Credit Cards in the United Kingdom

November 2024
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Overview:

Understand the latest market trends and future growth opportunities for the Credit Card Transactions industry in United Kingdom with research from Euromonitor International's team of in-country analysts – experts by industry and geographic specialisation.

Key trends are clearly and succinctly summarised alongside the most current research data available. Understand and assess competitive threats and plan corporate strategy with our qualitative analysis, insight and confident growth projections.

If you're in the Credit Card Transactions industry in United Kingdom, our research will help you to make informed, intelligent decisions; to recognise and profit from opportunity, or to offer resilience amidst market uncertainty.

The Credit Card Transactions in United Kingdom report includes:

  • Analysis of key supply-side and demand trends
  • Detailed segmentation of international and local products
  • Historic volume and value sizes, company and brand market shares
  • Five year forecasts of market trends and market growth
  • Robust and transparent research methodology, conducted in-country

This report answers:

  • What is the market size of Credit Card Transactions in United Kingdom?
  • What are the major trends key to understanding Credit Card Transactions in United Kingdom?
  • How has COVID-19, recession and macroeconomic volatility impacted the market?
  • How long will the market take to recover? What are the opportunities now?
  • How will political context and shifting cultural values shape future growth?
  • Where is future growth expected to be most dynamic?

Charge Cards in the United Kingdom - Category analysis

Charge Cards in the United Kingdom - Company Profile

KEY DATA FINDINGS

As economy stabilises and consumers increasingly turn to other payment options, charge card usage resumes declining trend
Preference for UK businesses to use electronic payments compounds losses for commercial charge cards
Charge card competition is concentrated among a small number of players
Despite higher demand for credit, personal charge cards will fall behind more appealing options
Commercial charge cards set to continue declining as businesses favour credit cards and electronic payments
Competitive landscape likely to change over forecast period as participants move towards more profitable segments
Table 1 Charge Cards: Number of Cards in Circulation 2019-2024
Table 2 Charge Cards Transactions 2019-2024
Table 3 Charge Cards in Circulation: % Growth 2019-2024
Table 4 Charge Cards Transactions: % Growth 2019-2024
Table 5 Commercial Charge Cards: Number of Cards in Circulation 2019-2024
Table 6 Commercial Charge Cards Transactions 2019-2024
Table 7 Commercial Charge Cards in Circulation: % Growth 2019-2024
Table 8 Commercial Charge Cards Transactions: % Growth 2019-2024
Table 9 Personal Charge Cards: Number of Cards in Circulation 2019-2024
Table 10 Personal Charge Cards Transactions 2019-2024
Table 11 Personal Charge Cards in Circulation: % Growth 2019-2024
Table 12 Personal Charge Cards Transactions: % Growth 2019-2024
Table 13 Charge Cards: Number of Cards by Issuer 2019-2023
Table 14 Charge Cards: Number of Cards by Operator 2019-2023
Table 15 Charge Cards Payment Transaction Value by Issuer 2019-2023
Table 16 Charge Cards Payment Transaction Value by Operator 2019-2023
Table 17 Commercial Charge Cards: Number of Cards by Issuer 2019-2023
Table 18 Commercial Charge Cards: Number of Cards by Operator 2019-2023
Table 19 Commercial Charge Cards Payment Transaction Value by Issuer 2019-2023
Table 20 Commercial Charge Cards Payment Transaction Value by Operator 2019-2023
Table 21 Personal Charge Cards: Number of Cards by Issuer 2019-2023
Table 22 Personal Charge Cards: Number of Cards by Operator 2019-2023
Table 23 Personal Charge Cards Transaction Value by Issuer 2019-2023
Table 24 Personal Charge Cards Transaction Value by Operator 2019-2023
Table 25 Forecast Charge Cards: Number of Cards in Circulation 2024-2029
Table 26 Forecast Charge Cards Transactions 2024-2029
Table 27 Forecast Charge Cards in Circulation: % Growth 2024-2029
Table 28 Forecast Charge Cards Transactions: % Growth 2024-2029
Table 29 Forecast Commercial Charge Cards: Number of Cards in Circulation 2024-2029
Table 30 Forecast Commercial Charge Cards Transactions 2024-2029
Table 31 Forecast Commercial Charge Cards in Circulation: % Growth 2024-2029
Table 32 Forecast Commercial Charge Cards Transactions: % Growth 2024-2029
Table 33 Forecast Personal Charge Cards: Number of Cards in Circulation 2024-2029
Table 34 Forecast Personal Charge Cards Transactions 2024-2029
Table 35 Forecast Personal Charge Cards in Circulation: % Growth 2024-2029
Table 36 Forecast Personal Charge Cards Transactions: % Growth 2024-2029

