Irish Summer Spending Habits

Spending across the Irish Summer season in 2019 saw a decline in credit card spending. At the same time, debit card spending rose by the same percentage showing that consumers in Ireland are using their own money rather than adding to their debts.

As per the data released by payment services company New Payment Innovation based on transaction data, credit card spending in Ireland has seen a decline of 2% compared to the same period last year. Also, debit card spending for the same time period saw an increase of 2% signalling that Irish consumers are being cautious about their spending habits and avoiding getting into debt.

The figures reveal that 35% of transactions made this year were using credit compared to 37% last year.  The majority of the remaining transactions were made using debit cards at 64%, showing that more Irish consumers are now using debit cards to make purchases.

“A decline in credit card spending is not just linked to a rainy summer this season. The potential impact of Brexit on the Irish economy seems to be one of the major concerns of consumers. With a subsequent shift in the user behaviour towards being more cautious about their spending habits, their conscious effort to reduce their household debt will also lead to a drop-in credit card spends. Average transaction values are also on the decline which demonstrates the increased popularity of contactless cards which further drives an increase in debit card spending instead of cash for low-value transactions.” said Mr Carl Churchill, Managing Director, New Payment Innovation, Ireland.

The other interesting trend identified through New Payment Innovation research is the increasing use of cards to purchase small-ticket items.  The average transaction value of purchases across all card types dropped from €60.82 to €54.27 in the same time period.  The trend signals how Irish consumers are increasingly using contactless cards and mobile payment options, with cards replacing cash even for small value purchase items.

Interestingly, when it comes to more expensive items, credit cards were still the preferred mode of payment.  A credit card was favoured for higher ticket purchases with an average transaction value of €89.97 this Summer, compared to a debit card which was less than half at €44.36.