Israeli Credit Card Spending Hits Record High in July 2026 Amid Summer Vacation Surge

In July 2026, Israeli consumer spending via credit and debit cards reached a record monthly total of 54.857 billion shekels, marking a 5.8% increase compared to July 2025's 51.862 billion shekels, according to data from Shva, the national payment systems operator. This rise of nearly 3 billion shekels occurred despite July 2025's figures being unusually high due to economic restrictions during Israel's June 2026 Operation "With the Lion" against Iran.

Daily average expenditures in July 2026 stood at 1.771 billion shekels, a 3.1% increase from June 2026's 1.718 billion shekels, making it the second consecutive month with daily spending above 1.7 billion shekels. Online transactions totaled 31.916 billion shekels, up 4.5% from 30.541 billion shekels in July 2025, with daily online spending averaging 1.031 billion shekels, a 3% rise from the previous month.

Physical in-store spending also rose, reaching 22.942 billion shekels in July 2026, a 7.6% increase over July 2025's 21.321 billion shekels. The daily average for physical transactions was 740.052 million shekels, up 3.3% from June 2026. Cash withdrawals from ATMs hit 6.057 billion shekels, the highest since August 2023 before the "Sword of Iron" war, representing a 1.1% increase from July 2025. The daily average cash withdrawal was 195.391 million shekels, 2% higher than June 2026.

These figures reflect a significant rebound and growth in consumer spending in Israel during the summer vacation period, highlighting increased economic activity both online and in physical retail environments.