Shift to debit slows

The steady shift to payments on debit cards, and replacing payments previously made with credit cards, appears to be moderating.

Debit card payments gained 110 basis points in market share of the value of purchases in Australia over the 12 months to May 2010, with 90 bps of that shift taking place over the first six months and 20 bps over the second six months.

Analysis by MWE Consulting of monthly payments data published by the Reserve Bank of Australia shows the shift in the mix of the value of purchases over the preceding 12 months was 250 basis points.

The slow down might be surprising, given the promotion by several big banks of scheme debit cards, replacing Eftpos scheme cards.

A related indicator of the shift in spending patterns is apparent in the lift in credit and charge card spending in May - up $1.7 billion to $19.6 billion (the data is not seasonally adjusted).

Purchases in May 2010 were 11 per cent higher than in May 2009. Cash advances were also eight per cent higher.

Looking at credit card balances the month-on-month growth of 0.6 per cent, to $47.4 billion, was subdued in comparison, Michael Ebstein, principal of MWE, noted in his monthly report on the payments data.