Debit cards in South Africa, spanning both commercial and personal usage, experienced consistent growth in 2025, driven by the convergence of digital, economic, and regulatory factors. Economic stability and rising disposable incomes have supported transaction growth at a time when fintech players are able to gain traction following the introduction of regulatory initiatives.

There has been growing adoption of debit cards as one of the key payment methods in Colombia, with this pattern continuing in 2025. Increased financial inclusion, the rise of digital wallets and the search for more secure payment options has driven this growth. Well-established players such as BanColombia alongside new players such as Nu are providing an expanding the range of options, while debit card acceptance continues to expand, including in rural areas.

Within debit cards in the Czech Republic, the number of cards in circulation and transaction volume and value sales increased in 2025, albeit at slower rates than 2024. Debit cards remained the main choice of Czech consumers. Personal debit cards dominated, although the take up and use of commercial debit cards is on the rise. There is a strong trend towards digital over physical cards in this category, as consumers look for more convenient and secure products. The shift to digital cards is info

Debit cards experienced a challenging year in 2025, with political and economic uncertainty undermining consumers’ willingness to spend. Increasingly debit cards relied on a growing role in digital payments, while, overall, commercial debit cards recorded a stronger performance than personal debit cards.

Strong investment in driving a shift towards contactless and cashless payments led to strong growth in debit card transactions in 2025. This was further supported by Apple opening up its tap function to more apps, which led to an increase in banks and payment providers being able to offer Tap to Pay functions through Apple’s products. Banks responded to the growing shift towards Tap to Pay by replacing older cards with products that can be used for all purposes.

Sweden is already amongst the economies that has moved furthest away from the availability and use of cash. Nonetheless, the number of debit cards in circulation and the use of these cards continue to grow, driven by population growth and people acquiring more than one debit card.

In 2025, debit cards in Chile saw a further, if slower, increase in the number of cards in circulation, supported by consumers in the country continuing to position the method as one of the main solutions in the payments system. The easy access to the payment method, facilitated by players like Banco del Estado de Chile, Banco de Chile and Banco Santander Chile, has driven up card numbers over the years, making Chilean consumers increasingly used to using debit cards. Digital, fast and easy open

2025 remained a strong year for debit cards, driven by growth in the number of cards in circulation and double-digit increases in transaction volume and value. This upward trend is expected to continue at a more moderate pace. A low unemployment rate in Mexico the lowest in Latin America and a decrease in inflation to historic lows have allowed economic stabilisation. However, since the change in administration in 2024, the Mexican economy has shown both positive macroeconomic indicators and eme

Debit cards in the United Arab Emirates saw circulation rise in 2025, continuing the upward trajectory seen in previous years of the review period. This performance was supported by several factors, including continued population growth, government-backed schemes and digital inclusion initiatives, and the growing preference for electronic over cash payments. Increased financial literacy, particularly among younger adult cohorts and expatriates, also played a role in boosting the number of accoun

Japanese consumers are increasingly turning to debit cards as a convenient alternative to cash that does not pose the same potential risks of debt accumulation as credit cards. The appeal of debit cards has been further enhanced by developments such as the introduction of loyalty programmes.

Debit cards in China recorded continued growth in 2025, supported by financial inclusion efforts that expanded rural access points for cash withdrawal and basic payment services. Transaction activity remained concentrated in debit, as Alipay and WeChat Pay typically draw on debit-linked funding and households continue to favour deposit-based spending amid high savings and cautious attitudes toward borrowing. With debit card ownership already extensive, issuers focused less on acquiring new users

Debit cards continued to register growth in both transaction value and circulation terms in the UK in 2025, and are now the most widely used payment method for local consumers. This is reinforced by an improved technological architecture that enables smaller, mobile businesses to accept non-cash payments more easily and lowers barriers to obtaining debit cards.

Debit cards is seeing growth in card numbers and transaction value despite increasing competition from the Pix payment method. The ongoing growth of debit cards has been supported by the full migration of the Bolsa Familia social benefit programme to debit cards in 2024.

