44% of the card users noticed an increase in the invoice at the end of 2017, which on average reached R $966. Among those who attempted to make installments, 21% had credit denied

The credit card may be an ally of consumers who cannot pay for a good in sight, but depending on their use, it can also cause financial imbalance. Data from the credit use indicator determined by SPC Brazil (Credit protection Service) and Cndl (National Confederation of Shopkeepers) reveal that in every ten credit card users, three (28%) did not pay the full invoice in the last month of December, with 15% entering the revolving credit. Respondents who paid the full invoice totaled 68% of the sample and 3% did not want to respond.

The interest charged by the banks when the customer does not pay the full amount of the credit card invoice are high and reach 335% per year, on average, according to official data from the Central bank.

"Rotary rates outweigh more than ten times the average rates of a payroll credit. By the new rules of the card, the consumer can stay at most one month in the revolving. After that, the balance is parcelled at a lower interest rate. Even so, the interest remains high, so the consumer must not count on the payment of a value below the integral. Even if it is possible, this costs expensive, even with the installment ", warns the chief economist of SPC Brazil, Marcela Kawauti.

46% of Brazilians used some form of credit in December. Credit usage indicator jumps from 23.7 points to 31.0 points on the scale

According to the survey, in the last month of December, 46% of Brazilians resorted to some form of credit, and the credit card was the most common, with 37% of mentions. Next, the credit or booklet appears, with 17% of use, special check (9%), loans (9%) and financing (8%). Those who were not used in any modality add up to 54% of consumers.

Due to the period of festivities, which traditionally warms sales in the last months of the year, the credit usage indicator has reached the highest value since January 2017, beginning of the historical series. In December, the index stood at 31.0 points, on a scale ranging from zero to 100, and the higher, the higher the use of credit modalities. The result was well above that observed in November, when the indicator scored 23.7 points.

Average credit card invoice is R $966; Grocery shopping were the main destination of ' plastic money '

According to the survey of SPC Brazil, considering the Brazilians who used credit cards in December, 44% noticed an increase in the value of the invoice, while 20% reduced the costs on the card and 29% see stability. On average, the invoice of the users reached R $966.32.

The survey still shows that the use of the card is no longer limited to the purchase of high-value items, which usually need to be parcelled. The current expenses of each month are also made on credit. Supermarket purchases were the type of acquisition most held on the card, cited by 56%. Then are the garments and advisors (45%), remedies (39%) and fuel (34%).

José Vignoli, the financial educator of the portal ' My Pocket Feliz ', advises that, with each payment on the card, the consumer will assess how much the performance would compromise his income. "The card is an excellent payment instrument, because unlike the crediary and the loan, it only charges interest in cases of non-payment or minimum payment of the invoice. This requires consumer organization to ensure that there will be no delays or use of the rotary, "Vignoli warns.

54% assess hiring loans and financing as difficult and 21% had credit denied in store

The assessment of the degree of difficulty in obtaining approval in loans and financing showed that 54% of consumers say they consider it difficult or very difficult to hire the service, while for 20% it is neither easy nor difficult, and for 10%, easy.

Considering only those who attempted to make a split purchase, 21% had the credit denied, the main reason being the insufficiency or lack of proof of income, cited by 9%. In addition to delinquency, which made 5% of these respondents not be able to hire financing or to parcelate their purchases.

For the president of SPC Brazil, Roque Pellizzaro Junior, the scenario of slow resumption of the recession ends up intensifying the care of financial institutions at the time of granting credit, which hinders their access by the consumer. "With the gradual resumption of the economy, the situation must revert. There is already an increase in credit concessions in comparison with the most acute period of the crisis, which can be reinforced by the decline in interest rates, "says Pellizzaro.

The chief economist of SPC Brazil, Marcela Kawauti, also assesses that it is also up to consumers to analyze the real need to take debt. "In many cases, the consumer has the approved credit and makes choices with which he/she cannot afford, compromising the budget for a long period of time. So, before you make that decision, you need to assess the term conditions, I swear. It is also worth assessing whether the parcels will not compromise the payment of other expenses and the financial reserve, which should be seen as a compromise, "he says.

Methodology

The research covered 12 capitals of the five Brazilian regions, namely: São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Belo Horizonte, Porto Alegre, Curitiba, Recife, Salvador, Fortaleza, Brasília, Goiânia, Manaus and Belém. Together, these cities add up to approximately 80% of the population residing in the capitals. The sample of 800 cases consisted of persons aged 18 years or older, of both sexes and of all social classes. The margin of error is 3.5 percentage points.

Download the full indicator at Https://www.spcbrasil.org.br/pesquisas/indices-economicos