Retail card spending up €169.19m in May while social spending jumps 12.31%

Overall debit and credit card spending topped €10bn in May, says Central Bank

Debit and credit card spending topped €10bn in May, with over 261m transactions, according to the Central Bank, with a surge in spending at petrol stations amid the fuel crisis.

Debit and credit card spending topped €10bn in May, with over 261m transactions, according to the Central Bank, with a surge in spending at petrol stations amid the fuel crisis.

The €10.06bn card spend represented a month-to-month increase of  €360m (3.7%), with 261.57m transactions, up 6.98 per cent from April. On an annual basis, both value and volume demonstrated robust growth, rising by 7.72% and 8.34% respectively.

Debit and credit card spending in service stations in Ireland jumped by more than 10% compared to May 2025 as fuel prices rose due to the war in Iran. Spending in service stations and automated fuel dispensers increased by €37.37m (10.5%) and €5.22m (14%) compared with May 2025.

Both automated fuel dispensers and service stations recorded a 5% rise in average transaction values. "Higher fuel prices, which peaked in March 2026, likely contributed to higher nominal spending," the Central Bank said.

Domestic card spending in May increased by €240m (2.97%) to €8.29bn from April, the Central Bank said, with 220m transactions, an increase of 6.68%. Retail spending in Ireland was up €169.19m (6.12%), while social spending in May was up by 12.31% to €77.68m. Domestic spending on services was up 3.11% to €18.45m.

The average domestic transaction fell to €37.69, from €39.04 in April. 

Services sector spending jumps

In the services sector, spending in hotels, motels, and resorts reached €305.36m in May, up 14.78% compared with April. "This increase likely reflects a combination of seasonal factors, including the beginning of the summer travel period and stronger domestic and international tourism demand," said the Central Bank.

Domestic card spending is split into point of sale (POS) and online payments. In May, the value of POS payments stood at €4.31bn, up by 6.56% from April. The value of online payments totalled €3.98bn, decreasing by 0.64% month on month. On an annual basis, both channels recorded consistent growth, with POS payments rising by 6.04% and online payments increasing sharply by 8.57%.

In May, contactless payments - which is part of domestic POS spending - reached €2.89bn, an increase of 8.76% from the prior month. Mobile wallet (NFC) payments amounted to €2.08bn, which presents a monthly increasing of 10.15%. "Both segments exhibited strong annual growth, with contactless increasing by 14.13% and NFC payments rising by a notable 25.65%," the Central Bank said.

Total cash withdrawals in May amounted to €1.08bn, "a robust increase of 4.15% from April", the Central Bank said. Transaction volumes totalled 7.23m, increasing by 5.7%. When compared to May 2025, both value and volume fell, dropping by 6.42% and 9% respectively. "Despite with this year-on-year decrease in value and volume, average withdrawal amount increased by 2.84% (€4.14) and reached €149.97," the Central Bank noted.