Last year was one to forget for credit and charge card issuers. According to Reserve Bank figures released yesterday, the total spend on credit and charge cards in 2012 was A$260 billion, which was just 4.3 per cent higher than the total in 2011.Spending on credit and charge cards was A$23.1 billion in December - just 2.5 per cent higher than in December 2011.Over the same period, balances accruing interest fell 1.9 per cent, from $36.1 billion to $35.4 billion, according to the RBA figures.The 10 credit card issuers surveyed by the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority increased the size of their credit card portfolios by an average of 2.1 per cent last year.MWE Consulting's principal, Mike Ebstein, said the figures for 2012 highlighted the low rates of growth and of credit and charge card balances; the ongoing shift to debit; and a shift from cash to card spending. Ebstein said debit cards accounted for 40.7 per cent of the value of card transactions and 62.9 per cent of the volume. Back in 2007, debit cards accounted for 32.3 per cent of the value of card transactions.