Shoppers in the UK are expected to put ��269bn on plastic cards during the whole of 2004, compared with ��268bn paid with cash, Apacs said.
When the first plastic cards appeared in the UK in June 1966, issued by Barclaycard, but only a handful of retailers accepted them and very few customers held them.
"But in less than 40 years, plastic has become our most popular way to pay, due to the added security and flexibility it offers," said Apacs spokeswoman Jemma Smith.
"The key driver has been the introduction of debit cards, which now account for two-thirds of plastic card transactions and are used by millions of us every day."
