Card-based transactions in Bangladesh have surged by 172 per cent over the past five years, driven by growing consumer confidence in digital payments, rapid expansion of e-commerce, and widespread adoption of point-of-sale (POS) and online payment systems.
The latest Bangladesh Bank report titled 鈥楢n Overview of Cards Usage Pattern鈥� for September 2025 shows that total transactions through debit, credit and prepaid cards reached Tk 45,090 crore by August 2025, up from Tk聽16,572 crore in 2020.
The number of cards in use also grew significantly鈥攔ising by 158 per cent over the same period鈥攕ignalling a structural shift in how Bangladeshis pay for goods and services.
Debit cards remain the most widely used, accounting for the majority of transactions, but prepaid cards have shown the fastest growth, soaring by 765 per cent in five years.
This increase reflects rising demand for low-limit, flexible digital payment tools among younger and lower-income users.
Credit cards grew by 64 per cent during the same period, indicating growing middle-class adoption.
In August 2025 alone, domestic credit-card transactions stood at Tk 31,448 crore 鈥� 34.8 per cent higher than a year earlier.
Department stores accounted for 46 per cent of these payments, followed by retail outlets and utility bill payments.
This pattern demonstrates that credit cards are no longer confined to luxury or travel-related expenses but are being used for daily essentials.
Bangladesh Bank officials said that wider card acceptance, aggressive promotional campaigns, and consumer reward programmes have supported the growth.
Inflationary pressures have also influenced spending patterns, as people increasingly rely on cards to manage household liquidity and deferred payments.
The combined outflow amount across all three card types reaches nearly Tk 858 crore in August, 2025 and by this time period the inflow amount through cards from outside of Bangladesh is Tk 184 crore.
The United States accounted for 18 per cent of all cross-border card spending, while the United Kingdom accounted for 16 per cent.
The report noted that total outward transactions were 4.7 times higher than inward transactions by foreign cardholders, highlighting a persistent imbalance in international card payments.
The total sanctioned credit limit through credit cards reached Tk 37,681 crore, with outstanding claims at Tk聽12,869 crore.
VISA continued to dominate both domestic and international card networks, followed by Mastercard and American Express.
Bangladesh Bank attributed the strong growth in card usage to policy reforms under the Payment and Settlement Systems Act 2024 and recent central bank initiatives to promote digital financial inclusion.
These measures have improved interbank settlement systems, enhanced data security, and expanded payment infrastructure across both urban and semi-urban areas.
However, the report also cautioned that cybersecurity risks, low digital literacy, and limited connectivity in rural areas remain major challenges to fully realising a cashless economy.
Economists noted that the surge in digital payments is helping reduce dependence on cash, improve transparency in transactions, and support the formal economy.
With inflation easing below 9 per cent and rising remittance inflows bolstering liquidity, analysts expect card-based transactions to grow further in the coming months as consumer confidence strengthens and Bangladesh moves steadily toward a digital economy.
