Despite regulation, debit growth continues

Despite profound regulatory changes, debit card transaction volume experienced strong growth in 2011, according to a 2012 Debit Issuer Study commissioned by the PULSE network and Discover Financial Services. Since the implementation in 2011 of Regulation II, as mandated by the Durbin Amendment to the 2010 Dodd-Frank Act and which restricted debit interchange fees charged by financial institutions with at least $10 billion in assets, there has been speculation about the long-term financial implications of the regulation.

"The latest Debit Issuer Study provides more evidence that growth in debit remains robust even in the face of significant regulatory headwinds," stated Steve Sievert, Executive Vice President of Market and Communications for PULSE.

Study results indicate issuers showed a strong interest in shifting consumers from more costly signature debit transactions to lower-cost PIN transactions. In addition, with revenue reportedly being driven by the number of transactions rather than the amount spent, issuers are also seeking to increase small-ticket, cash-displacement transactions.

Findings released in the study:

• 76 percent of consumers now have debit cards (73 percent in 2010)
• $8,326 was the average total debit-card spend in 2011 ($7,781 in 2010)
• 18.3 debit card purchases per person was the monthly average in 2011 (16.3 in 2010)
• Signature debit transaction volume grew by 11 percent in 2011
• PIN debit transaction volume rose 9 percent in 2011

In addition, issuers expect the market to continue to grow across both consumer and business debit cards, with 15 and 8 percent growth anticipated in PIN and signature transactions, respectively. "Sixty-nine percent of regulated issuers and 76 percent of exempt FIs agreed that focusing on improving penetration, activation and usage for debit cardholders is key to growth in 2012," PULSE stated.

For more information about the 2012 Debit Issuer Study, visit www.pulsenetwork.com/distudy .

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