Purchases made in the Azores through electronic payment terminals totaled €189.5 million in December 2025, representing a 6.0% year-over-year increase, according to the latest monthly report from the Azores Regional Statistics Service (SREA).

In the same month, ATM cash withdrawals totaled €49.1 million, down 5.1% year over year.

A breakdown by payment method origin shows that, in December, approximately €181.4 million of purchases made via payment terminals were made with cards issued by domestic banks, reflecting a 6.8% annual increase. In contrast, around €8.1 million was spent on purchases made with cards issued by international banks, a 9.5% year-over-year decrease.

As for ATM withdrawals, SREA reports about €48.1 million in domestic transactions, down 4.7% year over year, and approximately €1.1 million in international transactions, down 18.7%year over year.

For the full year of 2025, purchases made through payment terminals exceeded €2.168 billion, posting a positive annual growth rate of 8.3%. ATM withdrawals totaled €562.8 million, down 3.8% year over year.

Combined, purchases and withdrawals exceeded €2.7 billion in 2025, an increase of 5.6% from 2024. All islands recorded positive annual growth: Graciosa (+7.0%), São Jorge (+6.8%), Faial (+6.7%), Pico (+6.6%), São Miguel (+5.9%), Terceira (+4.2%), Santa Maria (+3.5%), Flores (+2.7%), and Corvo (+2.1%). Domestic transactions accounted for 88.0% of the total annual volume.

The report also highlights service payments. In December, service payments made via payment terminals reached approximately €2.7 million, a sharp 48.3% increase, while service payments through ATMs totaled around €8.3 million, down 5.2% year over year.

For the full year, service payments via payment terminals totaled €34.3 million, up 75.3%, while ATM-based service payments reached €104.1 million, up 2.5%.

SREA notes that, due to rounding, totals may not exactly match the sum of individual components.

In Diário dos Açores, Paulo Viveiros, director.