Credit Cards in the United Kingdom - Category analysis

Credit Cards in the United Kingdom - Company Profile

KEY DATA FINDINGS

Prioritising experiences is a key reason fuelling personal credit card transaction growth
BNPL continues to rise across the UK as regulations are further delayed
American Express continues to strive for greater merchant acceptance in the UK
Future credit card growth will be impacted by local economy and BNPL’s performance
Rising concerns place pressure on authorities to finally establish BNPL regulations
Visa Inc set to gain share due to reaffirmation of relationship with Lloyds Banking Group
Table 37 Credit Cards: Number of Cards in Circulation 2019-2024
Table 38 Credit Cards Transactions 2019-2024
Table 39 Credit Cards in Circulation: % Growth 2019-2024
Table 40 Credit Cards Transactions: % Growth 2019-2024
Table 41 Commercial Credit Cards: Number of Cards in Circulation 2019-2024
Table 42 Commercial Credit Cards Transactions 2019-2024
Table 43 Commercial Credit Cards in Circulation: % Growth 2019-2024
Table 44 Commercial Credit Cards Transactions: % Growth 2019-2024
Table 45 Personal Credit Cards: Number of Cards in Circulation 2019-2024
Table 46 Personal Credit Cards Transactions 2019-2024
Table 47 Personal Credit Cards in Circulation: % Growth 2019-2024
Table 48 Personal Credit Cards Transactions: % Growth 2019-2024
Table 49 Credit Cards: Number of Cards by Issuer 2019-2023
Table 50 Credit Cards: Number of Cards by Operator 2019-2023
Table 51 Credit Cards Payment Transaction Value by Issuer 2019-2023
Table 52 Credit Cards Payment Transaction Value by Operator 2019-2023
Table 53 Commercial Credit Cards: Number of Cards by Issuer 2019-2023
Table 54 Commercial Credit Cards: Number of Cards by Operator 2019-2023
Table 55 Commercial Credit Cards Payment Transaction Value by Issuer 2019-2023
Table 56 Commercial Credit Cards Payment Transaction Value by Operator 2019-2023
Table 57 Personal Credit Cards: Number of Cards by Issuer 2019-2023
Table 58 Personal Credit Cards: Number of Cards by Operator 2019-2023
Table 59 Personal Credit Cards Payment Transaction Value by Issuer 2019-2023
Table 60 Personal Credit Cards Payment Transaction Value by Operator 2019-2023
Table 61 Forecast Credit Cards: Number of Cards in Circulation 2024-2029
Table 62 Forecast Credit Cards Transactions 2024-2029
Table 63 Forecast Credit Cards in Circulation: % Growth 2024-2029
Table 64 Forecast Credit Cards Transactions: % Growth 2024-2029
Table 65 Forecast Commercial Credit Cards: Number of Cards in Circulation 2024-2029
Table 66 Forecast Commercial Credit Cards Transactions 2024-2029
Table 67 Forecast Commercial Credit Cards in Circulation: % Growth 2024-2029
Table 68 Forecast Commercial Credit Cards Transactions: % Growth 2024-2029
Table 69 Forecast Personal Credit Cards: Number of Cards in Circulation 2024-2029
Table 70 Forecast Personal Credit Cards Transactions 2024-2029
Table 71 Forecast Personal Credit Cards in Circulation: % Growth 2024-2029
Table 72 Forecast Personal Credit Cards Transactions: % Growth 2024-2029

