Debit and credit card spending surges to €6.5bn in March

Online spending amounted to €2.9bn in March, an increase of 18 per cent on the previous month

Groceries and hardware spending contributed the largest proportion of the increased spending in March. Picture: iStock

Credit and debit card spending surged in March jumping 23 per cent compared to February latest figures from the Central Bank show.

Total card spending, including ATM withdrawals, equated to €6.5bn, an increase of €1.2bn when compared to February. In annual terms, an increase of 13 per cent or €754m was recorded in March compared to a year previously. However, the Central Bank said March 2020 was characterised as a month of two halves, with increased spending at the beginning of the month, and a significant decline in the latter half due to the introduction of Covid-19 health restrictions.