because it is more secure.

The findings come as the EU move ahead with their payment services directive, which aims to promote the use of electronic payments.

The survey of 8000 people was commissioned by the European Security Transport Association.

They found 11 per cent of adults - 22.8million people - have had their card details stolen or used illegally.

ESTA warned that consumers are gradually being forced by banks to pay electronically but there are insufficient anti-fraud safeguards in place.

ESTA's Mike Bowen said: "European Commission research found almost a third of card-fraud victims are never reimbursed by their card provider, despite claims to the contrary by banks.

"People should be free to choose how to pay and not dictated to by banks and regulators looking to increase revenues from electronic transactions."