Electronic card retail spending fell slightly in September as lower clothing, whiteware and electronic sales offset higher fuel and food sales.
Electronic card transactions, which include debit, credit and charge cards but not cash or cheques, totalled $3.8 billion last month.
Excluding cars and related industries, core retail sales fell a seasonally adjusted 0.4% - the first fall since June.
Overall, seasonally adjusted electronic card spending, which includes transactions in industries other than retail, rose 0.8% - the third consecutive monthly rise.
