The bar chart shows the percentage of cheque, direct debit card and credit card transactions used for payment in New Zealand between 1993 and 2003.  Overall, the use of cheques decreased while electronic card use increased during the ten-year period.

The percentage of purchases paid by cheque in 1993 accounted for 55% of all payments, the highest of all payment percentages represented in the chart.  The percentage of cheques used decreased steadily thereafter, reaching its lowest point in 1993, when only 12% of all transactions in New Zealand were paid for by cheque.

In contrast, the use of both direct debit cards and credit cards showed an increasing trend between 1993 and 2003.  Approximately 8% of all transactions were paid for using direct debit cards in 1993, as opposed to only around 4% paid for with credit cards.  The use of direct debit cards increased significantly between 1993 and 1996, when their use accounted for around 24% of all payments, dipping slightly to 22% in 1997.  Then, from 1998 to 2003, direct debit card payments became the most widely used form of payment, accounting for 31 percent of all payments in 1998 and increasing to almost 40% by 2003.  The use of credit cards as a form of payment also increased, from around 5% in 1993 to around 8% by 1996. Between 1996 and 1999, credit card use fluctuated slightly and then steadily increased from 1999 to 2002, when around 18% of all transactions were paid for by credit card, the highest percentage for this type of payment.  In 2003, credit card use fell slightly to around 17%.

In conclusion, electronic payment appears to be growing in popularity while the use of chequebooks has decreased in the past decade.