In February, spending by credit cards stood at 45.6 trillion won, up 10.1 percent from a year earlier, the highest growth rate since November 2012, according to the data compiled by the Credit Finance Association of Korea.
In particular, spending via debit cards accounted for all-time high of 20.6 percent of the total card spending in February, the data said.
The country has seen a steady rise in spending by debit cards, also called "check cards," as they give more tax deductible benefits to users. The government encourages more people to use debit cards, as part of efforts to reduce household debts.
In January, the pace of growth in credit card spending slowed to 3.1 percent in January from a 9 percent gain recorded in the same month last year.
reporter
Park Sae-jin
swatchsjp@ajunews.com
