Often cited by major media outlets including The Wall Street Journal, The Financial Times, The New York Times, and CNBC, SpendingPulse™ is an information service provided by MasterCard Advisors. It reveals U.S. consumer spending patterns across several categories—from fuel to fashion to furniture—that give merchants a clearer picture of buying habits that affect their business. (SpendingPulse also offers a U.K.-based report of total retail sales only.)

A macro-economic indicator, SpendingPulse reports on national retail and service sales. It is based on aggregate sales activity in the MasterCard payments network, coupled with estimates for all other payment forms, including cash and check. SpendingPulse does not represent MasterCard financial performance.

Reports also show a breakdown by geography to help merchants identify potential growth opportunities.

Monthly and weekly SpendingPulse reports are available to subscribers and let them track current and historical trends in:

• Total U.S. Retail Sales
• Apparel
• e-Commerce
• Electronics and Appliances
• Furniture and Furnishings
• Restaurants
• Luxury Retail Sales
• Airline, Hotel, and Lodging
• Gasoline (weekly)
• U.K. Total Retail Sales

Merchants and acquirers can use SpendingPulse to determine:

• What the recent and past levels of consumer spending are in their industry
• Where spending has recently occurred and how spending patterns have changed over time
• Their share of spending against overall consumer spending or against spending in specific categories

Staying up to date

Beyond the helpful charts and graphs SpendingPulse delivers, subscribers also get access to our analysts, who can explain the stories behind the numbers.

And if you haven't yet subscribed, you can still access free monthly podcasts that offer a recap of SpendingPulse updates.