金融英语阅读辅导：招行信用卡最受宠

　　 Questions like these threw up the first credit cards rating by top Chinese credit card portal 51credit.com and Shanghai-based poll firm 51poll.com as they released the result of a three-month survey via Internet and telephone.

　　 The rating came from the survey of 20,000 cardholders in more than 100 cities, according to Tu Zhiyun, CEO and founder of 51credit.com.

　　 China Merchants Bank (CMB), one of the best performing commercial banks and the largest card issuer in China, was rated the best in the general category for its popular dual-currency credit card.

　　 Shanghai-based Pudong Development Bank was crowned the best in the platinum card segment for successfully targeting high-end clients, thanks to its close cooperation with Citibank.

　　 The Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, topped the rating in the co-branded bracket for its card issued in association with China National Petroleum Corporation, China s largest oil company.

　　 Several others got the top honors as the best credit card for women, travel, sports and best design.

　　 The total number of credit cards in China is around 30 million, compared with 500 million in the United States.

　　 The growing wealth of the Chinese people has added allure to the credit card business. The number of credit cards issued is expected to double in 2007.

　　 However, most banks are losing money in their credit card businesses as a large portion of the cards have apparently never been used since they were issued.

　　 CMB is currently the only commercial bank to have made a profit in the segment.

　　 The bank said the circulation of its dual-currency credit card reached 10 million by the end of 2006, a jump of 100 percent from 2005, and accounted for 35 percent of the credit card market in China.

　　 如果你是一位女士，你最喜欢哪个银行的信用卡？如果你是个体育爱好者，你觉得哪张信用卡用起来最方便？

　　 中国信用卡门户网站“我爱卡”和上海51poll.com调查公司开展了一项为期三个月的互联网和电话调查，并于日前公布了我国首届信用卡排名。

　　 “我爱卡”网站的创始人兼董事长涂志云说，这一排行源于对100多个城市的2万名持卡人的调查。

　　 我国运营状况最好的商业银行之一、最大的信用卡发行银行招商银行发行的双币信用卡被评为普通卡类最受欢迎信用卡。

　　 上海浦东发展银行由于与花旗银行密切合作，它所发行的面向高端客户的白金信用卡被评为最受持卡人喜爱的白金信用卡。

　　 中国工商银行联合我国最大的石油公司中油国际发行的“工行牡丹中油国际信用卡”被评为最受持卡人喜爱的联名信用卡。

　　 此外，持卡人还评出了最受持卡人喜爱的女性、商旅、体育和最佳设计等信用卡。

　　 目前，我国信用卡的流通卡数大约为3000万张，而美国的这一数字为5亿。

　 　中国人收入的不断提高是信用卡业发展的一大动力。2007年我国的信用卡流通卡数预计将翻一番。

　 　但大多数银行在信用卡业务上都是亏本运作，因为很大一部分信用卡被发行之后根本没被使用。

　 　招行是国内目前唯一一个能在信用卡业务上赚得利润的银行。

　　 据招行透露，双币卡的流通卡数截至去年年底达到1000万张，比2005年翻了一番，占国内信用卡市场的35%。