Pertanika J. Soc. Sci. & Hum. 24 (S): 179 - 192 (2016) ISSN: 0128-7702 © Universiti Putra Malaysia Press SOCIAL SCIENCES & HUMANITIES Journal homepage: http://www.pertanika.upm.edu.my/ Article history: Received: 14 April 2016 Accepted: 28 October 2016 ARTICLE INFO E-mail addresses: ksalina@iium.edu.my (Salina Kassim), rahayu@upm.edu.my (Siti Rahayu Hussin) * Corresponding author Do Marketing Strategies Have Significant Influence on Usage of Credit Cards? Empirical Evidence from Malaysia Salina Kassim 1 * and Siti Rahayu Hussin 2 1 Institute of Islamic Banking and Finance, International Islamic University Malaysia, 50728 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 2 Department of Management and Marketing, Faculty of Economics and Management, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia ABSTRACT This study explores the impact of marketing strategies of credit card providers on credit card users in Malaysia. It investigates customers’ perception of credit card products, promotions, pricing and place strategies. Credit card usage patterns are observed in terms of card possession, usage frequency, spending amount and usage motivation. The study adopts a quantitative research approach through survey questionnaires to link marketing strategies with credit card usage. Logistic regression was performed to determine the relationship between marketing strategies and credit card usage. The 4Ps of credit card providers’ marketing strategies (namely product, pricing, promotion and place/availability) have been shown to exert various degrees of influence on credit card usage. The study found product, pricing and availability strategies influence credit card usage, but there is no significant relationship between promotion strategies and credit card usage among Malaysians. Keywords: Credit card usage, marketing strategies, compulsive spending, Malaysia INTRODUCTION The pressure to increase market share and ensure customer loyalty and satisfaction have led to many credit card providers to engage in innovative and creative marketing strategies. Card providers intensify their marketing efforts to differentiate their products from others amid stiff competition. Consequently, several ethical issues arise that have captured the interest of researchers. A specific area of interest is to evaluate the influence of