Key Insights:
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Market Growth:
- Credit and charge card payments are set to grow by 15.5% in 2024, reaching Rs 22.3 trillion ($270.4 billion).
- This growth follows a 27.8% increase in 2023, driven by rising consumer spending.
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Shift Away from Cash:
- The use of cash has gradually declined in India, with credit and charge cards now accounting for 75.7% of total card payment value.
- Cards were used 35.9 times/year in 2023, much higher than debit cards, and this figure is expected to rise to 37.6 times/year by 2028.
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E-commerce Payments:
- Credit and charge cards contributed 15.4% of total e-commerce transactions in 2023.
- Benefits like reward points, discounts, and instalment payment options have made them the preferred payment tool for online shopping.
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Flexible Payment Options:
- The availability of instalment plans for credit card users has fueled card usage, with many banks offering flexible monthly payment options for big-ticket purchases.
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Government Initiatives:
- The Payments Infrastructure Development Fund (PIDF), launched by the RBI, is helping expand payment infrastructure, particularly in tier 3-6 cities.
- By November 2023, over 827,000 POS terminals and 27.2 million QR code acceptance points were deployed to promote card payments.
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Promising Future Outlook:
- With rising disposable incomes and improvements in payment infrastructure, the market is projected to grow at a 12.6% CAGR between 2024 and 2028.
Conclusion:
India’s credit and charge card payments market is on a robust growth trajectory, driven by the shift from cash, increasing e-commerce transactions, and the government’s push for digital payments. The future looks promising for consumers and the industry alike.