At the end of 2020, the recovery of operations with both debit and credit cards in the country continued. In fact, in some days levels prior to the start of the Covid-19 pandemic or even higher were reached. However, in sectors such as tourism, entertainment and restaurants – one of the most affected by the closure of the economy due to the contingency – levels remain low.
According to information from the Bank of Mexico (Banxico), on December 21, 2020 – which is the latest data available – 13.06 million card operations were registered, when the highest figure before the start of the pandemic was on December 14. March, with 14.6 million. The lowest trading day was April 13, with 7.4 million.
But in fact, on November 14 and December 19, the highest figure prior to the start of the pandemic was exceeded, as more than 14.9 million card operations were registered each of these days.
Advance is also shown on credit cards
Although it was in debit cards where there was a faster recovery in operations, in credit there is also an upward trend.
The information from the monetary authority reveals that March 15, 2020 was the day that more debit card operations were registered before the start of the pandemic with 11.38 million. On the other hand, a month later, on April 13, it was the day with the least, with 5.71 million. However, on August 16 the number already rose to 11.53 million and by December 19 it rose to 11.73 million.
Meanwhile, with regard to credit card operations, the highest level before the start of the pandemic was on March 13 with 3.42 million, while on May 2 they fell to 1.41 million. However, for November 21, 3.59 million operations with this type of plastics were registered and on December 21, it closed with 2.80 million.
In tourism and entertainment sectors there is no rebound
Of the sectors most affected so far in the contingency due to the pandemic, tourism, entertainment and restaurants stand out, without a doubt. Here, at the beginning of the pandemic, there was a significant drop in card operations, which has not fully recovered.
This is the case of travel agencies, where while on March 11 there were 12,562 card operations, a month and a half later, on April 27, they fell to only 485. Although in the following months there was an improvement, there was no It has fully recovered, as the highest level was on December 2 with 7,333 operations, and the latest data available, on December 21, pointed to 3,591.
While card operations in air transport, the highest point prior to the pandemic was on March 7 with 127,772 transactions. On May 11 they fell to 8,379; on November 14 there was already a recovery with 52,034 (less than half that before the pandemic) and the latest data available, on December 21, was 29,523 operations.
Regarding the hotel sector, on March 15 there were 76,215 card operations. On April 13 they fell to 7,058, and from there, the greatest recovery occurred on November 15, with 62,318, but the last available data was 42,835.
Another sector of those most affected by the pandemic is entertainment. Before the start of the contingency, on March 1, 831,730 card operations were reported. By April 12, these had plummeted to 189,658; and from there the highest point was reached on December 3 with 610,453, although by December 21 it fell again to 318,461.
And in restaurants, 820,992 transactions were reached on March 14, but for April 21 only 88,899, the highest record was October 18 with 592,188 and on December 21 416,222 were reported.
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