New Zealand Electronic card transactions (retail) in New Zealand

Stats NZ · Monthly · Importance

0.2% (Aug-26) YOY · % · Monthly · CSV
-0.9% (Aug-26) MOM · % · Monthly · CSV
0.7% (Q2-26) QOQ · % · Quarterly · CSV
4.5% (Q2-26) YOY · % · Quarterly · CSV
Period%
Aug 2026 0.2%
Jul 2026 3.4%
Jun 2026 1.3%
May 2026 3.3%
Apr 2026 2.0%
Mar 2026 2.7%
Feb 2026 1.5%
Jan 2026 0.4%
Dec 2025 -0.5%
Nov 2025 1.6%
Oct 2025 0.8%
Sep 2025 1.0%
Aug 2025 0.9%
Jul 2025 1.7%
Jun 2025 -0.3%
May 2025 -0.1%
Apr 2025 -1.1%
Mar 2025 -2.4%
Feb 2025 -4.0%
Jan 2025 0.1%
Dec 2024 0.0%
Nov 2024 -1.9%
Oct 2024 -0.7%
Sep 2024 -5.0%
Aug 2024 -2.4%
Jul 2024 -4.3%
Jun 2024 -4.2%
May 2024 -0.2%
Apr 2024 -2.3%
Mar 2024 -0.9%
Feb 2024 4.8%
Jan 2024 2.9%
Dec 2023 0.7%
Nov 2023 3.2%
Oct 2023 -0.8%
Sep 2023 2.9%
Aug 2023 5.7%
Jul 2023 4.1%
Jun 2023 6.1%
May 2023 4.8%
Apr 2023 7.7%
Mar 2023 17.2%
Feb 2023 13.5%
Jan 2023 4.6%
Dec 2022 6.4%
Nov 2022 8.7%
Oct 2022 17.7%
Sep 2022 29.4%
Aug 2022 27.9%
Jul 2022 0.7%
Jun 2022 1.8%
May 2022 0.6%
Apr 2022 2.0%
Mar 2022 -0.4%
Feb 2022 1.2%
Jan 2022 5.8%
Dec 2021 4.5%
Nov 2021 2.2%
Oct 2021 -7.2%
Sep 2021 -16.2%
Period%
Aug 2026 -0.9%
Jul 2026 1.2%
Jun 2026 -1.4%
May 2026 1.6%
Apr 2026 -1.3%
Mar 2026 0.7%
Feb 2026 1.4%
Jan 2026 -1.1%
Dec 2025 -0.1%
Nov 2025 1.3%
Oct 2025 0.2%
Sep 2025 -0.5%
Aug 2025 0.9%
Jul 2025 -0.3%
Jun 2025 1.1%
May 2025 -0.7%
Apr 2025 0.5%
Mar 2025 -1.5%
Feb 2025 -0.4%
Jan 2025 -1.5%
Dec 2024 3.1%
Nov 2024 -0.6%
Oct 2024 1.0%
Sep 2024 0.1%
Aug 2024 0.4%
Jul 2024 -0.2%
Jun 2024 -0.9%
May 2024 -1.2%
Apr 2024 0.1%
Mar 2024 -0.4%
Feb 2024 -1.1%
Jan 2024 1.3%
Dec 2023 -1.4%
Nov 2023 0.8%
Oct 2023 -0.5%
Sep 2023 -0.4%
Aug 2023 0.5%
Jul 2023 -0.3%
Jun 2023 1.5%
May 2023 -1.3%
Apr 2023 0.1%
Mar 2023 1.6%
Feb 2023 0.6%
Jan 2023 0.2%
Dec 2022 -0.1%
Nov 2022 -1.7%
Oct 2022 2.3%
Sep 2022 1.8%
Aug 2022 0.6%
Jul 2022 0.4%
Jun 2022 0.4%
May 2022 2.2%
Apr 2022 7.4%
Mar 2022 -1.1%
Feb 2022 -6.6%
Jan 2022 0.6%
Dec 2021 2.1%
Nov 2021 8.2%
Oct 2021 11.0%
Sep 2021 0.8%
Period%
Apr 2026 0.7%
Jan 2026 1.1%
Oct 2025 1.3%
Jul 2025 1.3%
Apr 2025 1.0%
Jan 2025 0.5%
Oct 2024 1.3%
Jul 2024 -0.8%
Apr 2024 -0.6%
Jan 2024 0.3%
Oct 2023 -1.8%
Jul 2023 0.1%
Apr 2023 -0.7%
Jan 2023 -0.7%
Oct 2022 -1.4%
Jul 2022 -1.8%
Apr 2022 -0.9%
Jan 2022 0.4%
Oct 2021 7.6%
Jul 2021 -8.1%
Apr 2021 3.8%
Jan 2021 2.6%
Oct 2020 -1.4%
Jul 2020 23.6%
Apr 2020 -15.0%
Jan 2020 1.1%
Oct 2019 0.6%
Jul 2019 1.9%
