Payments Statistics: Second Half of 2025
The euro area recorded 83.5 billion non-cash payments in the second half of 2025, up 6.9% year on year. The figures show how payment activity changed—but they do not, by themselves, signal cheaper mortgages or stronger property prices.
The headline: more transactions, only slightly higher total value
According to the European Central Bank, the number of non-cash payment transactions in the euro area reached 83.5 billion in the second half of 2025. That was 6.9% more than in the same period of 2024. The combined value was €117.8 trillion, an increase of 0.8% year on year. This difference matters. Payment activity grew much faster by volume than by value. As a simple interpretation, the average transaction was not increasing in size at the same pace as the number of transactions. That is a description of the aggregate data, not evidence about household income, inflation or property demand.
Cards and contactless payments led everyday activity
Card payments represented 57% of all non-cash payments by number. Credit transfers accounted for 21%, direct debits for 14% and e-money payments for 6%; individual shares may not add up precisely because of rounding. Contactless card payments at physical points of sale reached **32.
9 billion, up 11. 9% from the second half of 2024. Their total value rose 12.
8% to €0. 9 trillion. The ECB also reported 872.
7 million payment cards in circulation at the end of the period, or an average of 2. 5 cards per euro area inhabitant**. For a household planning a purchase, the practical message is limited but useful: payment convenience is becoming increasingly embedded in ordinary spending.
That can make budgeting less visible, especially when small contactless purchases accumulate. A mortgage affordability check should therefore use actual account outflows rather than rely on rough estimates of discretionary spending.
Credit transfers remain the key channel for large payments
Credit transfers totalled 17. 8 billion transactions in the euro area during the second half of 2025, an annual increase of 7. 1%.
Their combined value was €108. 9 trillion, up 0. 6% year on year.
The scale of credit-transfer value reflects the fact that this category includes many high-value payments. It does not mean that a typical household transferred a comparable amount, and it should not be confused with mortgage lending or property transactions. For a buyer, bank transfers remain the relevant operational issue when paying a deposit, purchase price or recurring mortgage instalment.
The ECB statistics do not establish how quickly an individual transfer will arrive, what checks a bank may apply, or whether a particular payment instruction will be accepted. Those details must be confirmed with the banks and professionals involved in a transaction.
What the statistics do—and do not—say about property decisions
- The data provide a broad picture of payment behaviour and payment-system activity. Retail payment systems processed around 60.1 billion transactions worth €27.9 trillion in the second half of 2025. Large-value payment systems located in the euro area settled 75.1 million payments worth €213.8 trillion in euro payments. These figures can help frame the infrastructure behind everyday and high-value euro payments. They cannot answer the questions that usually determine whether a property purchase is affordable:
- What mortgage rate will a lender offer?
- How much income will the bank recognise?
- What deposit and cash reserve are required?
- How will taxes, insurance, maintenance and vacancy risk affect cashflow?
- Is the purchase price justified by the property’s expected use or income? Payment growth is therefore a context indicator, not a standalone buying signal. A sound decision should connect the purchase price, financing terms and expected monthly cashflow in one model.
A practical iNSTRID reading of the release
Use the ECB release in three steps: 1. Separate payment volume from payment value. More transactions do not automatically mean that households or businesses are spending more per transaction.
2. Keep payment infrastructure separate from credit conditions. The release describes payments, cards and payment systems.
It does not provide a mortgage offer or a property-market forecast. 3. **Translate your decision into a cashflow test.
** List the expected mortgage payment, ownership costs, regular household spending and a reserve for unexpected expenses. Then test whether the plan remains manageable if income or costs change. The ECB notes that its payments statistics use an enhanced reporting framework and that detailed methodological information is available through its statistics resources.
This is important when comparing categories: the release is an aggregate statistical publication, not a personal financial statement.
Key takeaways and FAQs
Did non-cash payments increase in the euro area in the second half of 2025?
Yes. The ECB reported 83.5 billion non-cash payments, 6.9% more than in the second half of 2024. Their total value was €117.8 trillion, up 0.8% year on year.
How much did contactless payments grow?
There were 32.9 billion contactless card payments at physical points of sale, an 11.9% annual increase. Their total value rose 12.8% to €0.9 trillion.
Do these statistics show that mortgages became cheaper?
No. The release concerns payment activity and payment systems. It does not provide mortgage rates, lender affordability criteria or evidence that property prices will rise or fall.
What to take away
The second half of 2025 brought strong growth in the number of non-cash and contactless payments across the euro area, while the total value of non-cash payments grew much more slowly. For property buyers, the useful lesson is not a prediction about prices or mortgage rates. It is a reminder to base a purchase decision on verified financing terms and a complete cashflow plan—not on broad payment activity alone.
This article is informational and does not replace financial, investment or mortgage advice.
