Debit spend and transaction volume rose across every category tracked in the Q2 2026 SoFi Tech Solutions Debit Spend Index, according to a press release from SoFi Technology Solutions (NASDAQ: SOFI).

The index, which draws on anonymized and aggregated transactions processed on the SoFi Tech Solutions platform — formerly Galileo Financial Technologies — during April, May and June 2026, showed fuel spend grew 28.2% from Q1 2026, overtaking groceries as the largest share of essentials spending. A surge in global oil prices sent U.S. gas prices to a four-year high early in the quarter. Average spend per grocery transaction fell 3.1% over the same period.

Travel spend grew 21% from Q1 2026 on 17.4% more transactions. Airline transactions grew 10.7%, compared with car rentals at 22.2% and hotels at 17.7%.

Spending on experiences — including movie theaters, attractions, sporting events and other entertainment — grew 23% from Q1 2026 on 23.2% more transactions. Movie theater spend rose 92.9% on 84% more transactions, coinciding with the start of summer blockbuster season. Sporting event transactions rose 50% and spend increased 42%, spanning the NBA and NHL postseasons, the FIFA World Cup and the opening of major league soccer, baseball and women's basketball seasons.

Subscription spend grew 8.5% on 6.1% more transactions, lifting the average recurring charge 2%, while subscriptions represented 16.1% of tracked debit transactions, down from 17.2% in Q1 2026.

For the first time in the index, saved cards — a debit card stored inside another app or account — carried more debit transactions than any other payment method. Saved cards accounted for 25% of Q2 2026 debit transactions and 30.5% of debit dollars, leading all payment methods by 11 percentage points in value share. Tap-to-pay gained the most ground of any method, adding two percentage points. Overall digital share eased to 62.4% from 63.6%.

"Saved cards also became the index's most-used debit payment method, underscoring just how embedded debit has become in consumers' daily lives," said Kathleen Pierce-Gilmore, President of SoFi Tech Solutions.