Stats NZ

Electronic card transactions: December 2020

The electronic card transactions (ECT) series cover debit, credit, and charge card transactions with New Zealand-based merchants. The series can be used to indicate changes in consumer spending and economic activity.

11 February 2021: We have revised seasonally adjusted quarterly figures in the 'Electronic card transactions: December 2020' Excel tables 7 and 8. See Electronic card transactions: January 2021 for more information on the quality of the seasonal adjustment. 

Key facts

All figures are actual (rather than seasonally adjusted) unless otherwise specified.

December month

In the December 2020 month compared with December 2019:

  • spending in the retail industries rose 3.5 percent ($250 million)
  • spending in the core retail industries rose 4.8 percent ($305 million).
Created with Highcharts 5.0.14$Retail card spending ($), actual, monthly, December 2018–December 2020Jan '19Mar '19May '19Jul '19Sep '19Nov '19Jan '20Mar '20May '20Jul '20Sep '20Nov '202B3B4B5B6B7B8BStats NZ

Retail card spending ($), actual, monthly, December 2018–December 2020

Created with Highcharts 5.0.14$Retail card spending ($), actual, monthly, December 2018–December 2020Retail card spending ($)Jan '19Mar '19May '19Jul '19Sep '19Nov '19Jan '20Mar '20May '20Jul '20Sep '20Nov '202B3B4B5B6B7B8BStats NZ
DateTimeRetail card spending ($)
2018-12-016,936,024,079
2019-01-015,653,182,125
2019-02-015,238,729,531
2019-03-015,754,460,007
2019-04-015,470,002,145
2019-05-015,520,094,471
2019-06-015,280,274,597
2019-07-015,359,307,877
2019-08-015,485,006,773
2019-09-015,345,535,634
2019-10-015,769,564,472
2019-11-016,171,221,730
2019-12-017,209,206,365
2020-01-015,891,438,671
2020-02-015,691,139,955
2020-03-015,651,491,009
2020-04-012,870,607,623
2020-05-015,188,203,262
2020-06-015,701,230,421
2020-07-015,968,957,178
2020-08-015,438,996,502
2020-09-015,734,400,505
2020-10-016,250,722,349
2020-11-016,256,028,846
2020-12-017,459,526,300

By industry, the movements were:

  • consumables, up $188 million (7.5 percent)
  • durables, up $145 million (6.7 percent)
  • apparel, up $38 million (8.2 percent)
  • motor vehicles (excluding fuel), up $19 million (9.6 percent)
  • hospitality, down $66 million (5.3 percent)
  • fuel, down $74 million (12 percent).

The total value of electronic card spending, including the two non-retail categories (services and other non-retail) was up $169 million (1.8 percent) compared with December 2019.

The non-retail (excluding services) category was down $110 million (6.3 percent). This category includes medical and other health care services; travel and tour arrangement services; postal and courier delivery services; and other non-retail industries.

The services category was up $28 million (8.4 percent). This category includes repair and maintenance, personal care, funeral, and other personal services.

Created with Highcharts 5.0.14Industry (ANZSIC06)$ANZSIC06 – Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification 2006Change in monthly card spending ($), by industry, December 2019–December 2020ConsumablesDurablesApparelServicesMotor vehicles (excluding fuel)HospitalityFuelNon-retail excluding services-120M-100M-80M-60M-40M-20M020M40M60M80M100M120M140M160M180M200MStats NZ

Change in monthly card spending ($), by industry, December 2019–December 2020

Created with Highcharts 5.0.14$Change in monthly card spending ($), by industry, December 2019–December 2020$ConsumablesDurablesApparelServicesMotor vehicles (excluding fuel)HospitalityFuelNon-retail excluding services-120M-100M-80M-60M-40M-20M020M40M60M80M100M120M140M160M180M200MStats NZ
Industry$
Consumables188,405,431
Durables144,749,108
Apparel38,147,255
Services28,423,705
Motor vehicles (excluding fuel)19,073,333
Hospitality-65,982,592
Fuel-73,609,720
Non-retail excluding services-109,654,700

Cardholders made 178 million transactions across all industries in December 2020, with an average value of $53 per transaction. The total amount spent using electronic cards was $9.5 billion.

December quarter

Changes in the value of retail electronic card transactions for the December 2020 quarter (compared with the December 2019 quarter) were:

  • spending in the retail industries rose $816 million (4.3 percent)
  • spending in the core retail industries rose $1.0 billion (6.0 percent).

By industry, the movements were:

  • durables, up $531 million (10 percent)
  • consumables, up $514 million (7.6 percent)
  • apparel, up $92 million (8.3 percent)
  • motor vehicles (excluding fuel), up $51 million (8.8 percent)
  • hospitality, down $130 million (3.7 percent)
  • fuel, down $240 million (13 percent).

The total value of electronic card spending, including the two non-retail categories (services and other non-retail) was $26 billion, up $392 million (1.5 percent) from the December 2019 quarter.

The non-retail (excluding services) category was down $472 million (8.6 percent) and the services category was up $28 million (2.8 percent).

Values are only available at the national level and are not adjusted for price changes.

Trend series unavailable due to COVID-19

It is not possible to estimate current trend levels to Stats NZ’s usual quality standard until we know the full effect of COVID-19 on the time series. Once the series stabilises, we will estimate the COVID-19 effect on trend. The timeframe for this will vary for different series, depending on how they have been affected by COVID-19.

Seasonal adjustment unavailable due to COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has introduced unusual patterns to the monthly and quarterly electronic card transaction series. Electronic card transaction series continues to show irregular spending patterns and historical seasonal patterns are no longer evident. Months up to February 2020 and quarters up to March 2020 are seasonally adjusted, and months from March 2020 (inclusive) and quarters from June 2020 (inclusive) will not be published. This approach will continue until an observable seasonal pattern returns to each series.

Lower-level electronic card transaction data

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Stats NZ will continue to release lower-level card transaction data covering the period to June 2021.

Changes in the value of electronic card transactions for the December 2020 month (compared with December 2019)

Consumables sub-industry movements

  • supermarket and grocery stores, up $134 million (6.6 percent)
  • liquor, up $36 million (16 percent)
  • specialised food, up $18 million (7.2 percent).

Durables sub-industry movements

  • furniture, electrical, and hardware retailing, up $99 million (12 percent)
  • department stores, up $22 million (4.2 percent)
  • recreational goods, up $16 million (6.1 percent)
  • pharmaceutical and other store-based retailing, up $8 million (1.6 percent).

Hospitality sub-industry movements

  • food and beverage services, up $17 million (1.8 percent)
  • accommodation services, down $83 million (32 percent).

Non-retail sub-industry movements

  • medical and other health care services (includes GPs, specialists, physiotherapy, optometry, ambulances, and dental care), up $38 million (18 percent)
  • postal and courier pick-up and delivery services, down $15 million (20 percent)
  • travel agency and other tour arrangement services, down $114 million (81 percent).

More data

Use Infoshare to access the electronic card transactions time series:

Subject category: Economic indicators 
Group: Electronic card transactions (ANZSIC06) – ECT

ISSN 1178-0258

Next release

Electronic card transactions: January 2021 will be released on 11 February 2021.

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