- Nationwide – one of the UK’s biggest banking providers – looks at customer spending during UEFA Euro 2024 tournament
- Current account and credit card spend in Germany jumps 140% as England and Scotland fans cheer on their teams
- Game of two halves as UK supermarket spend up 9% and pub spend down 1% as many opt to watch the game at home
- Nationwide FlexPlus current account and Member Credit Card charge no fees for overseas purchases or withdrawals
As football fever grips the nation, supporters are showing their passion not just through enthusiastic support but through increased spending at home and abroad.
Data from Nationwide’s Spending Report, which analyses current account and credit card spending, highlights customers spent £420,341 in Germany at the weekend (15/16 June) – a 140 per cent increase when compared to the same weekend a month earlier. This equates to an average of £29.35 per transaction.
Many England fans choose to watch the game at home, with spend at bars and pubs down one per cent at the weekend compared to the same weekend last month. A hattrick of events likely played a role in this formation, including the cost of living, the fact England’s first game was on a Sunday and that the weather was nice in most parts of the UK.
The fact many stayed indoors coincided with Nationwide customers spending £7 million more upfront at supermarkets over the weekend compared to the same weekend the previous month. The £87 million total equated to a nine per cent month-on-month increase.
Mark Nalder, Director of Payment Strategy at Nationwide Building Society, said:“Despite mixed fortunes in the first England and Scotland games, fans still want to get behind the home nations teams. Many will use the tournament as a way of gathering friends and family together giving a boost in spending for businesses up and down the country. The rising cost of living and timing of the England game meant many fans chose to watch the game from the comfort of their own home rather than go to the pub, but this may change as the tournament progresses and the nation becomes more invested
“Whether they have tickets to the games or not, many fans have headed to Germany to soak up the atmosphere of Euro 2024. We would encourage fans to make sure they know about any fees their debit or credit card charges for overseas usage, otherwise they could find their trip ends up costing them more than they think.”
Nationwide’s FlexPlus current account and Member Credit Card both charge no fees for overseas purchases and withdrawals, so fans with these accounts can be confident when using their cards in Germany that they won’t be stung with any surprise fees when they get home.
