Card Spending Data for April 2025 in the UK Finance Sector
April 2025 marked a significant month for card spending in the UK, according to data released by UK Finance. The data covered debit and credit card transactions, transactions volume, total spend, outstanding balances, card issuance, and contactless payments.
Credit card spending and borrowing
UK residents spent £21.3 billion on credit cards in April 2025, with an average monthly spend per credit card of £360. There were more than 59 million credit cards in circulation, and about 68% of adults had at least one credit card. Credit card borrowing increased significantly in April to £0.8 billion from £0.4 billion in March, contributing to a net consumer credit borrowing of £1.58 billion for the month. The annual growth rate for credit card borrowing rose to 9.8%, up from 8.5% last month, reflecting increasing credit use.
Debit card transactions
Debit cards remained widely used, with 98 million debit cards issued as of April 2025. The value of debit card purchases was also growing, reflected in overall cardholder spending reaching £21.3 billion for all card transactions, including debit cards.
Contactless transactions
Contactless debit card transactions increased by 5% compared to April 2024, indicating rising adoption of contactless payments. Contactless payments accounted for 66% of all credit card transactions and 76% of all debit card transactions. The value of contactless transactions was £25.8 billion in April, an 8.6% increase from £23.7 billion in April 2024. The value of contactless credit card transactions in April was higher by 11.4% compared to April 2024.
Outstanding consumer credit balances
Despite the increase in borrowing in April, consumer credit borrowing trends showed some volatility. In May 2025, net borrowing decreased again to £0.9 billion (lowest since April 2024), indicating some caution or repayment following April's borrowing spike.
In summary, April 2025 saw a strong month for UK card spending, with increases in credit card borrowing, high credit card usage, continued debit card transaction growth, and rising contactless payments. However, subsequent months showed signs of moderation in borrowing levels. This data reflects a robust but somewhat fluctuating consumer credit environment in the UK in early 2025.
[1] UK Finance, Consumer Credit Statistics, May 2025. [2] UK Finance, Net Consumer Credit Lending, April 2025. [3] UK Finance, Card Spending Data, April 2025. [4] UK Finance, Credit Card Statistics, April 2025.
Businesses in the UK technology sector experienced a surge in card transactions due to the increased adoption of contactless payments, as indicated by a 5% increase in contactless debit card transactions in April 2025 compared to the previous year. Moreover, technology played a significant role in the finance industry, with more than half of all credit card transactions and three-quarters of all debit card transactions being contactless, contributing to a total value of £25.8 billion in contactless transactions for the month.
