State of Debit 2026
A comprehensive blueprint for launching, optimizing, and scaling debit programs amid rising consumer demand and rapid market shift.
Debit is no longer the quiet workhorse of payments, it’s becoming the preferred way customers spend, save, and engage with the brands they trust. This report breaks down the shift, the opportunity, and the playbook for launching and scaling a high-performing debit program that drives revenue, loyalty, and daily engagement.
The market shifts towards debit
The move to debit has been accelerating for some time, gaining momentum with economic headwinds, generational differences, and new opportunities for businesses to engage with their customers. In its 2025 U.S. Debit Card Program Management Platform Market Analysis, Totavi predicts the debit card market will see 14 percent compounded annual growth (CAGR) over the next decade. A Wall Street Journal analysis of Visa and Mastercard credit card data, debit use grew faster than credit card usage for the first time in years. According to Bankrate, six in 10 shoppers plan to use debit for their purchases.
Those stats are difficult to ignore, driven by the confluence of these forces:
Behavioral shift: Debit is now used for everyday — and daily — purchases. Consumers increasingly prefer transparency, control, and real-time visibility over credit’s borrowing model.
Generational tailwinds: Gen Z and Millennials favor debit or debit-first behavior. For this cohort, credit approvals are falling and debit appeals to the credit-averse in this segment. For companies, this expands the addressable market for branded cards and financial products.
Business case: Debit programs capture interchange revenue, yield on stored balances, and increase share-of-wallet through habitual usage. Unlike credit, debit is approachable, and appeals to nearly every consumer.
Market forecast: Analysts project meaningful growth in debit program management and issuance, signaling vendor investment and market momentum.
Explore these articles in the full report:
···› Where debit fits into your existing portfolio - How debit programs drive daily engagement, deepen loyalty, and generate new revenue.
···› Key use cases for debit card programs - Where debit delivers the most value, and how brands use it to deepen everyday engagement.
···› What makes a debit card program successful - The operational, technical, and compliance foundations required to build sustainable, long-term success.
···› Economics: A quick modeling checklist - A framework for forecasting revenue, cost structure, and break-even scenarios.
···› Risk, compliance & fraud: Balance and enablement - Essential guidance on CIP, KYC, and fraud controls to enable secure, compliant card programs while minimizing friction.
···› Apply a minimum viable product (MVP) approach for a fast launch - Launch faster, learn earlier, and scale smarter with a focused, iterative rollout strategy.
···› Go-to-market (GTM) playbook - Key channels, tactics, and messaging strategies that drive adoption.
···› Get started: First steps to launching a co-branded debit card program - Key elements to move from idea to activation, along with the pitfalls to avoid, and the metrics that matter.
