FX.co ★ New Zealand Electronic Card Spending Falls 0.4% in September

Seasonally adjusted electronic card transactions in New Zealand fell 0.4% month-on-month in September 2026, easing from a 0.9% decline in August. The smaller overall drop reflected a rebound in spending on consumables (up 0.3% vs down 0.4% in August) and motor vehicles (up 0.6% vs down 0.3%), alongside a faster rise in fuel spending (up 2.9% vs 1.3%). These increases were more than offset by weaker outlays on hospitality (down 2.3% vs down 1.9% in August), durables (down 0.5% vs down 1.6%), and apparel (down 2.0%, unchanged from August). On an annual basis, total electronic card spending grew 0.9%, picking up from a 0.2% increase in August, which had marked the slowest pace of growth since December 2025.