What do credit Card Companies do with spending figures?

So do credit card companies compile the spending data of their card holders with there demographic data to produce reports that they share with different industry's (i.e. automotive, health care, retail)? or do they sell the data to companies/marketing organizations? or do they do nothing with the data?

Public Comments

1. they do some companies post the data up for free some of them work alongside retailers - measure the data & then come out with offers & stuff.