Consumer credit companies look to expand customer base with lower incomes

Major consumer credit companies say they are highly confident about the growth potential of China's consumer finance market, and plan to further expand their customer base in the mainland, mainly to those clients with middle and low incomes as well as rural residents.

China's consumer finance products customers are mainly young people aged below 30, and more than 60 percent of them have a monthly income lower than 5,000 yuan ($720), according to a new report released by the Center for China in the World Economy at Tsinghua University.

The report said most of the customers don't have credit cards and credit histories. Most of them use loans to buy durable consumer goods, mainly household electrical appliances, in addition to motorbikes, electric vehicles and agricultural machinery. Although concerned about the lending rate, over half of customers are more concerned about the application requirements and difficulties of getting approval.