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Explosion of Credit Cards in Brazil: R$ 1.1 Trillion in Just 3 Months, 10.4% Growth and a Boom in Contactless Payments.
Brazilians Accelerated Spending with Credit Cards in the second quarter of 2025. In total, the volume transacted with cards reached R$ 1.1 trillion, representing a 10.4% increase compared to the same period of the previous year, according to data from Abecs.
Moreover, in the cumulative total for the semester, card payments – including credit, debit, and prepaid – totaled R$ 2.2 trillion, registering a growth of 9.9%.
In this scenario, credit cards dominated significantly. Credit increased by 14.4% and accounted for R$ 1.5 trillion. On the other hand, debit cards fell by 0.3% and recorded R$ 484.8 billion. Meanwhile, prepaid cards grew by 4.8%, reaching R$ 190.1 billion.
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According to Giancarlo Greco, president of Abecs, the performance of credit cards was historic and, therefore, demonstrates the strength of the sector.
In addition to volume, credit via cards also led in terms of usage. More than half (57.3%) of credit on cards was allocated to cash purchases. The remainder was divided into installments, with 64.2% of transactions carried out in up to six interest-free installments.
In summary, cards, especially credit cards, have established themselves as absolute protagonists in the Brazilian market, confirming their central position in consumption and the daily lives of the population.
Transactions on the Rise
In the first semester, Brazilians carried out 23.2 billion operations with cards, a volume that represents a growth of 5.2% compared to the same period last year. In other words, there were about 128 million payments per day.
When looking by modality, credit cards led the performance, with 10.5 billion transactions, a result that corresponds to a 10.4% increase.
On the other hand, debit cards totaled 8.1 billion, showing a slight decline of 0.5%. Meanwhile, prepaid cards reached 4.6 billion operations, which means an advance of 4.3%.
Contactless Payments Soar
Contactless payments exploded in Brazil and reinforced the role of credit cards in the daily life of consumers. In just six months, this modality transacted R$ 883 billion, recording an impressive growth of 37.1%.
Currently, no less than 71.1% of in-person purchases are already made with a simple tap on cards. For comparison, five years ago this percentage was only 2.2%, demonstrating the rapid adoption of the technology.
Additionally, 13.4 billion contactless transactions were recorded — a leap of 24.2% compared to the previous period. In practice, this means that Brazilians are making, on average, 3 million operations of this type per hour, consolidating credit cards as the protagonists of modern consumption.
Spending with Cards Abroad
Between January and July, Brazilians used credit to spend US$ 8.2 billion (R$ 47.4 billion) abroad, representing a growth of 5.5%.
In this scenario, the United States and Europe accounted for 80.5% of total credit expenses, recording a rise of 17%. Moreover, other regions also showed significant growth: Asia (+33.7%), Oceania (+250.2%), and Africa (+24.3%).
On the other hand, foreigners visiting Brazil also increased their spending. In the same period, they spent US$ 3.2 billion (R$ 18.4 billion) on credit, a figure that corresponds to a rise of 12.1%.
Digital Purchases with Cards
Non-presential transactions totaled R$ 537 billion, an increase of 16.7%.
Debit shined. It grew by 20.6% in e-commerce and apps. Since 2019, this type of usage has already jumped 539.3%. Credit advanced 254.3% in the same period.
Highlight Sectors
Among retail segments, bookstores led, with an increase of 38.3%. Next came clothing (+17.7%), electronics (+14.1%), auto parts (+13.4%), and food (+13.3%).
In services, freelance professionals took the lead, with a growth of 36.4%. Doctors increased by 21.2%, insurance by 17.9%, personal care by 15.2%, and tourism by 14.4%.
Regions of Brazil
Regionally, the use of cards also showed strong performance. The Southeast accounted for more than half of spending with credit and cards, reaching R$ 1.1 trillion, up by 3.2%.
Following this, the South moved R$ 305.5 billion, a significant increase of 15.2%. Meanwhile, the Northeast registered R$ 272.5 billion, with even higher growth of 16.8%.
Meanwhile, the Midwest totaled R$ 166.6 billion in operations with credit cards, representing an increase of 12.3%. Finally, the North also saw significant expansion: R$ 84.2 billion, up by 13.1%.
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