NEW YORK — The nation’s top six credit card companies provided further evidence Monday that card users are more in control of their spending and payments.

All but one of the banks reported that late payments and defaults on card balances, which also back card-based securities, hit new multiyear lows for April.

Only Bank of America said defaults rose, and its rate remained at a two-year low.

The Charlotte, N.C.-based bank said balances considered uncollectible, or charge offs, as they’re known in the industry, rose to 8.25 percent of balances on an annualized basis last month, up from 8.18 percent in March. Still, the rate is well below its August 2009 peak of 14.53 percent.

Capital One Financial reported the biggest drop in defaults, down to 4.97 percent annualized, a level last seen in late 2007. American Express kept its position as the issuer with the lowest default rate, at 3.5 percent.

“I’m actually a little surprised at how fast they’re coming down,” said Mike Dean, a managing director with Fitch Ratings. Fitch’s charge-off index, which tracks securitized card balances, is also close to two-year lows, and is dropping faster than Dean forecast at the outset of the year.

Charge-offs remain high on a historical basis, he noted, but the data is headed toward normal faster than previously projected.