# I. Introduction lastic Money or Polymer Money, made out of plastic, is a new and better way of paying for goods and services and is used every day in place of actual bank notes. According to Business Dictionary, plastic money is a generic term for all types of bank cards, credit cards, debit cards, smart cards, Automated Teller Machine cards and charge cards. In recent years, there has been a dramatic growth in the usage of plastic money among the people. Twenty-two years since plastic money business got introduced to the UAE; the country has emerged as one of the fastest growing markets for credit cards and debit cards regarding of market penetration and per capita spending in the Middle East. As part of the plastic money boom, the UAE today has more than 3.5 million credit and debit cards in circulation. Merchant adoption rates for plastic money are very high in the UAE compared to many other countries in the region. With the role of electronic payments evolving in the UAE, Card companies are encouraging cardholders to use their plastic for everyday life, rather than just for highvalue purchases or travel and entertainment. Card companies argue that Card-based payments support larger purchase and thus are more beneficial to merchants. Consumers often spend more on cards than they do with cash. # a) Plastic money and spending pattern Plastic Money is the alternative to the paper money or the standard Money. The psychological impetus behind impulse spending via credit or debit cards is one of the main reasons people tend to overspend. Carey Kirk, counselling psychologist at Light House Arabia said, "Due to the absence of payment pain; people are less likely to thoroughly evaluate an item and their need for it before they purchase it, making it more likely for them to indulge in impulse buys. When we buy more impulsively, we are paying less attention to our spending and are more likely to lose track of how much money we have spent. When we spend cash, there is emotional pain associated with handing over our money and concretely knowing we now have less in our wallets. With cash, the exchange of physical money for goods is visible, tangible, and immediate". In addition to money leaving our wallets, when using credit cards, balance payments are not due immediately is another reason for overspending. The lag between purchasing an item and having to settle the credit card bill further distances our association between using a credit card and spending money. Robert (2001) in his study,' Money Attitudes and Intentions towards Credit Card Use and Compulsive Buying among American College Students, used a simple modelling approach to investigate the role of money attitudes and credit card use in the campus buying within a sample of American college students. It was found in the study that the money attitudes, power, prestige, distrust, and anxiety are much related to compulsive buying and that Credit card often moderates these relationships. C. Prakash (2003), in his study "Impact of Credit Cards on Spending Patterns" had focused on the impact of credit cards on spending pattern to study the conceptual aspects and the evolution of credit cards in India. An interview schedule was given to three hundred credit card holders. Simple Percentage, F test, ANOVA and Chi-square test were used to analyze the collected data. It was found out that almost all the respondents irrespective of their income levels had agreed that their purchasing power had increased after they had begun to use their credit cards. The accessibility of the credit cards is limited to relatively small institutions like airlines, jewellers shop, and restaurants. # b) Objectives of the Study The fact that consumers do not feel physical cash leaving their hands also plays into the tendency of some to use plastic more often. Those who are using the plastic cards many times tend to buy more than those who are using the currency note and inevitably end up buying more than they thought they would. When they leave the shopping mall they realize the fact that their card has been swiped a number of times, but they are not worried just yet, but by the end of the month when they receive their credit card bill or bank statement they will realize the fact that they have spent more than they could afford. So increased use of plastic money among the people has generated the concern that the convenience of the plastic money may tempt the users to live beyond their means that eventually leads to ineffective cash management and overspending and push the people into severe indebtedness. Inexperience with plastic cards and a lack of personal financial knowledge are likely to place some users at greater financial risk of having large, and perhaps unmanageable, debts burdens. From the above theoretical perspective, the following research objectives have been developed for this study. 1. To understand the impact of plastic money on consumer spending pattern. 2. To know the preferences behind using the plastic money. 3. To find out the factors for which/why plastic money has a high impact on consumer spending pattern. 4. To offer suggestions from the findings and conclusions of the study, so that deficiencies and shortcomings can be rectified. # c) Hypothesis The following hypotheses are maintained for the study. Hypotheses 1: Plastic money has no impact on the consumer spending pattern. # 1(a) No relationship exists between the age of the plastic money users and their perception towards the impact of plastic money on their spending pattern. 1(b) No relationship exists between the sex of the plastic money users and their perception towards the impact of plastic money on their spending pattern. 