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Card types - debit vs credit, and what declines

2026-06-01 to 2026-08-31 · 48,048 card attempts across 6 Square accounts / 29 locations · data on file 2026-06-01 to 2026-08-31 · built 2026-09-19 07:35 UTC · download the full cross-tab CSV
867 payments in this window carried no card details at all (cash / external / wallet tenders, $66,847 taken). They have no card type to report and are excluded from every table below.
Card payments taken
26,226
$6,559,205
Debit - share of value
54.7%
17,886 payments / $3.59M
Credit - share of value
45.3%
8,340 payments / $2.97M
Debit decline rate
49.8%
vs 32.6% on credit
Prepaid payments
1,537
5.9% of all / $190k
Value declined
$5.71M
21,813 failed attempts
Debit vs credit vs unknown

Every card attempt Square recorded across all 6 merchant accounts and 29 locations between 2026-06-01 and 2026-08-31, deduplicated by payment id. Payments taken = status COMPLETED. Decline rate = FAILED divided by (FAILED + COMPLETED); cancelled and still-authorised attempts are left out of the rate. UNKNOWN is the issuer's own answer - Square could not classify the BIN - not a gap in this report.

Card typePayments takenValue taken Avg paymentCustomers Decline rateValue declined
DEBIT 17,886 68.2% $3,588,962 54.7% $200.66 12,511 49.8% 17,769/35,655 $4.17M
CREDIT 8,340 31.8% $2,970,243 45.3% $356.14 5,875 32.6% 4,042/12,382 $1.54M
UNKNOWN 0 0.0% $0 0.0% - 0 100.0% 2/2 $75
TOTAL 26,226 $6,559,205 $250.10 17,984 45.4% $5.71M
The answer: 68.2% of the card payments we take are debit and 31.8% are credit (0.0% unknown). By value it is 54.7% debit / 45.3% credit - average debit payment $200.66 against $356.14 on credit.
Debit declines MORE than credit: 49.8% vs 32.6% - a 17.2pt penalty, 1.53x. Across 35,655 debit attempts that is roughly 6,130 extra failures in the window than if debit behaved like credit.
Prepaid: 4,679 attempts (9.7% of all), $190,400 taken, declining at 67.2% against 43.1% on funded cards. Prepaid is materially worse and is worth its own collections rule.
Where the money comes from - by city
CityPayments takenValue taken Avg paymentCustomers Decline rateValue declined
Florida 5,924 22.6% $1,762,606 26.9% $297.54 4,328 38.1% 3,648/9,572 $1.18M
Texas 6,831 26.0% $1,669,002 25.4% $244.33 4,551 48.7% 6,481/13,312 $1.61M
New York 4,161 15.9% $961,878 14.7% $231.17 2,783 51.9% 4,494/8,655 $1.13M
Chicago 3,395 12.9% $829,164 12.6% $244.23 2,365 41.6% 2,416/5,811 $705k
Boston 2,949 11.2% $671,030 10.2% $227.54 2,011 42.2% 2,157/5,106 $488k
Nashville 2,966 11.3% $665,525 10.1% $224.38 1,946 46.9% 2,617/5,583 $604k
TOTAL 26,226 $6,559,205 $250.10 17,984 45.4% $5.71M
Month by month
MonthPayments takenValue taken Avg paymentCustomers Decline rateValue declined
2026-06 8,887 33.9% $2,209,245 33.7% $248.59 8,459 44.5% 7,132/16,019 $1.90M
2026-07 8,827 33.7% $2,254,376 34.4% $255.40 8,394 45.0% 7,212/16,039 $1.86M
2026-08 8,512 32.5% $2,095,584 31.9% $246.19 8,170 46.7% 7,469/15,981 $1.94M
TOTAL 26,226 $6,559,205 $250.10 17,984 45.4% $5.71M
By card brand

Sorted by payments taken. Same columns as every other table on this report.

