Bulletin Author Video - May 2026 - Consumer Payments Survey

Why It Matters

The continued shift from cash to cards and mobile wallets reshapes merchant acceptance, card issuer revenues, and payment infrastructure needs, and informs regulatory and financial-inclusion policy as consumer behavior evolves.

Summary

The RBA’s 2025 Consumer Payments Survey, reported in the May 2026 Bulletin, found cards remain the dominant payment method in Australia, with debit cards accounting for roughly half of all consumer payments. Usage varies by income and age: lower-income households lean more on debit and cash, higher-income households use credit more, and 18–29-year-olds made about 80% of payments with cards versus ~60% for those 65 and over. Cards were the preferred option across transaction sizes in 2025, including small purchases under $10, and mobile wallet adoption rose to 43% of consumers using contactless payments on a mobile device, up from 35% in 2022.

Original Description

The RBA’s 2025 Consumer Payments Survey shows that cards remain the most widely used consumer payment method in Australia. This article shares the survey's key insights on consumer payment behaviour, with a focus on electronic payment methods.