Visa data shows holiday spending surge in Puerto Rico
Consumer spending in Puerto Rico rose during Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2025, driven by higher transaction volumes and an extended holiday shopping period, according to an analysis by Visa Consulting and Analytics.
Spending with Visa credentials during the two shopping days increased by more than 20% compared with the same period in 2024, the analysis found. Visa also reported that the holiday shopping season began earlier than usual, as consumers responded to promotions offered in the days leading up to the traditional retail events.
“This year’s Black Friday and Cyber Mondays show an evolution from a single day to an entire shopping season,” said Javier Vázquez, director of Visa Consulting & Analytics for Visa Latin America and the Caribbean. “Consumers are being more strategic, taking advantage of early sales and spreading their spending over several days.”
Black Friday and Cyber Monday continued to generate the highest overall spending levels, according to the data. Visa also recorded notable transaction activity in the preceding week, particularly on Nov. 21 and Nov. 27, suggesting that holiday shopping has increasingly shifted to a multi-day retail period rather than a single peak event.
Contactless payments continued to gain ground during the shopping surge. Visa said contactless transactions increased by more than 85% year over year on Black Friday, reflecting consumer preference for faster and more convenient payment methods across both physical and digital retail channels.
Spending patterns varied by category. On Black Friday, the leading retail categories included clothing, general merchandise and construction-related purchases. On Cyber Monday, spending was concentrated in clothing, travel-related expenses and department stores, indicating different consumer priorities between the two events.
Visa also pointed to increased fraud prevention activity during the holiday period. Its artificial intelligence- and machine learning-based systems identified and blocked 185% more suspected fraudulent transactions in Puerto Rico during Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2025 than during the same period a year earlier, the company said.
“Fraud has evolved from an opportunistic crime to systematic, industrial-scale operations,” said Oscar Márquez, regional head of risk for Visa Latin America and the Caribbean. “Fraudsters are evolving with new technologies, but so are our defenses.”
Visa said its security systems operated continuously throughout the holiday period to mitigate fraud as both in-store and online shopping activity increased. The company said it has invested more than $13 billion over the past five years in technology and infrastructure to strengthen fraud prevention and transaction security.
The analysis was based on consumer transactions processed through VisaNet in Puerto Rico during Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2025 and compared with the same dates in 2024. Visa said the review also examined transaction activity in the days leading up to Black Friday, excluding Visa Direct-related transactions and spending.
Visa said the findings reflect continued confidence in digital payments and point to the adaptability of Puerto Rico’s retail sector during peak shopping periods.
