Despite these challenges, the popularity of credit cards remains high in the U.S., with almost 45.5 percent of Americans opening at least one new account last year, leading to 542.6 million new accounts by the end of 2023. Debit cards are still the preferred method for day-to-day expenses for over 50 percent of the population, but credit cards remain a close second, being used by 36 percent of Americans for daily transactions.