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Sinterklaas paid for many luxury presents with his smartphone

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In physical shops, debit and credit card payments were up by almost 20% shortly before Sinterklaas. At online retailers, almost 25% more online payments were made on Cyber Monday than on an ordinary Monday.

Sinterklaas sits behind a laptop on a red tablecloth and looks at the screen in surprise in a bright studio.

Payments at the point of sale

In absolute terms, Black Friday was the busiest day of 2019 for point-of-sale payments. But on the days that followed, up to and including yesterday, debit and credit card payments in shops were still between 10% and almost 20% higher than on comparable ordinary weekdays.

At the busiest moments, more than 900 payments per second were made using debit cards, credit cards, smartphones and wearables.

More luxurious and expensive

Alongside toys, books, sports equipment and hobby items, Sinterklaas appears to have bought a particularly large number of luxury goods, such as jewellery, electronics and home furnishings. “We still enjoy buying presents in festively decorated shops and streets,” says Michel van Bommel of Detailhandel Nederland, the Dutch retail association. “This year, Sinterklaas presents are a little more luxurious and expensive than in previous years.”

Contactless payments with smartphones and wearables

In October, almost seven out of ten electronic payments in shops were contactless. “Contactless payment is by far the most popular way to pay at the checkout,” says Piet Mallekoote, director of the Dutch Payments Association. “Increasingly, larger amounts above €25 are also being paid contactlessly, with a PIN.”

In the run-up to Sinterklaas, almost 10% of all contactless payments were made using a smartphone or wearable.

Sinterklaas using a tablet against a white background.

Online payments with iDEAL and credit cards

In the run-up to Sinterklaas, considerably more payments were made at online retailers using iDEAL and credit cards up to and including Cyber Monday (Monday 2 December) than on comparable ordinary weekdays. Black Friday remains the peak day for online payments, with almost 80% more online payments using iDEAL and credit cards than on a normal Friday.

During the day and evening, an average of 75 payments per second were made using these online payment methods.

Last Monday, on Cyber Monday, almost 25% more online payments were still made than on an ordinary Monday. During the entire previous week, from Monday 25 November to Sunday 1 December, roughly €1.9 billion was spent using iDEAL and credit cards.

The figures for debit cards and iDEAL are estimates based on measurements by payment processor equensWorldline .

All credit card figures are estimates based on measurements by credit card issuer ICS (International Card Services).

More facts and figures about payments in the Netherlands:

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