UK card spending 96% of level two years ago - ONS

LONDON - British consumers' spending on credit and debit cards during the week to Feb. 10 was unchanged from the week before at 96% of its level in February 2020, before the COVID-19 pandemic, weekly data published by the Office for National Statistics showed.

"This stability follows the usual cyclical rise in spending around the end of the month," the ONS said about the figures, which are not seasonally adjusted and come from Bank of England interbank CHAPS payment data.

A sharp rise in restaurant reservations for the week to Feb. 14 reflected Valentine's Day bookings, the ONS added.