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A credit card. Representational image.
Credit card spending in Bangladesh reached Tk 4,089 crore in August 2026, marking a 30.03 percent year-on-year increase compared to the Tk 3,144 crore recorded during the same month last year, according to a recent report released by Bangladesh Bank. While annual transaction volume rose by Tk 945 crore, monthly expenditure experienced a slight contraction of 5.44 percent compared to July 2026.
The central bank's findings highlight an accelerating shift away from cash toward digital channels, with debit, credit, and prepaid card usage expanding nationwide. Within the domestic market, department stores and shopping malls remained the primary destination for credit card expenditure, accounting for Tk 1,969 crore or 48.14 percent of total domestic card transactions in August. In July, department store spending stood at Tk 2,176 crore, representing 50.31 percent of total usage. Overall, 93.37 percent of domestic credit card spending in August went toward retail goods and services, while cash withdrawals accounted for only 6.43 percent. The central bank attributed the high volume of retail spending to frequent grocery purchases, promotional merchant offers, and the widespread availability of card point-of-sale terminals.
Overseas expenditure by Bangladeshi cardholders also saw significant volumes. Locally issued credit, debit, and prepaid cards were used to settle transactions worth approximately Tk 987 crore abroad in August. Credit cards represented the largest share of this spending at Tk 505 crore, followed by debit cards at Tk 422 crore and prepaid cards at Tk 60 crore. The United States topped the list of international destinations, drawing 17.16 percent of total foreign credit card expenditure, followed by Thailand (10.86 percent), the United Kingdom (9.75 percent), and India (9.12 percent). Meanwhile, transactions conducted inside Bangladesh using foreign-issued cards totaled Tk 249 crore in August, up 6.27 percent from Tk 234 crore in July.
At the close of August, the combined sanctioned credit limit across 47 scheduled commercial banks and one non-bank financial institution stood at Tk 43,108 crore, with total outstanding cardholder debt amounting to Tk 14,482 crore. Emphasizing long-term growth trends, Bangladesh Bank noted that between September 2021 and August 2026, the total number of issued debit, credit, and prepaid cards in the country rose by 96 percent, while the gross financial volume of transactions surged by 103 percent.
