Canadians Embracing eCommerce in Record Numbers but Budget Conscious This Holiday Season

TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - Nov 6, 2013) - According to this year's Holiday eCommerce survey commissioned by Visa Canada, three in four Canadians will be heading online to purchase gifts this holiday season, as more Canadians embrace eCommerce and also seek to avoid the crowds during retail's busiest time of the year. Much more than just a trend, Visa network data shows that Canadians are shopping online throughout the entire year, as eCommerce transactions by Canadians exceeded one hundred million dollars on 233 days in the last 12 months.

The survey also revealed:

• Almost 50 percent of Canadians expect to spend between $100 and $499 online, while 16 per cent plan to spend more than this
  
  

• On average, Canadians will spend approximately 30 per cent of their holiday shopping budget on online purchases
  
  

• At 78 per cent, credit remains the primary way people shop online
  
  

• 41 per cent feel that the primary benefit of using a debit card to shop online is the costs coming directly out of a bank account, 37 per cent believe it would help them stay on budget and an additional 37 per cent believe it would be more convenient
  
  

• Albertans intend to spend the most online for the holidays (average $319) while British Columbians are planning to spend the least (average $196)
  
  

Although Canadians choose to pay by debit and credit when making holiday purchases in-store, only 32 per cent of Canadian respondents claim that they will use a debit card to make these same types of purchases online. Interestingly, when asked to list the benefits of using a debit card for their online holiday shopping, 41 per cent of respondents stated it would give them the ability to have purchases come directly out of their bank account, while 37 per cent claimed it would help them stay on budget. Nearly half of Canadians surveyed (48 per cent) admitted they were unaware that they were able to use Visa Debit online.

"As Visa Debit usage continues to expand in Canada, we're reminding consumers that they can shop online using Visa Debit, the same way they shop using their Visa credit card, with the main difference being that the funds comes directly from their bank account," said Sue Whitney, Head of New Products, Visa Canada. "With a growing number of Canadian consumers heading to the web to do their holiday shopping, Visa Debit's security and flexibility makes it perfect for shoppers who prefer the option of paying now for their online purchases but still want the ability to shop online at millions of merchants globally."

For those who prefer to shop using existing funds, or for those who lack access to a traditional credit card, Visa Debit opens up the world of eCommerce. With two out of three Canadians surveyed stating that they will set a budget to keep their seasonal spending in check, Visa Debit is ideal, offering consumers the convenience of making online purchases using money from an existing bank account.

Importantly, Visa Debit offers cardholders all the layers of security and protections synonymous with using a traditional Visa card including Visa's Zero Liability Policy, Verified by Visa®, E-Promise, AVS (Address Verification Service) and CVV2 (the three-digit code).

Visa has made eCommerce safe, reliable and convenient since the introduction of online shopping, and handles 48 per cent of eCommerce transaction volume* globally. Each year the holidays attract millions of new online shoppers to the Visa network, giving us a unique view into changing consumer behaviour.

Survey Methodology:

The survey was fielded by Pollara with an online sample of 1,001 Canadians between October 28th and October 30th, 2013. The margin of error for a probability sample of this size is +/- 3.1%, 19 times out of 20.

*comScore

About Visa Inc.

Visa is a global payments technology company that connects consumers, businesses, financial institutions and governments in more than 200 countries and territories to fast, secure and reliable electronic payments. We operate one of the world's most advanced processing networks-VisaNet-that is capable of handling more than 47,000 transaction messages a second, with fraud protection for consumers and assured payment for merchants. Visa is not a bank and does not issue cards, extend credit or set rates and fees for consumers. Visa's innovations, however, enable its financial institution customers to offer consumers more choices: pay now with debit, ahead of time with prepaid or later with credit products. For more information, visit corporate.visa.com.

Visa Debit cards are accepted at millions of merchant outlets and at more than 1.9 million ABMs around the globe. For more information on Visa Debit, go to Visa.ca/debit.