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Expenses related to foreign credit cards | 2025

In 2025, Portugal recorded 225.2 million transactions using foreign bank cards (year-on-year change: +10.3%), corresponding to a total value of €8.4 billion (+5.1%), with the average transaction value standing at €38.3.

Pedro Pereira
SIBS
16 February 2026

According to SIBS, spending on foreign bank cards in Portugal thus reached record levels in 2025. Compared with 2024, the number of transactions grew by over 10% and the value of purchases rose by 5%. Compared to 2023, transactions increased by 24% and the volume rose by 15%, although this rate of growth was significantly lower than that seen between 2023 and 2024.

The highest figures were not only observed at a global level but also resulted from records set in the main source markets, albeit with a less significant increase than in the previous year. Among these markets, Germany stood out with the largest increase in spending (+7%), followed by Spain (+5%) and the United Kingdom (+4.3%). The US and French markets, meanwhile, recorded more moderate growth, ranging between 0.5% and 1%.

In terms of tourism activity, the restaurant sector surpassed all previous records, in contrast to a slight decline observed in expenditure on accommodation. Regionally, there was an increase in expenditure across all regions, albeit with varying performances, with Madeira standing out positively.