Fiserv, Inc. (NASDAQ: FISV), a leading global provider of payments and financial services technology, has published the Fiserv Small Business Index for May 2026, indicating that U.S. small business sales growth in May was driven primarily by higher average ticket sizes amid persistent cost pressures, while consumer foot traffic continued to soften.
The seasonally adjusted Index remained at 144. Small business sales rose (+0.7%) year over year, driven by average tickets that climbed +3.1% compared with 2025. Transactions declined (-2.4%) year over year, marking the seventh consecutive month of declining foot traffic. Compared with April, sales were flat (+0.0%) and transactions declined slightly (-0.2%).
“We saw a continuation of recent trends in May: stable overall sales, rising average tickets, and softer consumer activity as households adjust to increasing costs,” said Prasanna Dhore, Chief Data Officer, Fiserv. “Services remained the strongest contributor to sales growth, full-service restaurants outperformed limited-service and higher fuel costs continued to impact many businesses.”
Key Takeaways
Restaurant sales continue to fight for growth
Sales declined (-0.6%) year over year but accelerated slightly (+0.6%) compared with April. Higher prices continued to shape results, with average tickets up +3.0% year over year. Transactions fell -3.6%, marking a sixth consecutive month of year over year declines. Limited-Service Restaurants led the slowdown, with sales down -3.4% year over year and foot traffic falling -5.4%. Full-Service Restaurants showed relative strength, with sales rising +1.5% year over year, supported by stable foot traffic (+0.2%) and modest average ticket growth (+1.3%).
Elevated gasoline prices continue to impact multiple categories
Gas Station sales grew +22.9% year over year and +1.2% month over month, due entirely to higher average tickets. Rising fuel costs likely contributed to average ticket growth across multiple service segments, including Professional Services, Transportation and Warehousing, and Administrative Support Services.
Retail remained stable overall, with modest divergence between Core and Non-Core
Total retail sales increased +0.1% year over year but declined -0.5% month over month. Transactions were flat year over year and softened -0.6% compared with April. Core Retail sales were soft (-0.1% year over year; -0.5% month over month). Retail transactions did not grow (0.0%) but average tickets rose +0.9%. Much of this reflects trade-offs consumers are making as retail essentials like gasoline have surged in price, driving consumers to find savings in other retail categories, such as Grocery, which fell -3.3% compared with 2025.
Essentials continued to show steady growth
Sales increased +0.9% year over year as average tickets rose +4.3%. Discretionary categories also expanded (+0.6%) year over year, with average tickets up +2.6%. Transactions declined across both segments, though the pattern was consistent, indicating consumers are seeking to mitigate cost pressures wherever they can.
Goods stabilize while Services growth remains price-led
Goods sales edged up +0.1% YoY with stable transactions (0.0%) and modest ticket growth (+0.2%). Services expanded +1.0% year over year, supported by +4.2% average ticket growth, while transactions declined -3.2%, a clear indication that price continues to drive overall sales growth.
To access the full Fiserv Small Business Index, visit fiserv.com/FiservSmallBusinessIndex.