BrandPayments takenValue taken Avg paymentCustomers Decline rateValue declined
VISA 17,058 65.0% $4,189,543 63.9% $245.61 12,010 46.7% 14,949/32,007 $3.92M
MASTERCARD 7,094 27.0% $1,658,612 25.3% $233.80 4,958 44.4% 5,658/12,752 $1.39M
DISCOVER 1,291 4.9% $336,672 5.1% $260.78 873 41.6% 918/2,209 $241k
AMERICAN_EXPRESS 783 3.0% $374,377 5.7% $478.13 585 26.8% 286/1,069 $160k
OTHER_BRAND 0 0.0% $0 0.0% - 0 100.0% 2/2 $75
TOTAL 26,226 $6,559,205 $250.10 17,984 45.4% $5.71M
Brand x card type - payments taken

Each row sums to 100% across the three type columns, so you can see which brands arrive as debit. AMERICAN_EXPRESS and DISCOVER are effectively credit-only networks here; VISA and MASTERCARD carry both.

BrandDEBITCREDITUNKNOWNTotal
VISA12,770 74.9%4,288 25.1%0 0.0%17,058
MASTERCARD4,425 62.4%2,669 37.6%0 0.0%7,094
DISCOVER689 53.4%602 46.6%0 0.0%1,291
AMERICAN_EXPRESS2 0.3%781 99.7%0 0.0%783
OTHER_BRAND0 -0 -0 -0
Prepaid vs funded cards

Square reports prepaid_type straight off the BIN. A prepaid card cannot go overdrawn and cannot be topped up by us, so a recurring plan sitting on one is a different collections risk from one on a funded account.

Prepaid typePayments takenValue taken Avg paymentCustomers Decline rateValue declined
NOT_PREPAID 24,685 94.1% $6,367,263 97.1% $257.94 16,817 43.1% 18,668/43,353 $5.17M
PREPAID 1,537 5.9% $190,400 2.9% $123.88 1,289 67.2% 3,142/4,679 $544k
UNKNOWN 4 0.0% $1,542 0.0% $385.50 2 42.9% 3/7 $100
TOTAL 26,226 $6,559,205 $250.10 17,984 45.4% $5.71M
Prepaid x card type - payments taken
Prepaid typeDEBITCREDITUNKNOWNTotal
NOT_PREPAID16,372 66.3%8,313 33.7%0 0.0%24,685
PREPAID1,513 98.4%24 1.6%0 0.0%1,537
UNKNOWN1 25.0%3 75.0%0 0.0%4
Prepaid concentration by city - payments taken
CityPREPAIDNOT_PREPAIDUNKNOWNTotal
Florida324 5.5%5,600 94.5%0 0.0%5,924
Texas416 6.1%6,415 93.9%0 0.0%6,831
New York239 5.7%3,922 94.3%0 0.0%4,161
Chicago198 5.8%3,197 94.2%0 0.0%3,395
Boston123 4.2%2,822 95.7%4 0.1%2,949
Nashville237 8.0%2,729 92.0%0 0.0%2,966
Decline rate by card type

The commercially useful cut. Rate = FAILED divided by (FAILED + COMPLETED). The pair beside each rate is failures / attempts, so you can see whether a bad-looking rate stands on real volume.

Card typeAttemptsCompletedFailedDecline rateValue declined
DEBIT35,65517,886 50.2%17,769 49.8%49.8% 17,769/35,655$4,169,999
CREDIT12,3828,340 67.4%4,042 32.6%32.6% 4,042/12,382$1,541,716
UNKNOWN20 0.0%2 100.0%100.0% 2/2$75
TOTAL48,03926,22621,81345.4%$5,711,790
Decline rate - brand x card type
BrandDEBITCREDITUNKNOWNAll cards
VISA50.1% 12,796/25,56633.4% 2,153/6,441- 0/046.7% 14,949/32,007
MASTERCARD49.1% 4,263/8,68834.3% 1,395/4,064- 0/044.4% 5,658/12,752
DISCOVER50.8% 710/1,39925.7% 208/810- 0/041.6% 918/2,209
AMERICAN_EXPRESS0.0% 0/226.8% 286/1,067- 0/026.8% 286/1,069
OTHER_BRAND- 0/0- 0/0100.0% 2/2100.0% 2/2
Decline rate - entry method x card type

An ON_FILE recurring charge and a KEYED point-of-sale charge are different businesses. Reading one blended decline rate across both is how a collections problem hides inside a healthy studio number.

