Consumer Finance

Global consumers are struggling with the cost of living crisis, as inflation remains high while household income growth lags. Consumers are adopting recessionary habits, such as trading down and being more selective in their spending. Rather than…

Driven by a shift from cash to card payments, boosted by the outbreak of COVID-19 and the continuing recovery of travel, charge cards saw solid growth in transaction and value terms. However, growth was at a slower pace compared to credit and debit…

Charge cards in 2023 is benefitting from the revival of meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions (MICE) and business tourism, which experienced a significant slump during the era of the pandemic, and which has taken some time to bounce back…

In 2023, charge cards in Germany displayed resilience, adapting to the post-pandemic era. The category witnessed a surge in usage, particularly in the commercial segment, with value and transactions sitting marginally below pre-pandemic levels in…

During the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020-2021, commercial charge cards experienced a significant downturn in sales. The lockdowns, decline in tourism (a key driver of the Greek economy), general reduction in business activities, and restrictions on…

Charge cards continued to register a healthy performance in 2023, with a rise in the number and value of transactions. This was linked to the growing popularity of cashless transactions, as consumers become increasing confident about making digital…

Charge cards is a niche category in the Norwegian financial cards and payments landscape where debit cards and credit cards dominate. in 2023, debit and credit cards combined accounted for 95% of card payment transactions with little room for charge…

With low levels of penetration in the country, charge cards continues to grow in 2023 as it recovers from its sharp drop in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2023, boosted by inflation and by the recovery of business, transaction value is…

Charge cards are the second-most-favoured option of local consumers when it comes to payment cards, after debit cards but ahead of credit cards. This is partly down to inertia—charge cards have a longer tradition than credit cards in Spain.

Charge cards are increasingly viewed as a niche product in Sweden, accounting for just 1% of all transactions in 2023, and therefore recorded further decline in the year. In a development which started before the COVID-19 crisis, fewer and fewer…

While charge card payments have experienced some growth in popularity over the review period, they remain a relatively minor payment method in the Netherlands, largely due to deeply ingrained cultural factors. Dutch consumers typically gravitate…

Charge cards is expected to continue to see double-digit declines in 2023 in terms of cards in circulation, and volume and value transactions. Historically, charge cards were primarily associated with business use, as the majority of transactions,…

Charge cards were not issued by banks in Turkey at the end of the review period. Instead, credit cards and debit cards remain the two main types of financial card. Consumers who use credit cards employ them mostly for the “pay later” function, while…

The briefing introduces the Cities Households Necessities Spending Index. The index ranks 1,075 cities by household expenditure on non-discretionary items, namely food, housing, and clothing and footwear. This analysis focuses on 160 major cities.…

Consumer credit has experienced a significant drop in all areas of gross lending in 2023. In light of the sharp increases in the cost of living since 2022, Austrians have generally been frugal with expenditure. Individuals are focused on meeting…

Increasing interest rates are having an impact on consumer lending in 2023, with growth lower than the previous year. That being said, growth is still positive as the economy fares fairly well, in spite of inflation continuing to rise, though at a…

Consumer credit is facing challenges in 2023, due to the uncertainty of the overall economic context. Negative influencing factors include high inflation, geopolitical unrest concerning the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, and, in light of this situation,…

In 2023, Germany’s consumer credit market showed signs of cautious optimism. Despite the lingering effects of the pandemic and geopolitical tensions, such as the ongoing crisis in Ukraine, there was a modest rise in consumer lending. However, German…

In 2023, gross lending in the primary category of other personal lending is experiencing a slowdown in growth due to inflation and reduced disposable incomes. Rising prices, coupled with stagnant salaries, have instilled a sense of insecurity in…

Consumer credit registered positive, albeit modest growth in terms of gross lending and outstanding balance values in Italy in 2023, as ongoing economic uncertainty led many consumers to retain a conservative approach towards borrowing. While the…