New Zealand Electronic Card Spending Drops in December

The seasonally adjusted electronic card transactions in New Zealand fell 1.1% month-over-month in January 2026, steeper than a 0.3% decline in the previous month. The latest result marked the fastest drop since January 2025, dragged by declines in some categories, including consumables (-0.9%), durables (-1.7%), hospitality (-2.1%), and fuel (-3.7%). In contrast, apparel (0.6%), motor vehicles excluding fuel (0.2%), and services (1.9%) posted gains. On an annual basis, total electronic card spending grew 0.4%, reversing a 0.5% fall in December.

Electronic card transactions in New Zealand decreased 0.1% month-over-month (seasonally adjusted) to NZD 11.0 billion in December 2025. Spending rose in some categories, notably fuel (1.1%) and hospitality (1.4%), while consumables (-0.1%) and services (-2.1%) fell. On the other hand, apparel (-3.6%), motor vehicles, excluding fuel (-1.8%), and durables (-0.1%) all declined. On an annual basis, total electronic card spending decreased 1% in December, following a 1.8% rise a month earlier.

Electronic card transactions in New Zealand rose 1.2% month-over-month (seasonally adjusted) to NZD 7.01 billion in November 2025. Spending increased in several categories, including consumables (0.4%), fuel (1.8%), and services were up 2.8%. On the other hand, durables (2.1%), hospitality (1.3%), apparel (3.4%), vehicles (2.6%) all rose. On an annual basis, total electronic card spending increased 1.8% in November, following a 0.8% rise a month earlier, reflecting steady but moderate growth in consumer activity.