Then there are the effects of having such a thick intermediary, a duopoly. Some consumers can't get a credit card. It's hard for consumers vulnerable to overspending & borrowing to avoid the card's expensive credit component.
There's also a general brokenness (IMO) of the "pull" nature of credit cards. I want to send vendors money, not authorize them to take some themselves while reserving the right to dispute the charge. Even for recurring transactions I would rather an easy bill paying service that works like invoices & checks do, but with a 10X simpler UI.