Hong Kong Monetary Authority publishes Q1 2026 payment card statistics with credit cards in circulation up 33.4%

The Hong Kong Monetary Authority published its Q1 2026 payment card statistics for cards issued in Hong Kong under eight payment card scheme operators. The data show that credit cards in circulation reached 29.18 million at the end of Q1 2026, up 7.0% from the previous quarter and 33.4% from a year earlier. Credit card transaction activity softened slightly on a quarterly basis but remained higher than a year earlier, with transaction volumes down 2.3% quarter on quarter to 384.94 million and transaction value down 0.1% to HKD311.3 billion, while rising 15.8% and 13.6% respectively from Q1 2025. Of total credit card transaction value in Q1 2026, HKD211.5 billion, or 67.9%, came from retail spending in Hong Kong, HKD90.3 billion, or 29.0%, from retail spending overseas, and HKD9.5 billion, or 3.1%, from cash advances. For debit cards, the total number in circulation was not reported because a single card can carry overlapping debit card brands. Debit card transactions related to retail sales and bill payments fell 2.0% from the previous quarter to 52.65 million, while value rose 1.7% to HKD70.8 billion. Compared with Q1 2025, debit card transaction volumes fell 3.4% and value declined 4.1%.