Finns make more card payments in 2024 Q4

The customers of Finnish banks and payment institutions made a total of 616 million card payments in the October-December period of 2024, representing an increase of 4% year-on-year, said The Bank of Finland on Wednesday.

In the fourth quarter of 2024, the value of customers’ card payments totalled EUR 18.9 billion, which was EUR 643 million more than in the corresponding period a year earlier.

However, the total value of card payments declined 3% from July-September. Consumers usually spend more money in the summer than in the fourth quarter.

In the fourth quarter of 2024, customers made more contactless payments than before and in larger amounts on average than in the corresponding period a year earlier.

Customers made contactless payments amounting to EUR 7.1 billion in the fourth quarter of 2024. The total value of contactless payments grew by EUR 1.2 billion (21%) from the last quarter of 2023.

In the fourth quarter, a total of 382 million card payments were made using the contactless feature, which was 7% more than in the fourth quarter of 2023.

Over 60% of card payments were made with the contactless feature. On average, customers make smaller purchases with contactless payments than with other card payments.

In remote card payments, a debit or credit card is not inserted into a payment terminal at a point of sale.

Examples of remote card payments include monthly recurring card payments or online card payments.

In the fourth quarter of 2024, a total of 120 million payments were made as remote card payments, which was 22% more than in the same period a year earlier.1 The aggregate value of remote card payments (EUR 4.6 billion) grew 18% year-on-year.

The aggregate value of card transactions made in other euro area countries using Finnish payment cards in the fourth quarter of 2024 was EUR 1.6 billion, 16% more than in the fourth quarter a year earlier. The aggregate value of card transactions made using Finnish payment cards outside the EU was EUR 0.4 billion.