Entry methodDEBITCREDITUNKNOWNAll cards
KEYED15.7% 1,586/10,08316.1% 672/4,177100.0% 2/215.8% 2,260/14,262
ON_FILE67.3% 15,619/23,20145.2% 2,952/6,537- 0/062.4% 18,571/29,738
CONTACTLESS23.3% 400/1,71526.3% 332/1,260- 0/024.6% 732/2,975
EMV24.9% 161/64720.7% 84/406- 0/023.3% 245/1,053
SWIPED33.3% 3/9100.0% 2/2- 0/045.5% 5/11
Decline rate - city x card type
CityDEBITCREDITUNKNOWNAll cards
Florida42.0% 2,823/6,72028.9% 823/2,850100.0% 2/238.1% 3,648/9,572
Texas52.3% 5,343/10,22136.8% 1,138/3,091- 0/048.7% 6,481/13,312
New York57.3% 3,675/6,41836.6% 819/2,237- 0/051.9% 4,494/8,655
Chicago46.4% 1,950/4,20729.1% 466/1,604- 0/041.6% 2,416/5,811
Boston47.2% 1,764/3,73828.7% 393/1,368- 0/042.2% 2,157/5,106
Nashville50.9% 2,214/4,35132.7% 403/1,232- 0/046.9% 2,617/5,583
Decline rate - month x card type
MonthDEBITCREDITUNKNOWNAll cards
2026-0648.9% 5,821/11,90831.9% 1,311/4,111- 0/044.5% 7,132/16,019
2026-0749.5% 5,879/11,88832.1% 1,331/4,149100.0% 2/245.0% 7,212/16,039
2026-0851.2% 6,069/11,85934.0% 1,400/4,122- 0/046.7% 7,469/15,981
By entry method

ON_FILE is a stored-card charge - the recurring collections book. KEYED is typed in, almost always a studio deposit or sale. CONTACTLESS / EMV / SWIPED are card-present.

Entry methodPayments takenValue taken Avg paymentCustomers Decline rateValue declined
KEYED 12,002 45.8% $1,590,573 24.2% $132.53 11,130 15.8% 2,260/14,262 $650k
ON_FILE 11,167 42.6% $2,187,237 33.3% $195.87 5,717 62.4% 18,571/29,738 $3.73M
CONTACTLESS 2,243 8.6% $2,037,406 31.1% $908.34 2,110 24.6% 732/2,975 $953k
EMV 808 3.1% $742,589 11.3% $919.05 782 23.3% 245/1,053 $383k
SWIPED 6 0.0% $1,400 0.0% $233.33 6 45.5% 5/11 $1k
TOTAL 26,226 $6,559,205 $250.10 17,984 45.4% $5.71M
Entry method x card type - payments taken
Entry methodDEBITCREDITUNKNOWNTotal
KEYED8,497 70.8%3,505 29.2%0 0.0%12,002
ON_FILE7,582 67.9%3,585 32.1%0 0.0%11,167
CONTACTLESS1,315 58.6%928 41.4%0 0.0%2,243
EMV486 60.1%322 39.9%0 0.0%808
SWIPED6 100.0%0 0.0%0 0.0%6
By city
CityPayments takenValue taken Avg paymentCustomers Decline rateValue declined
Florida 5,924 22.6% $1,762,606 26.9% $297.54 4,328 38.1% 3,648/9,572 $1.18M
Texas 6,831 26.0% $1,669,002 25.4% $244.33 4,551 48.7% 6,481/13,312 $1.61M
New York 4,161 15.9% $961,878 14.7% $231.17 2,783 51.9% 4,494/8,655 $1.13M
Chicago 3,395 12.9% $829,164 12.6% $244.23 2,365 41.6% 2,416/5,811 $705k
Boston 2,949 11.2% $671,030 10.2% $227.54 2,011 42.2% 2,157/5,106 $488k
Nashville 2,966 11.3% $665,525 10.1% $224.38 1,946 46.9% 2,617/5,583 $604k
TOTAL 26,226 $6,559,205 $250.10 17,984 45.4% $5.71M
City x card type - payments taken
CityDEBITCREDITUNKNOWNTotal
Florida3,897 65.8%2,027 34.2%0 0.0%5,924
Texas4,878 71.4%1,953 28.6%0 0.0%6,831
New York2,743 65.9%1,418 34.1%0 0.0%4,161
Chicago2,257 66.5%1,138 33.5%0 0.0%3,395
Boston1,974 66.9%975 33.1%0 0.0%2,949
Nashville2,137 72.0%829 28.0%0 0.0%2,966