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Debit cardholders are using their cards more per month than they were three years ago, according to Synergistics Research Corp. survey results. The telephone survey of 1,041 consumers found that 60% of respondents have a debit card, and they completed an average of 25.4 monthly ATM and point-of-sale transactions. That compares with 16.4 transactions in 2005. Most cardholders are purchasing everyday items. Fifty-four percent of respondents use their debit card at grocery stores, while 48% use them at gas stations. Debit card attrition remains a challenge for financial institutions as they try to regain lost customers, according to the Atlanta-based research firm. One in 12 respondents no longer use a debit card, and 40% of those respondents find cash and checks easier to use.
