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Card Use Grows in Brazil with 11.4 Billion Transactions in Q1 2025. Contactless Payments Increase by 38% and Gain Ground in Consumption.
The payments sector in Brazil recorded significant growth in card usage in the first quarter of 2025. According to Abecs (Brazilian Association of Credit Card and Services Companies), there were 11.4 billion transactions during this period, a 5.3% increase compared to the same quarter of 2024.
The highlight is on contactless payments, which rose by 38.6% and already represent a significant portion of in-person purchases in the country. In the credit modality, the transaction volume via contactless reached R$ 242.3 billion, growing 42% year-on-year.
Accelerated in Consumption and Technology
The popularization of contactless payment is the result of a combination of factors: greater establishment adoption, advances in NFC card issuance, and consumer behavior increasingly leaning towards convenience.
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With the advancement of this payment method, Brazil remains aligned with international trends, where the speed and security of “tap to pay” have become the standard. Furthermore, the pandemic accelerated the preference for contactless payment methods, a habit that has solidified.
The Weight of Credit and Debit Cards
Among the modalities, the credit card continues to lead in transaction value, followed by debit and prepaid cards.
- Credit Card: R$ 842.7 billion transacted in the quarter (+14.4%).
- Debit Card: R$ 285.2 billion (+5.2%).
- Prepaid Cards: R$ 114.5 billion (+24.9%).
The growth of prepaid cards, in particular, reflects their use for budget control and the inclusion of consumers without access to traditional credit.
Impact on the Market and Consumers
For the financial market, the increase in transaction numbers means more revenue from interchange fees and greater competition among issuers.
For consumers, there are benefits in terms of convenience and security, but also risks: the ease of contactless payment may encourage impulsive spending and increase debt, especially in credit.
Long-Term Trend
The expectation of Abecs is that contactless payments will continue to rise, with greater integration into digital wallets and wearable devices like smartwatches. The challenge will be to maintain security against fraud and educate consumers for the responsible use of this technology.
The rapid growth in card usage and the contactless modality shows that Brazil is becoming increasingly digital in payment methods. But it also raises an important question: are we prepared to balance convenience and financial responsibility, or will we see an increase in debts associated with credit cards?
Aí sim ….. matéria interessante, é a modernidade caminhando para o $$$ digital!
Outro fator é que o brasileiro está ficando sem $$$ e está passando a usar mais a modalidade “crédito!”, isso vai trazer consequências de individamento a curto prazo e consequentemente uma “inadimplência” de magnitude nunca vista …. levando a empréstimos bancários a juros na estratosfera !
Coisas de políticas públicas erradas e inconsequentes !