1(c) No relationship exists between the income of the money users and their perception towards the impact of plastic money on their spending pattern. # II. Methodology a) Data Collection Data has been collected from both primary and secondary sources. Primary data has been collected from the respondents through a field survey. The researchers adopted a face-to-face distribution of the questionnaire to the respondents of this study in the scrutiny of obtaining higher response rate. The data for this study ware collected using survey questionnaires. All questionnaires were accompanied with a covering letter stating the purpose of this study. It also guaranteed anonymity of respondents. Right before collecting data from the final respondents, the instrument was reviewed by an expert in the area to justify for the content validity. Using a convenient sampling methodology, the researchers gathered 250 responses for this study. Data has been collected from both primary and secondary sources. Primary data has been gathered from the respondents through a field survey. The secondary data for the study was collected from the published journals, magazines and other periodicals, books on research works, etc. Internet services were also used to gain the latest information through various websites # b) Sampling Design The sampling frame of this study comprises credit card customers of major local banks in UAE. Convenient sampling technique has been adopted for this study. According to the central bank of UAE, 23 local banks are functioning in UAE. Out of these 23 banks, five banks were selected randomly for this study. The data for this study were gathered using survey questionnaires. Primary data has been collected from 250 respondent's i.e. 50 respondents from each bank with the help of a structured questionnaire. While selecting a respondent, due importance was given to various factors such as age, sex, and income, etc. # c) Techniques for Data Analysis In this study, we mainly use the chi-square test to test whether the hypothesis that attributes are associated or not. And the Proportional test to assess whether the proportion (ratio of number of responded in favour to total number of respondent) is more than 0 p (50% in our case) or not, We use the statistics where x is the number respondent in favor and n is the total number and q0 =1-p. # III. Findings The demographic profile of the sample Source: Field Survey Table 2 presents the perception of the plastic money users towards the impact of its use on their spending pattern. Out of 250 respondents, 62 percent have the opinion that uses of plastic money have a high influence on their spending pattern. 28 percent of the respondents have the notion that uses of plastic money have some relation on their spending pattern, and 10 percent of the total respondents have the idea that uses of plastic money have no effect on their spending pattern. In this context, the following hypothesis is constructed and put to the test, such that H1, Plastic money has no connection on the consumer spending pattern. To verify this, we conducted the proportional trials which gives Calculated value (Z) = 3.7947 and is significant at 5% level (Tabled value= 1.645). Since calculated value is more than the tabled value, we reject H1. Hence we can conclude that the Plastic money has a high impact on the consumer spending pattern. For this study Plastic money users are separately studied by their age, sex, and income. # a) The Relation existing between the age of the plastic money users and their perception towards the impact of plastic money on their spending pattern In order to prove that relationship exists between the age of the plastic money users and their perception towards the impact of plastic money on their spending pattern, the following hypothesis is constructed and put to the test, such as H0, there is no relationship existing between the age of the plastic money users and their perception towards impact of plastic money on their spending pattern. Chi-Square test for independence is applied to test whether H0, is true or not. # Source: Field Survey The result of the Chi-square test to prove the relation between the age of the plastic money users and their perception towards the impact of plastic money on their spending pattern is as follows. The calculated value of ? 2 is = 7.898 Tabled value= 9.488 Since the calculated value is less than table value, the Hypothesis (H0) is accepted. Hence it is proved thatthere is no close association between age of theplastic money users and their perception towards the impact of plastic money on their spending pattern. # b) Relation between the sex of the plastic money users and their perception towards the impact of plastic money on their spending pattern In order to prove that relationship exists between the sex of the plastic money users and their perception towards the impact of plastic money on their spending pattern, the following hypothesis is constructed and put to test, such as H0, there is no relationship existing between the sex of the plastic money users and their perception towards impact of plastic money on their spending pattern. Chi-square test for independence is applied to test whether H0, is true or not The result of the Chi-square test to prove the relationship between the sex of the plastic money users and their perception towards the impact of plastic money on their spending pattern is as follows. Since the calculated value is less than the table value, the Hypothesis H0 is accepted. Hence it can be concluded that there is no close association between sex of the plastic money users and their perception towards the impact of plastic money on their spending pattern. # c) Relation between the income of the plastic money users and their perception towards the impact of plastic money on their spending pattern In order to prove that relationship exists between the income of the plastic money users and their perception towards the impact of plastic money on their spending pattern, the following hypothesis is constructed and put to test, such as H0, there is no relationship existing between the income of the plastic money users and their perception towards impact of plastic money on their spending pattern. Chi-square test for independence is applied to test whether H0, is true or not. # Source: Field Survey The result of the Chi-square test to prove the relationship between the income of the plastic money users and their perception towards the impact of plastic money on their spending pattern is as follows. The calculated value of ? 