Use Abroad of Kuwaiti Bank Cards Jumps 23.1 Percent in August to 391.8 Million Dinars
Use abroad of cards issued by Kuwaiti banks, covering payments and cash withdrawals, rose 23.1 percent in August 2026 to 391.8 million dinars, from 318.3 million in July, according to the Central Bank of Kuwait’s monthly payment statistics. Payments through shop terminals abroad rose 37.9 percent to 219.6 million dinars, and cash withdrawals abroad rose 26.1 percent to 30.9 million, on our calculation.
Credit cards drive the rise abroad
Credit card payments through terminals abroad rose 51.5 percent in the month to 103.0 million dinars, against 28.0 percent growth for debit cards, to 116.7 million. Online payments abroad through payment gateways grew more slowly, up 5.0 percent to 141.3 million. The number of transactions abroad rose 21.8 percent to about 17.1 million, on our calculation.
| Channel | Value, million dinars | Change on July | Transactions, thousands |
|---|---|---|---|
| Point of sale abroad | 219.6 | 37.9% | 11,046.6 |
| Payment gateways abroad | 141.3 | 5.0% | 5,615.4 |
| Point of sale inside Kuwait | 1,417.7 | −4.2% | 77,675.3 |
| Payment gateways inside Kuwait | 1,311.9 | 0.3% | 26,475.0 |
| Instant payments, Wamd | 1,072.2 | 0.4% | 16,418.1 |
Tables 27-1 and 27-2. Changes on our calculation.
At home, spending eased while instant payments rose again
Inside Kuwait, card payments at shop terminals fell 4.2 percent to 1,417.7 million dinars and cash withdrawals fell 6.5 percent to 634.6 million, while the value of payment gateway transactions edged up 0.3 percent to 1,311.9 million. The Wamd instant payment service carried 1,072.2 million dinars, its fourth consecutive monthly rise, although the number of transfers slipped slightly to 16,418.1 thousand from 16,436.4 thousand in July. The average Wamd transfer was about 65 dinars, against about 18 dinars for a card payment at a shop terminal, on our calculation.
The number of valid bank cards reached about 8.08 million at the end of August, up 6.8 percent since December 2025, on our calculation.
Why it matters: card use abroad rose in August while terminal and cash machine values eased at home, a pattern that on our reading fits the summer travel season, although the central bank’s tables do not identify a cause. At home, Wamd’s share of the value of electronic payments inside Kuwait rose to 24.2 percent in August from 23.6 percent in July, on our calculation, and its average ticket is more than three times that of a card payment at a shop terminal.
Outlook: September’s figures will show whether spending abroad eases as the travel season ends. The Wamd series will show whether its run of monthly rises continues.
Sources: Central Bank of Kuwait.
