Digital payments are set to break through the 60 per cent mark

In 2026, almost 60 per cent of digital payments (56 per cent to be precise) are made digitally – a trend that has been underway for some time and which confirms the gradual shift towards increasingly cashless methods. We are also witnessing an evolution in payment methods, driven by the growth of e-commerce, such as credit facilities not linked to cards but directly at the point of sale, and ‘Buy Now, Pay Later’ schemes. These are some of the findings emerging from the latest Credit Cards and Digital Payments Observatory compiled by Assofin, Ipsos Doxa and Nomisma (powered by CRIF).

Both physical and digital cards are being used increasingly for everyday and small-value purchases, thanks to the gradual reduction in minimum spending thresholds. The debit card – with 85 per cent of financial decision-makers aged between 18 and 74 owning at least one – remains the most widely used method for everyday payments, whilst the credit card is strengthening its presence and frequency of use, driven by a rise in the number of heavy users. The preference for digital payments now extends to 66 per cent of Italian decision-makers, consolidating cashless payments even amongst older age groups. The uptake of smartphones, apps and wearables is also growing, with 45 per cent of decision-makers using them, thanks above all to their speed, convenience and ease of use. Interest in payment rings and bracelets is also growing, with one in five credit card holders potentially interested. The criteria for choosing a card are also evolving: for the first time, value for money outweighs the annual fee amongst non-cardholders. Competition is shifting towards the overall value of the offering, where simplicity, security, services and brand reliability are becoming increasingly important.

Whilst credit card transactions exceeded 1.8 billion in 2025, (+6.9% on 2024) and the average transaction value fell to 62 euros due to increasingly frequent use and small-value purchases, debit and prepaid cards accounted for the lion’s share. These account for 71.9 per cent of electronic transactions, with POS transactions totalling 10.6 billion: the growth rate stands at +14.8 per cent, driven by the widespread adoption of contactless payments and digital wallets.

Those who hold a credit card, depending on the repayment method (in full or in instalments), are once again favouring the traditional charge method. The total value of transactions processed via instalment/option cards remained stable in the first half of 2026, whilst online spending grew, accounting for over a quarter of the total transaction value; however, the volume of instalment payments made by card returned to negative territory (-0.9%) in the first six months of 2026, due to a further decline in the volume of repayments made via revolving credit. In contrast, instalment plans are gaining ground (+5.5 per cent); these are ‘traditional’ loans for settling one or more credit card expenses in instalments, with a predefined repayment schedule and a predetermined term. E-commerce is growing, digitalisation is advancing, and credit lines not linked to a card are also evolving, recording growth of nearly 20 per cent, for a total value of 2.3 billion euros – a positive trend that continued into the first half of 2026 (+11.8 per cent).

Buy Now Pay Later (buy now, pay in instalments with no interest) has reached full maturity and, in Italia too, it is now the alternative to traditional credit for small purchases: by 2026, BNPL will have consolidated its user base to 31 per cent of Italians, with widespread awareness of the service. The user base is shifting towards older age groups, with 35–54-year-olds accounting for almost half of the total. BNPL is also proving to be complementary to traditional credit, with more than half of users also making use of ‘traditional’ credit.