Debit cards overtake cash to become number one payment method in the UK

The British Retail Consortium’s (BRC) annual Payments Survey reveals that cards accounted for more than 50 per cent of all retail transactions by volume.

For the first time the volume of retail purchases made by card now accounts for more than half of all customer transactions, according to the BRC’s latest annual Payments Survey, released today. This has partly been driven by UK customers increasingly using cards for lower value payments.

Cards have become the dominant payment method as retailers’ investment in payment technology has facilitated greater customer choice over how they pay for their goods both in store and online.

The survey also reveals:

  • New regulations have helped deliver savings for retailers. Investment in payments has been boosted by savings of around £500 million for retailers and their customers from the EU Interchange Fee Regulation (IFR), introduced following a successful campaign by the BRC, which caps some of the fees for handling credit and debit card transactions.
  • The burden on businesses is still high. Despite these savings from the IFR, retailers still spent over £1 billion last year to accept payments from customers and the cost of processing cards remains high, particularly for credit cards.
  • Retail customers are less reliant on credit. Retail spending on credit cards has fallen and represents a diminished share of retail purchases by value. This shows consumers borrowing less for day-to-day purchases, in contrast to wider growth in unsecured consumer lending in the UK.

Commenting on the Survey’s findings, BRC Policy Advisor- Payments and Consumer Credit Andrew Cregan, said: “A growing number of retailers have invested in payment technology to accept cards, contactless payments and new payment applications both online and in store. In part, this has been facilitated by the Interchange Fee Regulation (IFR), which was introduced across the European Union following a successful campaign by the BRC and has led to a significant fall in the cost of collection that benefits retailers and their customers. Looking ahead, the Government should act to retain the benefits of the IFR for retailers and their customers after the UK leaves the EU and introduce further regulatory action to address the alarming increase in other card fees and charges at a time when the retail industry is facing acute cost pressures elsewhere.”

A one-page snapshot of the report is available to view here.

The full report is available to view here.

 

  • The BRC Payments Survey data is a sample from 50 per cent of the entire retail industry.
  • The 2016 Survey looks at the methods of payment UK shoppers are using when buying goods in store and online, how this differs from previous years and the average cost to the retailer for handling each method of payment.
  • Total UK retail sales rose by 3.5 per cent in 2016 to £351 billion (2015: c.£339 billion)
  • There were 19 billion retail transactions overall in 2016 (2015: c.18.2 billion)
  • The average transactional values (ATV) of any given retail transaction stood at £18.42 in 2016 (2015: £18.63)

Retail is an exciting, diverse and dynamic industry undergoing transformational change. The BRC is at the forefront – enhancing, assisting, informing and shaping. Our mission is to make a positive difference to the industry and to the customers it serves. Our broad range of stakeholders demonstrates how retailing touches almost every aspect of our culture.

The BRC leads the industry and works with our members to shape debates and influence issues and opportunities that will help make that positive difference. We care about the careers of people who work in our industry, the communities retail touches and competitiveness as a fundamental principle of the industry’s success – our 3Cs.  www.brc.org.uk Twitter: @the_brc