Apr 2019 0.5%
Jan 2019 0.3%
Oct 2018 2.6%
Jul 2018 0.1%
Apr 2018 1.2%
Jan 2018 1.0%
Oct 2017 1.4%
Jul 2017 0.8%
Apr 2017 1.5%
Jan 2017 1.4%
Oct 2016 1.4%
Jul 2016 0.7%
Apr 2016 2.1%
Jan 2016 1.2%
Oct 2015 1.6%
Jul 2015 1.5%
Apr 2015 -0.6%
Jan 2015 2.6%
Oct 2014 1.5%
Jul 2014 2.0%
Apr 2014 1.1%
Jan 2014 0.9%
Oct 2013 0.8%
Jul 2013 0.1%
Apr 2013 1.6%
Jan 2013 1.3%
Oct 2012 0.9%
Jul 2012 0.4%
Apr 2012 1.2%
Jan 2012 -1.3%
Oct 2011 1.9%
Jul 2011 2.1%
Period%
Apr 2026 4.5%
Jan 2026 4.7%
Oct 2025 4.2%
Jul 2025 4.2%
Apr 2025 1.9%
Jan 2025 0.3%
Oct 2024 0.2%
Jul 2024 -2.8%
Apr 2024 -2.2%
Jan 2024 -1.7%
Oct 2023 -3.2%
Jul 2023 -3.1%
Apr 2023 -5.1%
Jan 2023 -4.0%
Oct 2022 -3.6%
Jul 2022 5.0%
Apr 2022 -1.8%
Jan 2022 3.2%
Oct 2021 5.1%
Jul 2021 -3.2%
Apr 2021 30.0%
Jan 2021 5.3%
Oct 2020 4.4%
Jul 2020 7.6%
Apr 2020 -11.5%
Jan 2020 4.0%
Oct 2019 3.3%
Jul 2019 5.4%
Apr 2019 3.6%
Jan 2019 3.9%
Oct 2018 5.0%
Jul 2018 3.7%
Apr 2018 4.5%
Jan 2018 4.6%
Oct 2017 5.6%
Jul 2017 5.2%
Apr 2017 5.2%
Jan 2017 4.9%
Oct 2016 4.9%
Jul 2016 5.3%
Apr 2016 6.8%
Jan 2016 5.0%
Oct 2015 5.3%
Jul 2015 5.2%
Apr 2015 5.8%
Jan 2015 7.2%
Oct 2014 6.0%
Jul 2014 4.6%
Apr 2014 3.1%
Jan 2014 3.5%
Oct 2013 3.8%
Jul 2013 4.3%
Apr 2013 4.5%
Jan 2013 2.5%
Oct 2012 1.8%
Jul 2012 1.7%
Apr 2012 4.1%
Jan 2012 4.2%
Oct 2011 6.0%
Jul 2011 2.9%

About this indicator

Source
Statistics New Zealand (Stats NZ)
Frequency
Monthly
Release
Around the 12th of the month following the reference month (10:45 NZ time).
What it is
Electronic Card Transactions measure consumer spending paid by credit and debit cards in New Zealand. They are a leading, high-frequency gauge of retail spending, released by Stats NZ well ahead of the quarterly retail trade survey.
How it's calculated
Stats NZ aggregates the value of card transactions from the payments system and publishes the total and the retail industries (the Retail Trade Series), with monthly (seasonally adjusted) and annual (unadjusted) changes.
Market implications
Rising card spending signals strong private consumption and possible inflationary pressure, which can lead the RBNZ to keep rates high and support the New Zealand dollar (NZD); a fall points to weaker consumption.
Limitations
It does not capture cash spending, bank transfers or very large purchases (vehicles, housing). It is a proxy for retail trade, not the official sales figure (which is quarterly), and can be volatile month to month.