While bank-lending rates have declined recently, anyone using a credit card is not getting any sympathy from the banks. The Listin Diario reports that the average monthly credit charge is a whopping 6.44%, with some banks charging up to 8%. The newspaper indicates that more than 463,000 credit card-holders returned their cards last year, due to the high interest rates. Nevertheless, credit card purchase volume is up and this is a highly profitable sector for commercial banks. Banks reaped RD$3.7 billion in interest payment revenues during the first nine months of 2004.