Spending with SMEs up in Q1 Data from Barclaycard Payments shows that the volume of debit and credit card payments processed to SMEs rose in Q1, with a 20% increase in value and a 35% increase in volume between January and March compared with pre-pandemic levels. Colin O’Flaherty, head of SME at Barclaycard Payments, said: “After an exceptionally tough time for the hospitality and leisure sector, it’s encouraging to see that businesses have seen revenues rise over the last few months, despite a challenging economic climate.”