The seasonally adjusted electronic card transactions in New Zealand rose 1.4% month-over-month in February 2026, reversing a 1.1% decline in the previous month and marking the first rise since last November. The upturn was supported by strength in some categories, including consumables (1.8%), durables (1.3%), hospitality (2.4%), and apparel (0.6%). In contrast, fuel (-1.2%) and motor vehicles excluding fuel (-0.5%) declined. On an annual basis, total electronic card spending grew 1.5%, picking up from a 0.4% increase in January.