Debit Dominates as Low-Income Consumers Guard Cash Flow

For merchants selling to low-wage consumers, the competition isn’t simply over who offers the lowest price. It’s over whether the purchase can clear a tight household budget in the first place. The PYMNTS Intelligence report “ The Labor Economy Follows a Different Consumer Playbook ,” found in July that 37% of Labor Economy consumers, defined as workers earning no more than $25 an hour and generally less than $50,000 annually, are needs-focused shoppers who stick to budgets and minimize nonessen