Seasonally adjusted electronic card transactions in New Zealand fell 1.3% month-over-month in April 2026, reversing a 0.7% rise in the previous month. It marked the first decline in three months, as spending in all categories dropped, with fuel spending falling 2.0% due to the impact of the Middle East conflict. Meanwhile, consumables (-2.1% vs 1.1% in March), hospitality (-1.3% vs -2.4%), durables (-1.1% vs 1.2%), motor vehicles (-4.1% vs 1.9%), and apparel (-1.3% vs -4.2%) also declined. On an annual basis, total electronic card spending rose 2.0%, following a 2.7% increase in March.