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Credit Cards in the United Kingdom

Publisher Euromonitor International
Published Jan 16, 2026
Length 30 Pages
SKU # EP20772973

Description

In contrast to debit cards, credit cards saw higher transaction value growth than cards in circulation in 2025. Services and experiences are the most commonly purchased through credit cards, rather than everyday items. As with debit cards, contactless is increasingly common across merchants, offering unparalleled convenience. The prominence of Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) continues to feature prominently at large UK retailers (e.g., Klarna at Sainsbury’s brands Argos/Habitat/Tu and at Boots), maint...

Euromonitor International's Credit Card Transactions in United Kingdom report establishes the size and structure of the market for ATMs cards, smart cards, credit cards, debit cards, charge cards, pre-paid cards and store cards. It looks at key players in the market (issuers and operators), number of cards in circulation, numbers transactions and value of transactions. It offers strategic analysis of sector forecasts and trends to watch.

Product coverage: Commercial Credit Card Transactions, Personal Credit Card Transactions.

Data coverage: market sizes (historic and forecasts), company shares, brand shares and distribution data.

Why buy this report?
* Get a detailed picture of the Credit Card Transactions market;
* Pinpoint growth sectors and identify factors driving change;
* Understand the competitive environment, the market’s major players and leading brands;
* Use five-year forecasts to assess how the market is predicted to develop.

