Payments machine in reverse

The scope of Australia's economic slowdown is now clear in the payments data, with less spending on credit and debit cards in August than in July; the first such fall in a decade.

Spending on payment cards fell 6.5 per cent in August 2008, according to analysis by MWE Consulting, of the monthly payments statistics published by the Reserve Bank of Australia.

While the RBA's data on payment card usage and demand for credit is not subject to any seasonal adjustment, the patterns of growth had been so steady (even if easing off) that a reversal in the trend is most unusual.

Consumers continue to shift spending toward debit cards and away from credit cards.

However, cash-out transactions at the point of sale declined in each category in August; down by 2.0 per cent for debit cards and down by 8.7 per cent for credit cards.

Separate data provided by Customers Limited on automatic teller machine withdrawals confirms a reduction in demand cash, and presumably in spending.

Customers said that in September, compared with July, the average transaction size at an ATM at a supermarket fell by $1 to $113; at a convenience store the average fell $1.50 to $97.50; at a pub, $8 to $102 and at cafes and restaurants the average fell 50 cents to $70.50.

The RBA payments data show that the number of cash advances per account is down 10 per cent on last year and 20 per cent on three years ago.