Market research on the consumer finance industry. Our reports fea...
Market research on the consumer finance industry. Our reports feature standardised and cross-comparable statistics including total market sizes, market share and brand share data, distribution and industry trends.
Pre-paid cards are benefitting from the Kingdom’s move towards a cashless society – especially so in certain areas. For example, as seen with the uptake of pre-paid cards for the payment of workers’ salaries, notably so for domestic workers. In this…
Pre-paid cards are experiencing significant growth in 2023, encompassing a surge in the number of cards in circulation, the volume of transactions, and their overall value. This surge is primarily attributed to the remarkable growth potential…
Boosted by the recovery of transportation cards, which had suffered severely during the COVID-19 pandemic, closed loop cards is seeing double-digit growth in 2023. Otlis, Lisbon’s transportation system cards, leads in terms of number of cards in…
Against the backdrop of double-digit inflation in Poland, employees are increasingly interested in non-wage benefits that can help mitigate the rising cost of living. Many companies are responding to this pressing need by expanding the range of…
The use of pre-paid cards has shown consistent growth over the last two years, particularly experiencing a notable surge in 2022 as pandemic-related restrictions were lifted and activities returned to a semblance of normalcy. However, in 2023, this…
Although they are still a popular option in Norway, the volume of pre-paid cards has dropped significantly since the pandemic. Both open loop and closed loop pre-paid cards continue to decline in 2023, albeit at a slower rate than previous years.…
Nigeria remains a mainly cash-driven society, though debit card usage is growing. Pre-paid cards, however, are not a popular option, and while the number of cards is expected to increase, constant transaction value is expected to fall in 2023, as…
There are no open-loop pre-paid cards in Morocco, and the number of closed-loop pre-paid cards (and the value of transactions made using them) was in decline even before the onset of the pandemic. The increased use of debit cards was the main driver…
Pre-paid cards is a form of payment, whether in physical or digital format, that closely resembles conventional debit and credit cards. In 2023, pre-paid cards is set to experience a positive performance, largely thanks to the rise of e-commerce, and…
Despite increased competition from other payment methods, pre-paid cards retains the potential for growth as Malaysia continues to shift towards a cashless society. With the use of cash in long-term decline, a trend accelerated by the Coronavirus…
In the review period, pre-paid cards showed progression to online (mobile, smart watch, etc...) payment, especially within transportation pre-paid cards such as Suica and PASMO cards. More people opted to use smartphone app versions of pre-paid cards…
Pre-paid cards continued to be one of the most popular types of financial card in Italy, particularly in the case of young adults or those without a bank account. However, as with other financial cards, the rise of contactless payments expanded usage…
In 2023, closed loop pre-paid cards witnessed a decline in transaction value and volume, consistent with a continuing trend as consumers increasingly shift towards payment apps. Despite some consumers still having significant value loaded onto their…
The pre-paid cards category has continued its strong performance in 2023, with the category seeing positive growth in terms of both volume and value transactions, as in the previous year. Pre-paid cards has been particularly impacted by the revival…
Pre-paid card transactions witnessed healthy double-digit growth in transaction volumes over 2021-2022. However, in 2023, the category witnessed a decline in volume of transactions as consumers became increasingly inclined to choose alternative…
In January 2023, the previously separate pockets - accommodation, hospitality and leisure - were consolidated; therefore, the charges associated with these sectors are now aggregated and considered together. Also, in order to expedite the use of…
Octopus has established itself as the most widely used and popular open loop pre-paid card in Hong Kong, offering a myriad of convenient features and services. Recognising the growing interest among local residents to explore the mainland during…
In 2023, open-loop pre-paid cards have seen a mild increase in the number of cards, transaction volume, and transaction value. This uptick is part of the general momentum in card transactions driven by the proliferation of digital wallets,…
In 2023, pre-paid cards in Germany displayed a remarkable ability to adapt to post-pandemic changes. This was in contrast to 2022, when pre-paid cards witnessed a decline in transactions and value due to extraordinary circumstances, such as the…
The growth seen in pre-paid cards in 2023 is being supported by the popularity of closed loop pre-paid cards allocated for gifts. The number of such cards has increased in recent years, with the era of the pandemic seeing consumers allocate a part of…
Amid a concerted government focus on financial inclusion and extensive banking initiatives tailored to citizens of all age groups, the category of pre-paid cards remains on a robust growth trajectory within the Egyptian financial market. The…
While there is a significant number of pre-paid cards in Denmark, the spend is not significant. That being said, there is expected to be a modest increase in value spend in 2023, largely driven by rising inflation. With debit cards having significant…
In 2023, the number of pre-paid cards in circulation is expected to grow steadily. Closed loop pre-paid cards, particularly transportation cards, will remain the most important. This growth is driven by increased mobility as hybrid work schemes lose…
As of July 2023, 10 pre-paid card issuers had had their payment clearing license revoked, according to PBOC (People’s Bank of China). In fact, the majority of these issuers voluntarily cancelled their licenses, affected by stringent government…
The Payment Means Law in Chile has been a driving force behind the remarkable growth of pre-paid card transactions in the country. These financial cards have gained significant traction towards the end of the review period, with both banks and…
