Annual card transaction volume, credit or debit card, in Italy 2000-2021

The value of card payments in Italy grew between 2001 and 2007, and after dropping in 2008, the growing trend picked up again until 2019 where the total value of transactions amounted to approximately 220 billion euros. In 2020, this value dropped again to 210 billion euros. Similarly, the number of card payments also grew impressively in the last few years, reaching almost 3.7 billion in 2020.

Debit cards on the rise

While the number of credit cards fluctuated in the last few years in Italy, debit cards appear to have increased in popularity. In fact, after reaching an all-time low in 2014, the number of active credit cards in Italy grew in the following years, surpassing in 2019 the previous peak recorded in 2010. On the other hand, the number of active debit cards in the country increased steadily over the same period, reaching over 57 million in 2019.

Payment cards in Europe

Despite not being able to imagine life without cash, Italians recorded the second highest number of payment cards in the European Union, according to data published by the European Central Bank. The ranking shows that there is a total of approximately 85 million payment cards in Italy. Only Germany recorded a higher figure: the country topped the list with 147 million.