Debit Cards in the United Kingdom - Category analysis

Debit Cards in the United Kingdom - Company Profile

KEY DATA FINDINGS

Debit card usage on the rise in the UK, replacing paper transactions for individuals and businesses
Micropayments boost growth of personal debit card transactions
Traditional banks retain leadership of debit cards despite remarkable rise of neobanks
Debit cards set to remain as preferred method of payment over forecast period
CrowdStrike IT meltdown prompts calls to strengthen card and electronic payment system due to rising usage
Issuing of virtual debit cards set to rise in an effort to minimise fraud
Table 73 Debit Cards: Number of Cards in Circulation 2019-2024
Table 74 Debit Cards Transactions 2019-2024
Table 75 Debit Cards in Circulation: % Growth 2019-2024
Table 76 Debit Cards Transactions: % Growth 2019-2024
Table 77 Debit Cards: Number of Cards by Issuer 2019-2023
Table 78 Debit Cards: Number of Cards by Operator 2019-2023
Table 79 Debit Cards Payment Transaction Value by Issuer 2019-2023
Table 80 Debit Cards Payment Transaction Value by Operator 2019-2023
Table 81 Forecast Debit Cards: Number of Cards in Circulation 2024-2029
Table 82 Forecast Debit Cards Transactions 2024-2029
Table 83 Forecast Debit Cards in Circulation: % Growth 2024-2029
Table 84 Forecast Debit Cards Transactions: % Growth 2024-2029

Pre-Paid Cards in the United Kingdom - Category analysis

Pre-Paid Cards in the United Kingdom - Company Profile

KEY DATA FINDINGS

Safety concerns and convenient travel features drive growth of open loop pre-paid cards
Growth of closed loop pre-paid cards continues to be fuelled by popularity of merchant issued gift cards
Open loop pre-paid cards contributes to younger consumers’ growing financial literacy
Financial inclusion, protection against fraud and gift cards' popularity to help drive positive performance of pre-paid cards over forecast period
Future growth of open loop pre-paid travel cards will depend on developing capabilities of debit and credit cards for use abroad
Transportation cards set to further decline as contactless payments rise
Table 85 Pre-paid Cards: Number of Cards in Circulation 2019-2024
Table 86 Pre-paid Cards Transactions 2019-2024
Table 87 Pre-paid Cards in Circulation: % Growth 2019-2024
Table 88 Pre-paid Cards Transactions: % Growth 2019-2024
Table 89 Closed Loop Pre-paid Cards Transactions 2019-2024
Table 90 Closed Loop Pre-paid Cards Transactions: % Growth 2019-2024
Table 91 Open Loop Pre-paid Cards Transactions 2019-2024
Table 92 Open Loop Pre-paid Cards Transactions: % Growth 2019-2024
Table 93 Pre-paid Cards: Number of Cards by Issuer 2019-2023
Table 94 Pre-paid Cards: Number of Cards by Operator 2019-2023
Table 95 Pre-paid Cards Transaction Value by Issuer 2019-2023
Table 96 Pre-paid Cards Transaction Value by Operator 2019-2023
Table 97 Closed Loop Pre-paid Cards: Number of Cards by Issuer 2019-2023
Table 98 Closed Loop Pre-paid Cards: Number of Cards by Operator 2019-2023
Table 99 Closed Loop Pre-paid Cards Transaction Value by Issuer 2019-2023
Table 100 Closed Loop Pre-paid Cards Transaction Value by Operator 2019-2023
Table 101 Open Loop Pre-paid Cards: Number of Cards by Issuer 2019-2023
Table 102 Open Loop Pre-paid Cards: Number of Cards by Operator 2019-2023
Table 103 Open Loop Pre-paid Cards Transaction Value by Issuer 2019-2023
Table 104 Open Loop Pre-paid Cards Transaction Value by Operator 2019-2023
Table 105 Forecast Pre-paid Cards: Number of Cards in Circulation 2024-2029
Table 106 Forecast Pre-paid Cards Transactions 2024-2029
Table 107 Forecast Pre-paid Cards in Circulation: % Growth 2024-2029
Table 108 Forecast Pre-paid Cards Transactions: % Growth 2024-2029
Table 109 Forecast Closed Loop Pre-paid Cards Transactions 2024-2029
Table 110 Forecast Closed Loop Pre-paid Cards Transactions: % Growth 2024-2029
Table 111 Forecast Open Loop Pre-paid Cards Transactions 2024-2029
Table 112 Forecast Open Loop Pre-paid Cards Transactions: % Growth 2024-2029

