Would you like to save 10 percent by applying for a store credit card? If you're like many Americans, your answer is probably 'no' when asked at the point of sale (POS).
Vyze recently surveyed 1,000 American consumers and found that while 9 out of 10 (89.4 percent) respondents have been asked to apply for credit in the store, only 6 out of 10 (61.2 percent) have actually applied there - and only 1 in 4 (24.3 percent) have applied online.
Surprisingly, competitive interest rates was not the top consideration when deciding to apply for credit, according to Vyze, rather experiential factors like rewards offers or incentives (59.7 percent) and a simple application (51.2 percent) among others, were of much higher consideration.
Why do shoppers turn down an application? Other than simply not wanting to finance a purchase, says Vyze, the key factors stopping shoppers from applying for credit in-store include: not wanting to provide financial information to a store associate (26.9 percent); a long application process (15 percent); and fear of being declined (10.4 percent). Security concerns are even more acute online, where the number one issue stopping credit applications is sharing financial information (41.8 percent).
"Retailers have invested tremendous energy and resources into extending credit offers to shoppers, but there is a significant gap when it comes to consumer response," said Keith Nealon, CEO of Vyze. "This survey shows that there is great opportunity to stand out and differentiate based on providing multiple financing choices, clear security messaging and the experience itself - in both the store and online channels."
Attractive credit options for shoppers include:
- More than one credit option (36.8 percent)
- Layaway plans (22.9 percent)
- Loans with set monthly payments (21.4 percent)