Transactions through cards maintain a steady growth in Bangladesh, indicating a positive trend towards a more digitalized and cashless financial ecosystem.聽
Over the past five years, both the issuance of debit, credit and prepaid cards, as well as the transaction volume has increased significantly in the country, according to the Bangladesh Bank. 聽聽
BB data showed that issuance of debit, credit and prepaid cards has risen by 140 per cent and the total transaction volume through cards has increased by 228 per cent over the past five-year period.
The number of debit cards issued grew by 113 per cent from 19.4 million in May 2020 to 41.51 million by April 2025.
Credit cards saw a 65 per cent increase, rising from 1.5 million to 2.5 million while prepaid cards experienced an extraordinary 1,283 per cent growth, surging from 0.55 million to 7.6 million during the same period, the central bank data reveals.
Talking to BSS, a senior official of the Bangladesh Bank said that over the past five years, Bangladesh had witnessed a remarkable transformation in its financial landscape, driven by the rapid expansion of card-based transactions.
The initiative by BB has been successful in promoting a cashless banking system and the continued growth in card usage indicates a positive trend towards a more digitally inclusive financial ecosystem in Bangladesh, he added.
To accelerate the adoption of electronic payment methods, he said, the government and Bangladesh Bank have implemented a series of targeted policy measures and regulatory reforms.聽
This strategic focus on digitisation has yielded significant results, with card-based transactions experiencing exponential growth as businesses and consumers increasingly shift toward digital financial instruments, he added.
He said that VISA credit cards were the most popular choice for both domestic and international transactions.聽
He expected that the cards usage would experience sustained growth further day by day if the development of Bangladesh continues coupled with rising living standard of the people and an increase in international transactions.
According to the BB data, domestically, credit card usage showed overall upward trend from April 2024 to April 2025 and showed a significant decrease in April this year compared with that of March due to Eid festival impact.聽
In contrast, cross-border transactions showed minor fluctuations over time but in April 2025, it showed a substantial increase, 29.49 per cent, compared with that of the previous month.聽
It is noteworthy to mention that, spending by foreign nationals within Bangladesh saw a sharp decline between June and October of 2024 before rebounding to normal levels by November 2024 and further it increased steadily in December 2024 to February 2025 but it saw a slight decrease in March 2025 and further it increased in April 2025.聽
Within the country spending patterns of credit cards across different sectors in April 2025 showed that nearly half (50 per cent) of domestic credit card transactions occurred at department stores.
In April 2025, debit and prepaid card transactions outside the country showed distinct spending patterns in terms of amount and category distribution. Debit card transactions totalled Tk 3,108 million across 4,49,622 transactions, with the largest shares going to cash withdrawals (20.78 per cent), retail outlet services (20.53 per cent) and department stores (17.85 per cent).聽
These three categories alone accounted for nearly 59 per cent of the total debit card spending abroad.聽
In contrast, at the same time prepaid card transactions amounted to Tk 845 million from 1,18,128 transactions, with government services dominating the spending at 24.68 per cent, followed by cash withdrawals (18.43 per cent) and business services (18.29 per cent).聽
Departmental stores also held a significant share at 15.7 per cent.聽
Bangladeshi nationals primarily used their credit cards in the Unite States (14 per cent), while US cardholders accounted for the highest spending (42 per cent) among foreign nationals within Bangladesh.聽
At the same time, Bangladeshi nationals used their debit cards most in China (21 per cent) and prepaid cards most in the United Kingdom (22 per cent).
VISA cards emerged as the most popular choice for domestic, outward and inward transactions in April 2025.
