Barclaycard Figures Show Increase In Easter Credit And Debit Card Spending

Released on: April 17, 2010, 12:07 am
Author: Barclaycard
Industry: Financial

The latest figures from Barclaycard Global Payment Acceptance, which enables 87,000 retailers to accept debit and credit card payments, shows spending was up 8.5% this year compared to last Easter. The figures which cover businesses traditionally associated with the Easter Weekend and who use Barclaycard to process their credit and debit card transactions, shows shoppers spent £205.5m in 2010 compared to £189.4m over the same weekend in 2009.

Eating out was a popular choice with restaurants seeing a 13% increase in turnover on debit and credit cards compared to 2009. Other winners over the weekend included furniture and floor covering stores with spending up at 16.5% and 21.6% respectively. However DIY stores, a traditional beneficiary of the Easter weekend saw card spending staying flat with a slight increase of 1.5% on card spend compared to 2009.

Commenting on the data, Stuart Neal, UK Director of Barclaycard Global Payment Acceptance said: "The increase in overall spend is testament to customers wanting to get away or treat themselves over the four day weekend - with a significant increase in restaurants and holiday related activity. Unfortunately, it looks like garden centres were a victim of the weather with debit and credit card spending down 16.8% compared to 2009".

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Notes to editors:
Barclaycard customers comprise individual Barclaycard cardholders and businesses for who Barclaycard to process debit and credit card transactions for them. Barclaycard's relationship with these two sets of customers means it can provide access to authoritative information about spending in the UK.

For further information visit
http://www.newsroom.barclays.co.uk/Press-releases/Barclaycard-figures-show-increase-in-Easter-credit-and-debit-card-spending-6c2.aspx

About Barclaycard
Barclaycard, part of Barclays Global Retail Banking division, is a leading global payment business which helps consumers, retailers and businesses to make and accept payment flexibly, and to access short-term credit when needed.

The company is one of the pioneers of new forms of payments and is at the forefront of developing viable contactless and mobile payment schemes for today and cutting edge forms of payment for the future. It also issues credit and charge cards to corporate customers and the UK Government. Barclaycard partners with a wide range of organisations across the globe to offer their customers or members payment options and credit.

In addition to the UK, Barclaycard operates in the United States, Europe, Africa and the Middle and Far East.

Key facts published in February 2010;
- number of UK customers: 10.4m
- number of International customers: 10.8m
- number of retailer/merchant relationships: 87,000

For further media information please contact:
Andrew Bond
Barclaycard Press Office
Barclaycard
1234 Pavilion Drive
Northampton
NN4 7SG
01604 251229
www.barclaycard.co.uk