Pre-paid cards is seeing continued robust rises across all metrics in Canada in 2023, with growth in some areas outshining that of 2022. This is in large part thanks to a wave of innovation from card issues that is redefining the landscape. One of…
Local consumers increasingly seek the ability to utilise pre-paid cards in digital domains, spanning online shopping, food delivery services, and ride-hailing platforms. Brazilians also aspire to utilise pre-paid cards in diverse contexts, including…
Closed loop pre-paid card transactions in Austria are essentially merchant-issued gift cards, and demand for these continued to increase in 2023. In a time of persistently high inflation with increased prices of essentials such as food and petrol,…
While remote working has become a staple arrangement for many Australians, the idea of working remotely every day has been phased out. Many employees are returning to the office five days a week, while others have a hybrid arrangement which sees them…
Open loop pre-paid cards initially gained significant traction, targeting individuals without a financial history to access traditional credit cards, particularly those in lower socioeconomic levels. However, the momentum of this segment has…
2023 is witnessing a substantial increase in both the volume and value of financial cards overall, primarily driven by government initiatives aimed at encouraging cashless payments. Debit cards, credit cards, and pre-paid cards are all seeing healthy…
A significant shift is underway in the realm of Dutch public transport, as the familiar OV chipkaart is being gradually phased out and replaced with a more versatile system known as OVpay. Since the start of 2023, travellers on public transport have…
The biggest news of 2023 has been administrative, with the Federal Reserve fighting inflation and the threat of recession. With inflation well above recent norms in 2022, the Fed spent roughly 18 months in a constant dance of deciding whether to…
In 2023, the UK’s economy has continued to be characterised by a high inflation rate and a rising cost of living. And, while in 2022 this situation was mainly exacerbated by the high cost of energy, in 2023 this cost has gradually started decreasing,…
The United Arab Emirates continues its journey towards a cashless society, with the continued adoption of digital payment solutions, contactless cards, and the emergence of supplementary payment platforms or solutions in pre-paid cards that support…
While the initial surge in spending and reopening of the economy, with the easing of the threat of Coronavirus (COVID-19) and lifting of related restrictions, has started to stabilise, the Philippines continues to experience robust growth in both…
In 2023, the Netherlands is experiencing its first full year without COVID-19 restrictions, leading to significant shifts in the payments landscape. For offline payments, this has resulted in a notable increase in card payments and proximity mobile…
Cash remains an important mode of payment in the Czech Republic, especially in rural areas, although modernisation is driving growth in financial cards and payments. The expansion of POS terminals in retail stores is driving financial card…
In 2023, the Thai economy is witnessing an economic recovery following the harsh impact of the pandemic and consumer confidence is on the rise. Private consumption is gathering momentum aided by the government program “Shop Dee Mee Kuen” (Shopping…
In 2023, electronic and mobile payments have taken centre stage, greatly reducing reliance on cash transactions in Taiwan. Local residents have enthusiastically adopted various digital payment options, particularly digital wallets, which have emerged…
The two pandemic years boosted the use of financial cards in Sweden. While the use of cash in the country was already exceptionally low by global standards at the start of the review period, its role diminished further during the pandemic due to…
The Spanish economy has performed better than anticipated in 2023, despite the challenges posed by high energy costs and the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, with consumption continuing to recover to 2019 levels, boosted by the recovery of travel…
The landscape of card transactions in South Korea is undergoing a remarkable transformation marked by a gradual decline in cash usage. This paradigm shift is primarily driven by the widespread adoption of mobile financial services, a trend that has…
The number of financial cards in circulation is set to continue to increase in 2023, supported by a steady rise in the banked population and the intensified competition between issuers. Meanwhile, value transactions across categories such as debit…
The financial cards and payments landscape in Singapore has experienced notable transformations as the nation progresses towards its goal of becoming a cashless society. This evolution has been primarily driven by the rise of digitalisation,…
Saudi Arabia has taken significant steps to transform itself into a cashless society – starting even before the event of the COVID-19 pandemic, which triggered digital evolution in industries globally. In this regard, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia…
Romania lags behind in financial inclusion compared to other nations, showcasing a lower uptake of basic financial services, primarily due to a trifecta of factors: low financial literacy levels, a significant grey economy, and a widespread…
Portuguese consumers continue to shift towards electronic payment instruments (payment cards, electronic direct or ACH transactions), with cards being the most used electronic payment instrument in everyday life. The trend of replacing cash with card…
Financial cards and payments in Poland is undergoing substantial change with the continued increase in non-cash transactions in 2023. Card operators are focused on providing access to a variety of payment methods so that the consumer and merchant can…
Financial cards and payments have indeed witnessed substantial growth in 2023. However, this growth has seen a notable slowdown due to consumers adopting a more cautious approach to spending. Factors contributing to this caution include the sluggish…