Record £59.1bn spent on debit cards in July

Record £59.1bn spent on debit cards in July amid signs that coronavirus is accelerating shopping on the internet

A record £59.1billion was spent on debit cards in July amid signs that the pandemic is accelerating shopping on the internet. 

Debit card spending surged 7.9 per cent month-on-month and was also up by 9.4 per cent compared with July 2019, UK Finance said. 

Surge: Debit card spending surged 7.9 per cent month-on-month and was also up by 9.4 per cent compared with July 2019

It suggested that people may be making more small purchases on debit card, rather credit cards, which are typically used for big purchases such as white goods and holidays. 

Credit card spending was below levels seen a year earlier. Online card spending hit a record £21.8billion in July, with 41 per cent of total card spending by value being made online during July.