Overseas card spending reaches Tk 984.70 crore in July, while domestic card use continues to surge

Bangladeshis spent nearly Tk 1,000 crore abroad through debit, credit and prepaid cards in July, underscoring the growing use of electronic payment instruments for overseas shopping, travel and other transactions.

According to Bangladesh Bank data, Bangladeshi cardholders spent Tk 984.70 crore outside the country in July, slightly below the record Tk 1,037.30 crore spent in June.

The latest figure takes the total overseas card expenditure during the first seven months of 2026 to around Tk 6,041 crore, with average monthly spending exceeding Tk 863 crore. The trend has remained broadly upward despite month-to-month fluctuations.

Bangladeshis spent Tk 873.80 crore abroad in January, followed by Tk 696.90 crore in February. Spending increased to Tk 835.50 crore in March before easing to Tk 800.40 crore in April and Tk 812.90 crore in May.

It then jumped to more than Tk 1,000 crore in June before easing slightly in July.

Credit cards lead overseas spending

Credit cards accounted for more than half of the total overseas spending in July. Bangladeshi cardholders spent Tk 525.90 crore through credit cards, while debit-card spending stood at Tk 401.10 crore and prepaid-card spending at Tk 57.80 crore.

In total, more than 17.44 lakh transactions were recorded through the three types of cards outside Bangladesh during the month.

Credit-card expenditure abroad was concentrated in retail and service-related transactions. Department stores accounted for the largest share, followed by retail outlets, transportation, pharmacies and drugstores, and clothing stores.

The pattern suggests that overseas card use extends well beyond conventional travel expenses, covering a wide range of consumer purchases and services.

US tops destination list

The United States emerged as the largest destination for Bangladeshi card spending in July, with expenditure reaching Tk 93.10 crore.

Thailand followed with Tk 61.40 crore, while Bangladeshi cardholders spent Tk 54.40 crore in the United Kingdom and Tk 39.60 crore in Singapore.

Significant spending was also recorded in India, Malaysia, Canada, the Netherlands and China.

The geographical distribution reflects the diverse destinations of Bangladeshi travellers and the growing use of cards for purchases and payments while overseas.

Department stores dominate debit-card spending

Debit cards also accounted for a substantial portion of overseas expenditure. Of the Tk 401.10 crore spent through debit cards in July, Tk 83.80 crore went to department stores.

Government services accounted for Tk 73.40 crore, while business services generated Tk 54.90 crore in transactions. Cash withdrawals through debit cards amounted to Tk 49.90 crore.

Prepaid cards accounted for another Tk 57.80 crore in overseas spending.

Foreigners spend far less in Bangladesh

The flow of card spending in the opposite direction remains considerably smaller. Foreign cardholders spent Tk 234.30 crore in Bangladesh in July, compared with Tk 984.70 crore spent abroad by Bangladeshi cardholders.

In other words, spending by Bangladeshis abroad through cards was roughly 4.2 times higher than spending by foreign cardholders inside Bangladesh during the month.

The gap highlights the relatively larger volume of outbound card-based expenditure compared with inbound spending through foreign cards.

Domestic card market expands rapidly

The increase in overseas spending has come alongside a rapid expansion of card usage within Bangladesh.

The number of debit, credit and prepaid cards in circulation crossed 5.24 crore in July, almost twice the level recorded in August 2021.

Domestic transactions have also grown sharply.

In August 2021, transactions through the three types of cards amounted to around Tk 22,789 crore. By July this year, the figure had risen to approximately Tk 47,480 crore—more than double the level recorded five years earlier.

The expansion reflects a broader shift towards electronic payments, supported by the growing availability of cards, point-of-sale terminals, online payment facilities and other digital financial services.

A widening digital payment footprint

The latest figures indicate that cards have become an increasingly important channel not only for domestic transactions but also for cross-border spending by Bangladeshi consumers.

With monthly overseas expenditure now hovering around Tk 1,000 crore, international card payments represent a significant flow of foreign-currency spending.

At the same time, the rapid growth in domestic card transactions points to a broader transformation in the country's payment ecosystem, as consumers and businesses increasingly rely on electronic transactions instead of cash.