New figures from the UK payments association reveal Brits are using debit cards before credit cards.
Britons spent three percent less on their credit cards during the first three months of the year compared with a year earlier, the latest statistics from UK payments association Apacs have revealed.
In the first quarter of 2008 UK consumers spent £31.7bn on credit cards, compared to just £30.7bn this year. However, spending on plastic cards in general did rise, totalling £94.2bn - up from £91.2bn in 2008 - with this mainly down to an increased use of debit cards.
However, Sandra Quinn, director of communications at Apacs, told the Scotsman that the figures did not necessarily mean that people had changed their habits and become less reliant on credit.
"It is hard to say if we are seeing a shift towards people spending what they have, rather than what they can borrow," she explained. "It will take another couple of quarters before we can say that."
However, there was an increase in debit card spending of four percent over the period, rising from £60,927 to £63,440. But consumers are still using credit cards for larger purchases, with the average credit card transaction totalling £63.13 over the quarter, compared with £44.42 for debit cards.
