One in ten credit card payments onlinePosted 09/08/2004
Online credit card usage has soared during the past few years, according to a new survey.
Figures from the Association for Payment Clearing Services (Apacs) show that one in 10 UK credit card transactions are now carried out online, representing a five-fold increase in online payments over the past four years.
Apacs also found that the items most often bought online were books and CDs, followed by travel products, computer equipment, and financial services.
"It's no real surprise that the internet is being used by more of us more of the time to shop and bank," Apacs director of corporate communications, Sandra Quinn, said. "It's convenient, secure and ideally suits the time-poor society we live in."
The figures also show that men shop online more than women, with 35 per cent of the 10.5 million male Internet shoppers making eleven or more purchases in the second half of 2003, compared to only 27 per cent of the 9.8 million female online shoppers.
Seventy-one per cent of those people asked about recent online purchases bought a travel service using their credit card, compared with 29 percent using their debit card, while 62 per cent of those who purchased clothes and household goods did so with credit cards, compared to 38 per cent with debit cards.
Apacs states that internet banking and online shopping are continuing to grow in popularity, with 22 million internet users (72 per cent) now shopping or banking online.
Internet purchases tend to be of higher value than those made in stores, Apacs reveals. The average value of debit card Internet purchases was £54, with credit purchases at £69, compared to overall payment average values of £39 and £58 respectively. © DeHavilland Information Services plc
© 1998-2004 DeHavilland Information Services plc.
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