Visa card use in Ireland soars 83% in a year

Some €21.3bn worth of consumer transactions were carried out last year via Visa card products in Ireland.

The massive increase was driven by a number of factors including the continued migration from Laser cards to Visa debit cards, the introduction of new technology such as contactless payment terminals and Irish consumers becoming more comfortable about using cards, rather than cash, when paying for items.

The increase in card usage means that €1 in every €4 spent by Irish consumers, per year, is via a Visa card; with debit card payments comprising as much as 80%. That figure was €1 in every €11 as recently as 2010 and Visa is targeting a ratio of €1 in €3 by the end of 2015.