Ask the Experts: Consumer Trends, Auto Sales, and Cryptocurrency Data

Both before and during each Market Pulse webinar, our audience submits their burning questions to our expert panelists, some of which we run out of time to cover in the live webinar and which we then answer in this blog. For our December Market Pulse webinar, our panel included Mike Spriggs, Head of Consumer Insights at Fiserv, and Jesse Hardin, Risk Advisor at Equifax. Below are their answers on questions around subprime consumers, holiday shopping data, and more.

Q: Have sub-prime consumers levered/delevered over the last decade? What about prime consumers?

Jesse Hardin: If we consider sub-prime as those with a VS3 < 620, their share was over 26% in September 2018. This number sits at 18% in September 2024, which means it has decreased by over 32%.

In the case of the prime segment (those with VS3 of 660-719), their share over the same period has increased from almost 16% to 18%, i.e. by over 14%.

In general, scorable consumers have improved their risk score over this 8-year period.

Q: Where will we see automotive retail (new and/or used car sales) in the Fiserv data?

Mike Spriggs: Fiserv does not capture new or used car sales in our data. Our data is an aggregation of card-based transactions (debit and credit). Car sales are typically cash or ACH funded transfers, so these transactions are not part of our measurement.

Q: Does Tap (Contactless) [data] include both tap with a card and digital wallet use like Apple Pay?

Spriggs: While we do not isolate and identify the transactions as being enabled with Apple Pay, all digital wallet transactions conducted with the merchants in our sample are captured in the sales data we measure.

Q: Does Fiserv track cryptocurrencies?

Spriggs: We do not track crypto-currencies as a form of payment in our data.

*The opinions, estimates, and forecasts presented herein are for general information use only. This material is based upon information that we consider to be reliable, but we do not represent that it is accurate or complete. No person should consider distribution of this material as making any representation or warranty with respect to such material and should not rely upon it as such. Equifax does not assume any liability for any loss that may result from the reliance by any person upon any such information or opinions. Such information and opinions are subject to change without notice. The opinions, estimates, forecasts, and other views published herein represent the views of the presenters as of the date indicated and do not necessarily represent the views of Equifax or its management.

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