Debit cards continues to benefit from near universal financial inclusion in India, though the use of such cards is being undermined by the fact that electronic transfers are being used for routine, high-frequency payments. Debit cards continue to be used for transactions where cash or card-based payments are preferred, particularly outside the major urban centres.

Debit cards saw an increase in both circulation and transactions in Australia in 2025, as they remain a convenient method of payment with no debt risk, unlike credit cards. Australia is increasingly becoming a cashless society, particularly since the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2025, debit cards in Singapore continued to see a healthy rise in the number of debit cards in circulation, driven by near universal access to bank accounts and the country’s ongoing shift away from cash. This transition was supported by government initiatives, such as subsidies for point-of-sale (POS) terminals, which made electronic payments widely accepted, even among small businesses. Companies like Decathlon and Starbucks moved many of their outlets to fully cashless operations, citing i

Debit cards remained the most popular choice in a shift from cash towards card payments in 2024 in Austria. This general trend is being fuelled by the increasing share of card payments, especially for smaller amounts under EUR10, thanks to the great popularity of contactless payment in general and mobile wallets such as Apple Pay and Google Pay — with the latter particularly notable among younger consumers under 30 years old. While cash retains appeal in the country, a growing number of consumer

Debit cards in Morocco is set to see growth in both cards in circulation and transaction volumes and values in 2024, and remain the most popular card type in Morocco, thanks to the safety and reliability of paying with existing money, rather than borrowed funds. This card type also continues to benefit from the expansion of financial inclusion, with such offerings often positioned as the primary entry point to banking services. Demand is also supported by investments in the payment infrastructur

Debit cards remain a critically important component of the landscape in financial cards and payments in the US. Not only are they the most common financial cards used for consumer payments in the US, with the highest transaction volumes in 2024, debit card is also the most important form of payment across all payment types for consumers in the US. In 2024, there were enough debit cards in circulation in the US for every single person to have at least two cards. The number of retailers and other

Denmark’s debit card market turned in a record-breaking performance in 2024. The total number of personal and commercial debit cards surpassed one million more than five years earlier, with the number of debit cards already exceeding the Danish population, reflecting the widespread adoption of this payment method. Alongside the increasing number of cards, overall category transactions are also on the rise. While the COVID-19 pandemic temporarily impacted debit card usage - particularly for comme

Debit card transactions began to normalise in 2024, both in volume and value terms, following the strong growth recorded during Nigeria’s monetary crisis in 2022-23. Robust demand can also be linked to the ongoing shift towards mobile transactions and digital payment solutions, thanks to higher smartphone penetration and the expansion of fintech products. For example, 3.0 Verse has partnered with Pal Remit to launch virtual debit cards in Nigeria. Despite the growth in digital payments, the numb

In 2024, debit cards in Israel recorded positive growth amid economic uncertainty. Local consumers have been shifting towards debit cards over the review period. While credit cards have gained traction in recent years, the high interest rates associated with their use, combined with ongoing economic uncertainty, have shifted consumer preference more decisively towards debit cards. As a safer and more predictable financial tool, debit cards are increasingly viewed as the practical choice for mana

Debit cards continued to grow in Greece in 2024, in a context of an improving Greek economy and expanding card payments – which debit cards spearhead. After a long period of multiple global crises, relative stability and mild growth of the Greek economy is providing the context for increased consumer spending. On a negative note, spending is also boosted by inflated prices of basic goods due to high inflation (cost-of-living crisis) which puts intense pressure on Greek households.

Debit cards remained the dominant form of payment in Ukraine in 2024, particularly as consumers continued to increasingly shift away from cash. Virtually all newly issued debit cards in Ukraine now feature contactless functionality, and the majority of point-of-sale (POS) terminals are equipped to support these payments. Contactless transactions are especially prevalent in public transportation, where their adoption has grown significantly. Municipal transport systems, such as Kyiv’s overground