Card spending on EV charging up 59% in March

Data compiled from 79m card transactions carried out by AIB customers

Card spending on electric vehicle charging jumped 59% in March, as the fuel crisis intensified, while card spending at service stations increased 9%, according to AIB's spend trend. Picture: John Walton/PA Wire

Card spending on electric vehicle charging jumped 59% in March, as the fuel crisis intensified, while card spending at service stations increased 9%, according to AIB's spend trend.

It comes as electric vehicle sales already hit a milestone in January 2025 - before the current fuel crisis - as new car registrations in the category now surpass those of new petrol and diesel cars, sitting only behind hybrid options among consumers.

The data was compiled from 79m card transactions carried out by AIB customers in store and online during March. The March statistics showed spending was up 7% year on year, primarily driven by online growth of 12% as well as in-store growth of 1%.

The busiest day for spend in pubs so far this year was St Patrick’s Day, which fell on Tuesday March 17, though spending "only just" pipped the Brigid’s Day spending in pubs back on Sunday February 1. 

Customers in Dublin had the highest average transactions in pubs on St. Patrick’s Day, closely followed by those in Louth, Wicklow, and Monaghan. Waterford customers had the lowest average transactions in pubs on St. Patrick’s Day.

The day of the Czechia v Ireland play-off - Thursday March 26 saw twice as much spent as any other Thursday in March in pubs, the busiest day for spend in pubs so far this year was, as is often the case, St Patrick’s Day, which fell on Tuesday 17th March. 

Spending on utility bills - excluding telecoms - was up 14% over the 12 months to March 2025, while telecoms and pay TV services were down 2%.

The Vinted boom is clear, with second-hand fashion spending surging 287% over the last year, with 76% of the purchases by women. The 35 to 44 age group spent most in this category, followed by 45 to 54 and 25 to 34.

Spending on entertainment (including digital games, event tickets, cinema, sports clubs and others) performed strongly, with 9% growth, and event ticket sales up by 5%. The biggest day for event tickets in the first quarter of the year was Wednesday March 18, when Olivia Dean fans were able to get the tickets they need for her two Marlay Park concerts.

Airline spend was down 2% on March 2026.

“Irish consumers have experienced a turbulent start to the year, with utility, service station, and EV spending increasing," said AIB’s head of consumer Adrian Moynihan. "We can also see resilience in the economy as entertainment and leisure spend continues to grow."