Israelis Set New Spending Record Fueled by Holiday Travel and Dining

Israelis set a new record for credit card spending in September 2026, with total expenditures reaching 53.252 billion shekels. This represents a 6.2% increase compared to the same period last year. The average daily spending also hit a record 1.775 billion shekels, surpassing the previous August record by 1.7%. This marks the fourth consecutive month where average daily card spending exceeded 1.7 billion shekels.

The surge in spending was significantly influenced by the Jewish holiday calendar, with all major holidays of Tishrei falling in September this year. This led to increased expenditures on travel, hotels, restaurants, and entertainment, particularly in leisure and recreation categories. Spending on leisure and entertainment rose by 17.78% to 319.2 million shekels, while hotel and accommodation spending increased by 17.59% to over 1.17 billion shekels. Dining out also saw a substantial rise, with 3.639 billion shekels spent in restaurants and cafes, an 11% increase year-over-year.

Food retail also experienced growth, though with variations. Smaller food stores, bakeries, and butcher shops saw a 9.84% increase in card payments, nearing 1.99 billion shekels. In contrast, large supermarket chains recorded a more modest 2.72% increase, totaling 6.643 billion shekels. The report notes that increased spending may not solely reflect higher purchase volumes, as price hikes and inflation also contribute to the figures.

Online commerce also set a record, with 30.961 billion shekels spent in September, a 5.5% rise from September 2025. Average daily online spending was 1.032 billion shekels. In physical stores, average daily card spending decreased by 2% from August but was still 7.2% higher than the previous September. Concurrently, cash withdrawals from ATMs decreased by 1.8% year-over-year, totaling 5.612 billion shekels, indicating a shift towards card and online payments.