According to the latest figures released, customers in Ireland used their Visa cards to spend a whopping €15.5 billion during the previous year, setting a new record for the company in the country.

The rise comes as banks continued to introduce Visa Debit cards and increasing number of customers began using the cards for making cheaper daily purchases in the country. During the one year till 30 September, 2012, the customers in the country increasing their spending through Visa cards by 17 per cent from the previous period.

The company recorded a much higher growth rate in Ireland than 8 per cent growth recorded across Europe. The growth was boosted manly due to a move by the banks in the country from laser cards to Visa Debit cards during the year. The total number of Visa cards increased by an impressive 43 per cent to 4.9 million in Ireland during the year.

The total number of transactions increased 26 per cent to 201 million during the year compared to the earlier year. The company said that €1 out of every €7 of consumer spending in Ireland is now through Visa card.