Credit card spending increases

Latest data analysis by FICO has shown that average credit card spending increased by 5.6% to £835 in June.

The average active balance increased 1.4% to a record £1,975, marking a 4.7% increase on a year earlier, while the proportion of balances repaid fell 2.4% month-on-month to 33.3%, with this 4.4% below June 2025. Missed payments also rose year-on-year: accounts one payment behind increased by 7.7%, while two-payment delinquencies rose 9.1%, and those three payments behind jumped 14.3%. Average credit limits increased by 0.2% month-on-month to £5,985, with this 2% higher year-on-year.

A spokesperson from FICO said “June 2026 continued to present a mixed picture for consumer affordability. An increase in spending could, potentially, be seen as a good sign of economic confidence, however, the increase in spending was not matched by the percentage of overall balance paid, which fell on the previous month and year, reversing the previous recovery and continuing its persistent downwards trend. And with an increase in late payments across one, two and three months, a record-high average active balance will be of concern to risk teams.

“Payment rates remain at historically low levels, close to the pre-pandemic average of 30%. With rising spending and payments to balance, the average active balance has maintained record highs, a trend that characterised the market throughout 2025 and into 2026.

“In terms of missed payments, June saw a mixed picture across delinquency categories, with month-on-month improvements in one and three-cycle accounts offset by an increase at two cycles. However, all three delinquency categories remain higher year-on-year, continuing the concerning trend that emerged in the second half of 2025 and has persisted throughout 2026.

“June credit card data indicates that underlying affordability pressures remain significant. Risk teams should maintain heightened monitoring of delinquency progression through the cycle buckets and ensure pre-delinquency intervention strategies remain calibrated to address the elevated balance levels now characteristic of customers in financial difficulty.”