Salt Lake City, Utah, USA - August 6th, 2026
Consumers facing higher fuel and food costs are increasingly turning to debit cards that pay rewards on everyday purchases, according to data released by CoinZoom. The payments platform said card transactions and usage per active cardholder accelerated in the first half of 2026, driven by the appeal of cash-back rewards on routine spending.
CoinZoom reported that the average number of transactions per active cardholder roughly tripled over the same period, and that, on average, each cardholder earned about $150 in rewards per month in the first half of 2026. The company framed these figures as evidence that consumers are making straightforward cost-benefit calculations in a high-inflation environment - shifting toward cards that return tangible value on everyday expenses.
"At 5% back, a family spending $2,000 a month on everyday purchases earns up to $100 in rewards," said Todd Crosland, CoinZoom's founder and CEO. "At today's gas prices, that covers roughly two full tanks. For most households, that's a real number."
The growth in CoinZoom's card usage arrived against a backdrop of materially higher costs for basics. The Bureau of Labor Statistics data cited by the company indicate consumer prices for food at home rose roughly 23% between 2022 and 2025. Gasoline prices also climbed, breaking the $4-a-gallon threshold nationally in April and averaging $4.09 per gallon in the referenced week, according to the American Automobile Association - a roughly 30% increase from the same week the prior year.
The company contrasts its rewards-bearing debit product with more traditional payment options. Most U.S. households use debit cards that typically provide no spending rewards, while rewards credit cards do offer cashback and points but can be undermined by high finance charges. The average credit card interest rate has exceeded 20% for much of the past two years, a level that consumer advocates say can negate the value of rewards for cardholders who carry a balance from month to month.
CoinZoom's reported gains fit within a wider expansion of crypto-linked and stablecoin-funded debit cards in 2026. Industry data from Paymentscan included by the company show monthly payment volume on crypto-linked cards increased from $233 million in May 2025 to $614 million in May 2026 - a 163% rise year-over-year. Tracked cumulative payment volume on such cards reached nearly $8.2 billion.
"People are looking for ways to make their money go a little further at the end of the month," Crosland added. "If a debit card can help fill the gap with an extra tank of gas or stretch far enough for a few everyday treats for your family, that's meaningful. That's what we're here to do."
About CoinZoom
CoinZoom is a U.S.-based financial platform that enables users to send, spend, save, and invest. The platform supports multiple funding options including Apple Pay, Google Pay, debit and credit cards, and instant cash deposits at retail locations across the U.S. CoinZoom also operates an international peer-to-peer payment system called ZoomMe, which the company says is part of its cash-to-crypto ecosystem serving customers in 169 countries and enabling free, instant cash or crypto deposits and transfers.
The CoinZoom Crypto Debit card allows cardholders to spend in USD or crypto at more than 175 million merchants worldwide while earning up to 5% back in crypto on purchases. The company describes its platform as built on a multi-layered security approach and notes the team includes financial technology security experience intended to protect customer funds and data. CoinZoom is registered as a Money Services Business with FinCEN, holds a SOC2 Type II Certification, and is a registered Money Transmitter in the U.S. The business also maintains subsidiaries in Australia, Latvia, Ireland, and Bermuda. CoinZoom Australia PTY LTD is registered as a Digital Currency Exchange with AUSTRAC.
Contact for press inquiries is listed as Adrianne Blackett at CoinZoom - [email protected].
Reporting by Leila Farooq. Leila covers telecom and media with a focus on subscriber economics, pricing discipline, and the tradeoffs between capital allocation and product value.