SoFi Tech Solutions Q2 debit index shows travel, fuel and experience gains

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.

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