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Short final rush of debit card payments just before Christmas

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During the final four days before Christmas, from Tuesday 21 to Friday 24 December, the number of debit card payments and associated turnover were 10% higher than during the four comparable days before Christmas the previous year. Similar lockdown measures were in force on those four days in both years. The number of debit card payments was also 10% higher than on the same weekdays in a normal week in November, before the lockdown, while turnover was 30% above normal. These estimates are based on measurements by transaction processor Worldline.

Woman in hat and scarf looks at Christmas decorations on the busy market stall, with bags and gold-colored garland in her arm.

Yesterday, on Christmas Eve, 17.1 million debit card payments were processed, with an estimated value of €504 million—15% more than on Christmas Eve the previous year. At around noon, approximately 690 debit card payments per second were recorded.

During the seven days immediately before the lockdown began, 99.1 million debit card payments were recorded, with a value of €2.66 billion. This was approximately 5% more than during the seven days before the 2020 Christmas lockdown, which began on Tuesday 15 December. Compared with a normal week in November, 10% more debit card payments were made during those seven days, for a total amount that was 15% higher. At food, drink and tobacco retailers, the number of debit card payments was 55% higher on 23 December than on a normal Thursday and 40% higher than normal on 24 December.

Compared with 2019, the number and value of daily debit card payments during the days before Christmas were 5% to 25% lower. In addition, the number of cash payments at the point of sale has fallen by approximately 30% since 2019.

In the days following the lockdown, the number of daily iDEAL payments was up to 55% higher , with estimated daily turnover up to 80% higher. During the seven days up to and including 23 December, 28.7 million iDEAL payments were recorded, with an estimated value of €2.73 billion. In a normal week without a lockdown, however, more than half of all iDEAL payments are not for webshop purchases, but include mobile payment requests (such as Tikkies) and bill payments (for example, municipal taxes and traffic fines).

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