PYMNTS Launches Consumer Expectations Index to Track How Financial Resilience Shapes Spending

PYMNTS launched its Consumer Expectations Index on March 3, 2026, surveying more than 2,000 nationally representative U.S. consumers each month. The index scores 11 measures of financial resilience, purchasing conditions and job security on a scale of 0 to 100, with 50 representing neutral conditions. It addresses a gap in traditional confidence surveys that focus only on sentiment, showing why households may remain reluctant to spend more after their incomes rise because of insufficient savings, fixed expenses and debt pressure. The index also gives financial services and payments providers a basis for adjusting pricing, credit and payment flexibility.

PYMNTS released February data on April 8, 2026. Households earning more than $150,000 a year posted an overall index score of 63.1, compared with just 48 for those earning less than $50,000. The roughly 15-point gap has persisted for five consecutive months. High-income households scored 75 on their ability to cover an unexpected expense of about $1,200 within one week, while low-income households scored just 41. The latter group still registered 62 for confidence in managing debt, showing that being able to meet debt payments on time does not necessarily mean having adequate savings. The consumer market is increasingly divided by income and liquidity.