2 is = 2.458 Tabled value = 5.991 Since the calculated value is less than the table value, the Hypothesis H0 is accepted. Hence it can be concluded that there is no close association between the income of the plastic money users and their perception towards the impact of plastic money on their spending pattern. To find out why customers prefer plastic money to paper money, further analyses have been conducted among the customers. # Source: Field Survey The above analysis reveals the facts that out of a total of 250 customers 216 customers,' i.e, 86.4 percent prefers and use the plastic money only 13.6 percent i.e, 34 customers are using or preferring paper money. To find out which plastic money customers use more, further analyses have been conducted among the customers who prefer plastic money. To find out the pivotal reasons for which/why customers prefer plastic money, further analyses have been conducted among the customers who prefer plastic money. Source: Field Survey Among the customers who prefer plastic money, 25.46 percent expressed the reason for preference as convenient to handle and use 22.68 percent of the respondents prefer plastic money because it gives them more credit options. 19.91 percent have the opinion that they prefer plastic money because of security reasons. 16.67 percent pointed out the facts that using plastic money suits their personalities.15.28 percent have the answer that they prefer plastic money because it is less risky to carry as compared to paper money. To find out the many reasons for which plastic money have a high impact on consumer spending pattern, further analyses have been conducted among the customers who prefer plastic money. The time lag between purchasing an item and having to settle our credit card bill further distances our association between using a credit card and spending money 56 25.93 Total 216 100 # Source: Field Survey The above table consolidates a detailed analysis of the main reasons for which/why plastic money has a high impact on the consumer spending pattern 39.35 percent of the respondents have the opinion that the usage of plastic money leads to overspending mainly because of the reason that the convenience of the plastic money may tempt the users to live beyond their means. 25.93 percent expressed the reason for overspending as the time lag between purchasing an item and having to settle the credit card bill further distances the association between using a credit card and spending money. 19.91 percent of the respondents have the view that psychological impetus behind impulse spending via credit or debit cards etc, many times leads to overspending. 14.81 percent pointed out the reason as while using plastic the money they don't feel physical cash leaving their hands many times, hence, leads to overspending. # d) Findings 1. Majority of the plastic money users have the opinion that plastic money has a high impact on their spending pattern. 2. There is no close association between age of the plastic money users and their perception regarding the impact of plastic money on their spending pattern. 3. Majority of the respondents who are above 35 years of age expressed the strong agreement to the view that uses of plastic money have a high impact on their spending pattern. 4. There is no close association between sex of the plastic money users and their perception regarding the impact of plastic money on their spending pattern. 5. There is a close association between the income of the plastic money users and their perception regarding the impact of plastic money on their spending pattern. 6. Majority of the respondents who belong to the income range of 10,000 to 20,000 expressed the strong agreement to the view that the uses of plastic money have a high impact on their spending pattern. Year 2018 © 2018 Global Journals ( ) G A Study on the Impact of Plastic Money on Consumer Spending Pattern 7. The above analysis reveals the fact that the majority of the customers use plastic money than paper money. 8. Analyses of respondents, who prefer plastic money to paper money, among the different plastic cards, the credit card is the plastic money that the majority use more. 9. Analysis proves the fact that customers prefer plastic money because it is secure, convenient to carry and use and it gives them more credit options. 10. A detailed analysis to find out why plastic money leads to overspending, majority of the respondents expressed strong agreement to the view that convenience of the plastic money may tempt the users to live beyond their means. Hence, the time lag between purchasing an item and having to settle their credit card bill further distances there association between using a credit card and spending money. # e) Suggestions Based on the findings following suggestions seem feasible for managing the credit card debt. 1. Plastic money has many advantages over paper money but, it does not mean that paper money is obsolete. It is always recommendable to reduce the use of plastic money because consumers don't feel physical cash leaving their hands also plays into the tendency of some to use plastic more often. 