Card spending

Key data highlights

Updated 17 April 2024

Card transactions by UK cardholders both in the UK and overseas:

• There were 2.06 billion debit card transactions in January, 5 per cent more than in January 2023. The total spend of £64.6 billion was 0.8 per cent lower than January 2023.
• There were 347.9 million credit card transactions in January, 8.4 per cent more than in January 2023. The total spend of £20.4 billion was 8.4 per cent higher than January 2023.
• Outstanding balances on credit card accounts have grown by 9.4 per cent over the twelve months to January and 50.5 per cent of outstanding balances incurred interest compared to 51.3 per cent in January 2023.

Card transactions made in the UK by cardholders from both the UK and from overseas countries:

• There were 1.93 billion debit and credit card transactions in the UK in January, 2.6 per cent more than in January 2023. The total spend of £71.5 billion was 0.8 per cent lower than January 2023.
• Contactless payments accounted for 62 per cent of all credit card and 74 per cent of all debit card transactions.
• There were 1.39 billion contactless card transactions in January, 3.6 per cent more than the 1.34 billion in January 2023. The total value of contactless transactions was £21.5 billion in January, a 5.5 per cent increase on £20.3 billion in January 2023.
• The number of contactless credit card transactions was 8 per cent higher than January 2023. The number of contactless debit card transactions was 2.9 per cent higher than January 2023.