By Jennifer Hill

LONDON (Reuters) - Every credit card borrower is paying the price for a crackdown on defaulters, figures show.

The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) ruled two years ago that charges levied when customers fail to make the minimum payment on a bill were unfair, forcing providers to cut default charges to 12 pounds or less.

Since then, the average purchase rate on credit cards has jumped to 16.4 percent from 14.9 percent, data from price comparison Web site Moneyfacts.co.uk shows.

Analyst Michelle Slade said: "Previously, whereas only a select number of customers were being penalised, now all borrowers are paying the price."

While those who repay the full balance every month are not affected, those who repay the minimum amount are being hit the hardest.

People with a balance of 5,000 pounds repaying just 2.5 percent per month will wind up paying an additional 755 pounds in interest.

Other costs have increased too, as lenders vie to recoup the lost revenue and boost their margins.

The average interest rate for cash withdrawals has soared to 24.3 percent from 18.1, and charges for making a cash withdrawal have risen too.