Australian credit and charge card holders in December initiated 153.6 million transactions, up by 3.7% from the 148.1 million during the same month a year earlier, data from the Reserve Bank of Australia reveal. Sales volume grew by 4.8%, to AU$22 billion (US$857 million or 627 million euros) from AU$21 billion.
Card cash advances continued to decline, falling 13.8%, to AU$948 million from AU$1.1 billion, according to the bank. Repayments toward credit and charge cards, however, rose 0.5%, to AU$21.6 billion from AU$21.5 billion.
Credit card outstandings totaled AU$46.9 billion at the end of December, up 4.9% from AU$44.7 billion a year earlier, the data show. The number of credit cards on issue grew by 1.4%, to 14.4 million from 14.2 million.
Debit card use grew by 11.1%, to 180.8 million transactions in December from 162.7 million transactions a year earlier. Debit card sales volume grew by 7.3%, to AU$11.8 million from AU$11 billion, while the number of debit cards in circulation grew by 9.3%, to 31.6 million from 28.9 million.
