Taiwan credit card spending falls to $14b in August 2026

Active accounts reached 40.12 million from 39.94 million.

Taiwan’s monthly credit card retail sales fell to $13.5b (NT$432.6b) in August 2026 from $14.2b (NT$454.4b) in July, whilst the balance of outstanding instalment payments also declined, according to the latest statistics from Taiwan’s financial regulator.

The number of effective credit cards rose to 59.61 million at the end of August, up from 59.49 million a month earlier. Active cards increased to 40.12 million from 39.94 million.

The balance of revolving credit edged up to $3.7b (NT$119.2b) from $3.7b (NT$119b) in July. Meanwhile, outstanding instalment balances fell to $7.7b (NT$245.2b) from $8.2b (NT$263.9b).

Monthly credit card write-offs increased to $17.5m (NT$560m) from $16.9m (NT$540m). The average delinquency ratio for payments overdue by more than three months remained unchanged at 0.18%.

Taiwan had 32 credit card issuers operating at the end of August.

In the cash card market, 13 financial institutions were operating in Taiwan. The number of effective cash cards remained at 270,000, whilst the total balance of cash card loans, including non-performing amounts, declined to $293.5m (NT$9.4b) from $299.7m (NT$9.6b) in July.

Monthly cash card write-offs rose to $937,000 (NT$30m) from $749,000 (NT$24m). However, the overall delinquency ratio improved to 0.922% from 0.946% a month earlier.

Taiwan’s electronic payment sector also recorded growth in several areas during August.

The number of effective stored-value cards rose to 205.18 million from 204.41 million in July, whilst the number of cards in use increased to 13.55 million from 13.4 million.

Monthly retail sales through stored-value cards climbed to $197.6m (NT$6.33b) from $196.4m (NT$6.29b). The total stored-value balance edged up to $503.6m (NT$16.13b) from $502.0m (NT$16.08b).

Electronic payment account users increased to 41.89 million at the end of August, up from 41.51 million a month earlier.

The monthly value of funds collected or paid by electronic payment institutions on behalf of users for transactions rose to $1.1b (NT$34.13b) from $1.0b (NT$33.01b). Funds transferred through domestic and international small-value remittance services increased to $570.4m (NT$18.27b) from $562.3m (NT$18.01b).

However, the monthly amount of stored-value funds in electronic payment accounts fell to $1.0b (NT$32.89b) from $1.0b (NT$33.5b). The total balance held in electronic payment accounts rose to $666.3m (NT$21.34b) from $627.2m (NT$20.09b).

As of August 2026, Taiwan had 10 specialised electronic payment institutions and 19 institutions conducting electronic payment business alongside other activities, including banks and Chunghwa Post.

($1.00 = NT$32.04)