Store Cards in the United Kingdom - Category analysis

Store Cards in the United Kingdom - Company Profile

KEY DATA FINDINGS

Waning appeal of store cards due to rise of more dynamic options
Major retailers increasingly adopt co-branded credit cards and BNPL partnerships
Merchant issued gift cards more popular option than store cards
Store cards set to maintain a sharp downward trend over the forecast period
BNPL to offer further competition
Competitive landscape set to consolidate as category continues to lose its appeal
Table 113 Store Cards: Number of Cards in Circulation 2019-2024
Table 114 Store Cards Transactions 2019-2024
Table 115 Store Cards in Circulation: % Growth 2019-2024
Table 116 Store Cards Transactions: % Growth 2019-2024
Table 117 Store Cards: Number of Cards by Issuer 2019-2023
Table 118 Store Cards: Payment Transaction Value by Issuer 2019-2023
Table 119 Forecast Store Cards: Number of Cards in Circulation 2024-2029
Table 120 Forecast Store Cards Transactions 2024-2029
Table 121 Forecast Store Cards in Circulation: % Growth 2024-2029
Table 122 Forecast Store Cards Transactions: % Growth 2024-2029

Financial Cards and Payments in the United Kingdom - Industry Overview

Financial cards and payments in 2024: The big picture
2024 key trends
Rising adoption of digital wallets spurs innovation attempts to boost consumer confidence
Competitive landscape
What next for financial cards and payments?
Table 123 Number of POS Terminals: Units 2019-2024
Table 124 Number of ATMs: Units 2019-2024
Table 125 Value Lost to Fraud 2019-2024
Table 126 Card Expenditure by Location 2024
Table 127 Financial Cards in Circulation by Type: % Number of Cards 2019-2024
Table 128 Domestic versus Foreign Spend 2024
Table 129 Financial Cards by Category: Number of Cards in Circulation 2019-2024
Table 130 Financial Cards by Category: Number of Accounts 2019-2024
Table 131 Financial Cards Transactions by Category: Value 2019-2024
Table 132 Financial Cards by Category: Number of Transactions 2019-2024
Table 133 Consumer Payments by Category: Value 2019-2024
Table 134 Consumer Payments by Category: Number of Transactions 2019-2024
Table 135 M-Commerce by Category: Value 2019-2024
Table 136 M-Commerce by Category: % Value Growth 2019-2024
Table 137 Financial Cards: Number of Cards by Issuer 2019-2023
Table 138 Financial Cards: Number of Cards by Operator 2019-2023
Table 139 Financial Cards: Card Payment Transactions Value by Operator 2019-2023
Table 140 Financial Cards: Card Payment Transactions Value by Issuer 2019-2023
Table 141 Forecast Financial Cards by Category: Number of Cards in Circulation 2024-2029
Table 142 Forecast Financial Cards by Category: Number of Accounts 2024-2029
Table 143 Forecast Financial Cards Transactions by Category: Value 2024-2029
Table 144 Forecast Financial Cards by Category: Number of Transactions 2024-2029
Table 145 Forecast Consumer Payments by Category: Value 2024-2029
Table 146 Forecast Consumer Payments by Category: Number of Transactions 2024-2029
Table 147 Forecast M-Commerce by Category: Value 2024-2029
Table 148 Forecast M-Commerce by Category: % Value Growth 2024-2029

DISCLAIMER

Summary 1 Research Sources
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The following categories and subcategories are included:

Credit Card Transactions

  • Commercial Credit Card Transactions
    • Average Personal Credit Card Balance
    • Average Personal Credit Card Limit
    • Personal Credit Card Utilisation

Credit Card Transactions

Credit cards allow for purchases against a preapproved line of credit. The account holder has the choice of whether to pay off the entire balance each month or opt for monthly instalments with the balance serving as revolving credit. If the cardholder decides to revolve a balance, the consumer pays interest. Credit cards can include affinity cards, reward cards and types of co-branded cards. Co-branded retailer cards—issued by retailers acting as financial institutions and without usage restrictions—are included in this category. Cards issued by a retailer with usage limited to a specific store within a predefined retail group fall under the store cards definition. Debit cards with an overdraft function are not counted as cards with a credit function. Payments are tracked based on the country of residence / account issuance and include outbound spend while excluding inbound spend.

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This report originates from Passport, our Credit Card Transactions research and analysis database.

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