2. Those who are using the plastic many times tend to buy more than those who are using the currency note and inevitably end up buying more than they thought they would and have more chances of getting deeper in debt. 3. Impulse spending via credit or debit cards is one of the main reasons people tend to overspend. Due to the absence of payment pain, people are less likely to thoroughly evaluate an item and their need for it before they purchase it, making it more likely for them to .indulge in impulse buys. 4. Rampant usage of credit cards should be avoided since it leads to an endless cycle where the users maximize their credit card and get another one because they are unable to pay for the previous one, and they finally fall into debt. 5. Sharing the credit cards with others may lead to over-spending, misuse of the card and related disputes. It may also disturb the personal budget of the card bearer. 6. It is always better to use paper money because of the availability of money itself-work as a managing system. When we use paper money, there is emotional pain associated with handing over our money and concretely knowing we now have less in our wallets. With cash, the exchange of physical money for goods is visible, tangible, and immediate. 7. Too much usage of debit card, also may lead to effective cash management because there's immediate loss when cash is handed over, but when a plastic card is swiped, it doesn't give any immediate feeling of loss. Even when a message is communicated to the person, by the time they comprehend that the money is gone, the damage has already been done and cannot be reversed. 8. While using the card there is a time lag between purchasing an item and settling the bill in future. This lag between purchasing an item and having to settle our credit card bill further distances our association between using a credit card and spending money. Small expenses do not get visualised when using a card. When it is the end of the month people realize that their card expenses are not payable and, once this takes place, it is too late to avoid late payment fee. 9. When carrying cash, people know how much they can spend, but when they carry card, they feel that as long as there is money, they can still spend. This may be good for the retailers and bank but not good for people especially in managing their money in an effective way. # IV. Conclusion Plastic money made a revolution in the banking industry across the world. It has many advantages compared to paper money, but the convenience of plastic money makes it easy to spend beyond means. Plastic money is a good system but if you do not manage your plastic cards in a proper way that will lead to overspending, financial burdens, and financial stress. Plastic money is convenient, less risky, and safer than paper money, but it's important to remember that it is not compulsory that you should use plastic money especially if you are not able to manage your money while using the plastic cards. When we spend cash, there is emotional pain associated with handing over our money and concretely knowing we now have less in our wallets. With cash, the exchange of physical money for goods is visible, tangible, and immediate, but when a plastic card is swiped, it doesn't give any immediate feeling of loss. Even when a message is communicated to the person, by the time they comprehend that the money is gone, the damage has already been done and cannot be reversed. So the selection of the mode of money should depend on which mode helps you more to have a better control over your hard earned money. 1SI. No.VariablesFrequencyPercentage1.Age Below 25 26-35 36-45 Above 457 24 94 1252.8 9.6 37.6 50Total2501002.Sex Male Female216 3486.8 13.2Total250100IncomeBelow 10,00018774.83.10,000 -20,0004317.2More than 20,000208Total250100Source: Field Survey 2Rate the impact of plastic money on your spending patternFrequencyPercentageHigh impact15662Some impact7028No impact2410Total250100 3Cross TabAgeBelow 2525-3535-4545 and AboveTotal 4Cross TabAgeMaleFemaleTotalSome ImpactCount % within SEX57 26.4%13 38.2%70 28.0%Impact of plastic money on spending patternHigh ImpactCount % within SEX136 63.0%20 58.8%156 62.4%No ImpactCount % within SEX23 10.6%1 2.9%24 9.6%TotalCount % within SEX 100.0% 100.0% 216 34250 100.0%Chi-Square TestsValuedfTabled ValueSig.Pearson Chi-Square0.21513.8410.643Not SignificantSource: Field SurveyThe Calculated Value of ? 2 is = 0.215Tabled Value = 3.841 5Cross TabIncomeMore than 20,00010,000 to 20,000Below 10,000Total 6Which mode of money you use moreTotal RespondentsPercentagePlastic Money21686.4Cash3413.6Total250100 7Type of plastic money usedTotal RespondentsPercentageCredit Card10448.15Debit Card9644.44Specific Outlet card167.41Total216100Source: Field SurveyAn analysis of respondents, who preferplastic money to paper money, states that 48.15percent, majority of the customers use credit cardsand 44.44 percent of the customers use debit cards.Only 7.14 percent of the customers use specific outletcards.GA Study on the Impact of Plastic Money on Consumer Spending Pattern 8Preference behind uses of plastic MoneyTotal RespondentsPercentageSecurity in respect to paper money4319.91Convenient to carry and use5525.46Less risky to carry as compared to paper money3315.28Suits personality3616.67More credit options4922.68Total216100 9Why plastic Money leads to overspending?Total RespondentsPercentageWhile using the plastic money, we don't feel physical cash leaving our hands3214.81The Convenience of the plastic money may tempt the users to live beyond their means8539.35The Psychological impetus behind impulse spending say spending via credit or debit cards etc4319.91 * Attitudes and Intentions towards Credit Card Use and Compulsive Buying among American College Robert 2001 * Impact of Credit Cards on Spending Patterns CPrakash 2003 * Elif The Impact of Credit Cards on Spending: A Field Experiment 2009 * CathySebastien Paper or Plastic? Money and Credit as Means of Payment 2012 * Credit Cards Industry -Use and abuse Business World July, 2007 * JSlocum L-.Mathews their study "Social class and Income indicators of consumer credit behaviour 1970