UK Finance today releases its card spending data for April 2025, covering the monthly value and volume of transactions across debit and credit cards, both in the UK and of UK-issued cards across the world. This data also covers outstanding balances on credit cards, card issuance and contactless payments. The highlights can be found below. 

Key data highlights:

Card transactions by UK cardholders both in the UK and overseas:

• There were 2.2 billion debit card transactions in April, 1.7 per cent fewer than in April 2024. The total spend of £66.5 billion was 3.8 per cent lower than April 2024.
• There were 383.5 million credit card transactions in April, 2.4 per cent more than in April 2024. The total spend of £21.3 billion was 1.5 per cent higher than April 2024.
• Outstanding balances on credit card accounts have grown by 6.6 per cent over the twelve months to April and 48.4 per cent of outstanding balances incurred interest compared to 49.4 per cent in April 2024.

Card transactions made in the UK by cardholders from both the UK and from overseas countries:

• There were 2.15 billion debit and credit card transactions in the UK in April, 4.6 per cent more than in April 2024. The total spend of £74.9 billion was 1.4 per cent higher than April 2024.
• Contactless payments accounted for 66 per cent of all credit card and 76 per cent of all debit card transactions.
• There were 1.59 billion contactless card transactions in April, 5.9 per cent more than the 1.51 billion in April 2024. The total value of contactless transactions was £25.8 billion in April, a 8.6 per cent increase on £23.7 billion in April 2024.
• The number of contactless credit card transactions was 11.4 per cent higher than April 2024. The number of contactless debit card transactions was 5 per cent higher than April 2024.