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Credit card usage in the UK
The ease and speed of shopping online using credit cards has transformed the way we buy everything from books and gadgets to flights, hotel stays and tickets for gigs, shows and sports events. Research by Sainsbury’s Finance has revealed that 25.4 million adults in the UK now regularly buy goods online.
Payments by credit card contribute to a collective online shopping spree of around £6.4billion each month. The most popular online purchases are DVDs and music, followed by books, fashion items and holidays. According to this research by Sainsbury’s Finance, there’s a gender divide: men are more likely to buy music, gadgets and electronic items, whilst women account for the majority of fashion and book purchases.
The most enthusiastic online shoppers are aged 35-44 years old, the research suggests; this age-group typically spends an average of £215 each month. Consumers aged 45-54 spend a monthly average of £207, above the British average of £192. However, whilst two-thirds of people spend less than £100 a month on their cards, Sainsbury’s Finance estimates that there are 1.2million credit card-holders who spend more than £1000 a month online, significantly increasing the average for the country as a whole.
Yet lest you think that these must be female shopaholics, clicking to collect cupboards full of shoes, the statistics published by Sainsbury’s Finance say otherwise: men actually spend more online, averaging £220 a month. Female shoppers notch up a more modest £160 a month in online purchases – and Sainsbury’s Finance research has also revealed that 23% of women do not have a credit card at all.
The research suggests that shoppers in the South East spend the most online, splashing out an average £236 a month. Residents of the Midlands spend £212, northerners £178 and those in Wales and the South West £150 a month. In Scotland people spend just £116 a month on average when shopping online by credit card according to this survey by Sainsbury’s Finance.
Visit http://www.sainsburysbank.co.uk/shoppingonline
to see an illustration with the findings.
to see an illustration with the findings.
However, wherever you live, and whatever you buy online, ensure that you are rewarded for choosing to pay by credit card.
Published: 26/05/2011
The information in this article was correct at the time of publication and contains time sensitive data and links, it may not be accurate at the time of reading.