Debit cards now preferred means of payment to credit counterparts for online shopping

A recent industry study shows that internet shoppers have started preferring debit card over a credit card for online shopping.

The industry figures show that debit card spending by internet shoppers overtook the use of credit cards online for the first time last year.

According to BBC, online spending using a debit card reportedly hit 35 billion pounds compared with 34 billion pounds on credit cards.

Shoppers are also using debit cards more frequently in stores. Chip-and-pin machines are now a regular feature in the UK shops.

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The data reveals that each debit card holder in UK has made an average of 205 transactions with their cards last year, an increase of 10 on the previous year.

Some 91 percent of the UK adult population have debit card and 61 percent have credit card, reports said.

The study predicts that spending on cards in the next 10 years will nearly double from 477 billion pounds to 840 billion pounds.