Table of Contents

30 Pages
Credit Cards in the United Kingdom
Euromonitor International
January 2026
List Of Contents And Tables
CREDIT CARDS IN THE UNITED KINGDOM
KEY DATA FINDINGS
2025 DEVELOPMENTS
INDUSTRY PERFORMANCE
Experiences underpin personal credit card growth, with 2025 momentum steady and ticket sizes higher
BNPL usage remains widespread at checkouts, with regulatory oversight ahead
WHAT’S NEXT?
BNPL regulations expected to encourage card-funded instalments and steadier e-commerce volumes and value
Card rails to remain spine of UK payments, but PSR remedies on scheme and processing fees could reshape pricing and acceptance
Future opportunities cluster around wallets and tokenised card credentials rather than displacement
COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE
Issuers concentrated among ‘big four’
American Express benefits from increased merchant acceptance
CATEGORY DATA
Table 1 Credit Cards: Number of Cards in Circulation 2020-2025
Table 2 Credit Cards Transactions 2020-2025
Table 3 Credit Cards in Circulation: % Growth 2020-2025
Table 4 Credit Cards Transactions: % Growth 2020-2025
Table 5 Commercial Credit Cards: Number of Cards in Circulation 2020-2025
Table 6 Commercial Credit Cards Transactions 2020-2025
Table 7 Commercial Credit Cards in Circulation: % Growth 2020-2025
Table 8 Commercial Credit Cards Transactions: % Growth 2020-2025
Table 9 Personal Credit Cards: Number of Cards in Circulation 2020-2025
Table 10 Personal Credit Cards Transactions 2020-2025
Table 11 Personal Credit Cards in Circulation: % Growth 2020-2025
Table 12 Personal Credit Cards Transactions: % Growth 2020-2025
Table 13 Credit Cards: Number of Cards by Issuer 2020-2024
Table 14 Credit Cards: Number of Cards by Operator 2020-2024
Table 15 Credit Cards Payment Transaction Value by Issuer 2020-2024
Table 16 Credit Cards Payment Transaction Value by Operator 2020-2024
Table 17 Commercial Credit Cards: Number of Cards by Issuer 2020-2024
Table 18 Commercial Credit Cards: Number of Cards by Operator 2020-2024
Table 19 Commercial Credit Cards Payment Transaction Value by Issuer 2020-2024
Table 20 Commercial Credit Cards Payment Transaction Value by Operator 2020-2024
Table 21 Personal Credit Cards: Number of Cards by Issuer 2020-2024
Table 22 Personal Credit Cards: Number of Cards by Operator 2020-2024
Table 23 Personal Credit Cards Payment Transaction Value by Issuer 2020-2024
Table 24 Personal Credit Cards Payment Transaction Value by Operator 2020-2024
Table 25 Forecast Credit Cards: Number of Cards in Circulation 2025-2030
Table 26 Forecast Credit Cards Transactions 2025-2030
Table 27 Forecast Credit Cards in Circulation: % Growth 2025-2030
Table 28 Forecast Credit Cards Transactions: % Growth 2025-2030
Table 29 Forecast Commercial Credit Cards: Number of Cards in Circulation 2025-2030
Table 30 Forecast Commercial Credit Cards Transactions 2025-2030
Table 31 Forecast Commercial Credit Cards in Circulation: % Growth 2025-2030
Table 32 Forecast Commercial Credit Cards Transactions: % Growth 2025-2030
Table 33 Forecast Personal Credit Cards: Number of Cards in Circulation 2025-2030
Table 34 Forecast Personal Credit Cards Transactions 2025-2030
Table 35 Forecast Personal Credit Cards in Circulation: % Growth 2025-2030
Table 36 Forecast Personal Credit Cards Transactions: % Growth 2025-2030
COUNTRY REPORTS DISCLAIMER
FINANCIAL CARDS AND PAYMENTS IN THE UNITED KINGDOM
KEY DATA FINDINGS
KEY INDUSTRY TRENDS
INDUSTRY PERFORMANCE
Contactless and mobile wallets cement their dominance
BNPL faces regulatory challenges amid explosive growth
AI and sustainability redefine card innovation
WHAT’S NEXT?
Growth set to be driven by increased transactions for everyday purchases
UK policy will shape the direction of the category
Steady outlook for the years ahead
COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE
Lloyds benefits from partnership with Visa and strong brand equity
Revolut sees rapid expansion in the UK
MARKET INDICATORS
Table 37 Number of POS Terminals: Units 2020-2025
Table 38 Number of ATMs: Units 2020-2025
Table 39 Value Lost to Fraud 2020-2025
Table 40 Card Expenditure by Location 2025
Table 41 Financial Cards in Circulation by Type: % Number of Cards 2020-2025
Table 42 Domestic versus Foreign Spend 2025
MARKET DATA
Table 43 Financial Cards by Category: Number of Cards in Circulation 2020-2025
Table 44 Financial Cards by Category: Number of Accounts 2020-2025
Table 45 Financial Cards Transactions by Category: Value 2020-2025
Table 46 Financial Cards by Category: Number of Transactions 2020-2025
Table 47 Consumer Payments by Category: Value 2020-2025
Table 48 Consumer Payments by Category: Number of Transactions 2020-2025
Table 49 M-Commerce by Category: Value 2020-2025
Table 50 M-Commerce by Category: % Value Growth 2020-2025
Table 51 Financial Cards: Number of Cards by Issuer 2020-2024
Table 52 Financial Cards: Number of Cards by Operator 2020-2024
Table 53 Financial Cards: Card Payment Transactions Value by Operator 2020-2024
Table 54 Financial Cards: Card Payment Transactions Value by Issuer 2020-2024
Table 55 Forecast Financial Cards by Category: Number of Cards in Circulation 2025-2030
Table 56 Forecast Financial Cards by Category: Number of Accounts 2025-2030
Table 57 Forecast Financial Cards Transactions by Category: Value 2025-2030
Table 58 Forecast Financial Cards by Category: Number of Transactions 2025-2030
Table 59 Forecast Consumer Payments by Category: Value 2025-2030
Table 60 Forecast Consumer Payments by Category: Number of Transactions 2025-2030
Table 61 Forecast M-Commerce by Category: Value 2025-2030
Table 62 Forecast M-Commerce by Category: % Value Growth 2025-2030
COUNTRY REPORTS DISCLAIMER
SOURCES
Summary 1 Research Sources

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