PSCU Payments Index September 2021: Deep Dive on Back-to-School Spending

Summary: In sharing the September 2021 edition of the PSCU Payments Index, we continue to look for certainty in these uncertain times. Over the past month, the Delta variant continued to interrupt the rebound in travel, causing a spike in infections and leading to vaccine mandates. COVID-19 hospitalizations once again increased at an alarming rate and are now affecting more children with the return to in-person learning. This month, we present a Deep Dive into Back-to-School-related merchant categories. We hope that the data from this view of consumer spending, along with insights on demographic-level spending and other economic indicators, continue to help our financial institutions make informed decisions.