The electronic card transactions (ECT) series cover debit, credit, and charge card transactions with New Zealand-based merchants. The series can be used to indicate changes in consumer spending and economic activity.
Key facts
All figures are seasonally adjusted unless otherwise specified.
Values are at the national level and are not adjusted for price changes.
December 2025 month
Changes in the value of electronic card transactions for the December 2025 month (compared with November 2025) were:
- spending in the retail industries decreased 0.1 percent ($7.6 million)
- spending in the core retail industries decreased 0.2 percent ($13 million).
| "Month" | "Actual" | "Seasonally adjusted" | "Trend" |
| "Dec-22" | "8548389000" | "6881742000" | "6892963000" |
| "Jan-23" | "6871457000" | "6893545000" | "6921433000" |
| "Feb-23" | "6415293000" | "6946652000" | "6965737000" |
| "Mar-23" | "7194542000" | "7058876000" | "7005628000" |
| "Apr-23" | "6843706000" | "7052927000" | "7027965000" |
| "May-23" | "6731522000" | "6967048000" | "7035273000" |
| "Jun-23" | "6685904000" | "7064642000" | "7041666000" |
| "Jul-23" | "6765373000" | "7049313000" | "7050759000" |
| "Aug-23" | "6754616000" | "7078326000" | "7061102000" |
| "Sep-23" | "6747040000" | "7050587000" | "7055171000" |
| "Oct-23" | "6995276000" | "7018222000" | "7039673000" |
| "Nov-23" | "7499219000" | "7065512000" | "7028570000" |
| "Dec-23" | "8608488000" | "6970617000" | "7019589000" |
| "Jan-24" | "7070281000" | "7046969000" | "7012246000" |
| "Feb-24" | "6724446000" | "6988300000" | "7000646000" |
| "Mar-24" | "7129902000" | "6976417000" | "6975681000" |
| "Apr-24" | "6685214000" | "6950387000" | "6933628000" |
| "May-24" | "6717430000" | "6891297000" | "6880396000" |
| "Jun-24" | "6402501000" | "6804500000" | "6835891000" |
| "Jul-24" | "6474046000" | "6813502000" | "6814521000" |
| "Aug-24" | "6589334000" | "6820959000" | "6820768000" |
| "Sep-24" | "6406495000" | "6836791000" | "6841862000" |
| "Oct-24" | "6943425000" | "6899698000" | "6864769000" |
| "Nov-24" | "7354746000" | "6855429000" | "6890218000" |
| "Dec-24" | "8610063000" | "7070220000" | "6914292000" |
| "Jan-25" | "7077398000" | "6943214000" | "6924918000" |
| "Feb-25" | "6455973000" | "6953065000" | "6914284000" |
| "Mar-25" | "6960175000" | "6855015000" | "6887963000" |
| "Apr-25" | "6614880000" | "6854325000" | "6860188000" |
| "May-25" | "6710150000" | "6845269000" | "6855445000" |
| "Jun-25" | "6382551000" | "6880463000" | "6873100000" |
| "Jul-25" | "6581483000" | "6892302000" | "6893505000" |
| "Aug-25" | "6647876000" | "6935620000" | "6908327000" |
| "Sep-25" | "6471156000" | "6904223000" | "6926831000" |
| "Oct-25" | "7000400000" | "6920609000" | "6949624000" |
| "Nov-25" | "7475835000" | "7006295000" | "6971784000" |
| "Dec-25" | "8563854000" | "6998709000" | "6983525000" |
By retail spending category, movements were:
- apparel, down $12 million (3.6 percent)
- consumables, down $3.6 million (0.1 percent)
- motor vehicles (excluding fuel), down $3.5 million (1.8 percent)
- durables, down $1.5 million (0.1 percent)
- fuel, up $5.5 million (1.1 percent)
- hospitality, up $21 million (1.4 percent).
| "Industry (ANZSIC06)" | "Percentage change" |
| "Consumables" | "-0.1" |
| "Durables" | "-0.1" |
| "Hospitality" | " 1.4" |
| "Apparel" | "-3.6" |
| "Motor vehicles excl. fuel" | "-1.8" |
| "Fuel" | " 1.1" |
| "Non-retail excl. services" | "-1.4" |
| "Services" | "-2.1" |
Note, the seasonally adjusted series are adjusted independently of each other, therefore, the sum of the component categories may differ to the total.
The non-retail (excluding services) category decreased by $33 million (1.4 percent) from November 2025. This category includes medical and other health care, travel and tour arrangement, postal and courier delivery, and other non-retail industries.
The services category was down $8.2 million (2.1 percent). This category includes repair and maintenance, and personal care, funeral, and other personal services.
The total value of electronic card spending, including the two non-retail categories (services and other non-retail), decreased from November 2025, down $97 million (1.0 percent).
In actual terms, cardholders made 195 million transactions across all industries in December 2025, with an average value of $58 per transaction. The total amount spent using electronic cards was $11 billion.
December 2025 quarter
Changes in the seasonally adjusted value of retail electronic card transactions for the December 2025 quarter (compared with the September 2025 quarter) were:
- spending in the retail industries increased $98 million (0.5 percent)
- spending in the core retail industries increased $66 million (0.4 percent).
By spending category, the movements were:
- consumables, up $46 million (0.5 percent)
- hospitality, up $38 million (0.9 percent)
- fuel, up $19 million (1.3 percent)
- apparel, down $1.4 million (0.1 percent)
- motor vehicles (excluding fuel), down $14 million (2.3 percent)
- durables, down $15 million (0.3 percent).
The non-retail (excluding services) category was up $136 million (2.0 percent) and the services category was up $4.3 million (0.4 percent).
The total value of electronic card spending, including the two non-retail categories (services and other non-retail) increased by $264 million (0.9 percent) compared with the September 2025 quarter.
More data
Use Infoshare to access the electronic card transactions time series:
Subject category: Economic indicators
Group: Electronic card transactions (ANZSIC06) - ECT
Definitions and metadata
Electronic card transactions data collection methodology - DataInfo+ gives general methodology used to produce electronic card transaction statistics.
Electronic card transactions concepts - DataInfo+ gives definitions of terms used in this release.
Technical enquiries
Valentine Modera
[email protected]
04 931 4600
ISSN 1178-0258
Next release
Electronic card transactions: January 2026 will be released on 16 February 2026.
