Credit cards were at the centre of India’s festive shopping this Diwali, with consumers spending more strategically and in higher amounts than before. A Paisabazaar survey of over 2,300 respondents found that 42% of credit card users spent over Rs 50,000 on festive purchases this year. About 22% spent between Rs 50,000 and Rs 1 lakh, while another 20% spent above Rs 1 lakh, highlighting the growing use of cards for high-value purchases.
Home appliances (25%), mobiles and gadgets (23%) and apparel (22%) were the top three spending categories, followed by furniture and dcor (18%). Gold and jewellery made up about 12% of festive credit card spends.
“The surge in high-ticket festive purchases through credit cards reflects a growing affinity towards value and convenience,” said Santosh Agarwal, CEO, Paisabazaar. “Consumers are using credit cards more strategically, timing their big-ticket buys to coincide with festive season deals and card-specific rewards.”
The survey showed that 91% of credit card users planned their purchases around card offers, while less than 10% shopped without waiting for festive discounts. Cashback emerged as the most valued reward, chosen by 20% of respondents, followed by co-branded offers (19%) and accelerated reward points (18%).
Among those opting for EMIs, No-Cost EMI remained the biggest draw, preferred by 56% of respondents. About 29% said they were motivated by better discounts, while 10% used EMIs simply to spread out payments.
Nearly half of those surveyed (48%) said they preferred a mix of online and offline shopping, signalling that festive spending is no longer tied to one channel. “This year’s survey reflects the rise of the strategic and value-aware shopper,” said Rohit Chhibbar, Head of Credit Cards, Paisabazaar. “Cashback, rewards, no-cost EMI and merchant discounts continue to make credit cards an essential part of festive shopping.”
E-commerce platforms remained dominant—83% of respondents said they found the best deals on Amazon and Flipkart, while 7% preferred physical stores. Myntra and Meesho followed at 15% and 10% respectively, while Ajio, Nykaa, Zepto and Tata Cliq together accounted for 32% of preferences.