Could this be the decline of credit cards? It used to be a credit card's biggest enemy was a common pair of scissors, now another is gaining ground. The Pre-paid debit card. I know I have been using this method of payment instead of a Credit Card for a few years and I love it, however it may not work for all people. But look and see what it's doing for others.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/young-americans-ditching-credit-cards-103000414.html