Small Business Sales Edge Upward in May as Foot Traffic Continues to Slow, Fiserv Data Shows

Fiserv (NASDAQ:FISV) released May 2026 Fiserv Small Business Index data, showing U.S. small business sales up 0.7% year over year with the Index steady at 144.

Rhea-AI Summary

Fiserv (NASDAQ:FISV) released May 2026 Fiserv Small Business Index data, showing U.S. small business sales up 0.7% year over year with the Index steady at 144.

Average tickets rose 3.1% while transactions fell 2.4%, indicating price-driven growth amid softer foot traffic, strong gas station sales, and mixed restaurant and retail trends.

Argus Jun 3 session

-2.44% close to close Open Argus

Details

News Market Reaction – FISV

On Jun 3, the day this news came out, FISV closed 2.44% below the previous close.

Data tracked by StockTitan Argus for the Jun 3 session.

Market Context

This announcement highlights May trends in U.S. small business activity, with the Fiserv Small Busin...

Analysis

This announcement highlights May trends in U.S. small business activity, with the Fiserv Small Business Index steady at 144. Sales rose +0.7% year over year, driven by +3.1% average ticket growth, while transactions fell -2.4%, signaling softer foot traffic. Services and fuel-related categories showed notable price-led strength. Investors may track how these dynamics affect Fiserv’s transaction-based volumes, mix across categories, and any future commentary on small business health.

Key Figures

Fiserv Small Business Index: 144 Small business sales growth: +0.7% YoY Average ticket growth: +3.1% YoY +5 more

Fiserv Small Business Index

144

Seasonally adjusted level for May 2026

Small business sales growth

+0.7% YoY

U.S. small business sales in May 2026 vs 2025

Average ticket growth

+3.1% YoY

Change in average ticket size vs 2025

Transaction change

-2.4% YoY

Year-over-year change in transactions, May 2026

Gas station sales

+22.9% YoY

Change in gas station sales vs 2025

Gas station sales MoM

+1.2% MoM

Gas station sales vs April 2026

Restaurant sales YoY

-0.6% YoY

Overall restaurant sales vs 2025

Full-service restaurant sales

+1.5% YoY

Full-service restaurant sales vs 2025

Historical Context

5 past events · Latest: May 14

5 events

1. May 14

   AI platform launch

   24h Move

   +2.1%

   Launch of agentOS AI operating system with early financial institution pilots.

2. May 14

   AI collaboration

   24h Move

   +2.1%

   Strategic collaboration with OpenAI to modernize financial institution operations.

3. May 14

   Investor Day outlook

   24h Move

   +2.1%

   Reaffirmed 2026 guidance and detailed 2026–2029 growth, margin, and EPS targets.

4. May 19

   Conference appearance

   24h Move

   -1.1%

   Announcement of participation in RW Baird 2026 Global Consumer, Technology and Services Conference.

5. May 28

   Tech partnership

   24h Move

   +0.4%

   Strategic partnership with Cognition to deploy AI software engineer Devin.

24h Move is the share-price change in the day after each event; other market factors may also have contributed.

Key Terms

seasonally adjusted

1 terms

seasonally adjusted technical

"The seasonally adjusted Index remained at 144."

Seasonally adjusted means that figures have been modified to remove the effects of regular and predictable changes that happen at specific times of the year, such as holidays or weather patterns. This adjustment helps reveal the true underlying trend by making comparisons across different periods more accurate. For investors, it provides a clearer picture of whether economic activity is genuinely improving or declining, without the noise of seasonal fluctuations.

AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.

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Fiserv Small Business Index remains steady at 144; year-over-year sales grew +0.7%

MILWAUKEE, June 03, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- 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.

About the Fiserv Small Business Index^®

The Fiserv Small Business Index is published during the first week of every month and differentiated by its direct aggregation of consumer spending activity within the U.S. small business ecosystem. Rather than relying on survey or sentiment data, the Fiserv Small Business Index is derived from point-of-sale transaction data, including card, cash, and check transactions in-store and online across approximately 2 million U.S. small businesses, including hundreds of thousands leveraging the Clover point-of-sale and business management platform.

Benchmarked to 2019, the Fiserv Small Business Index provides a numeric value measuring consumer spending, with an accompanying transaction index measuring customer traffic. Through a simple interface, users can access data by region, state, and/or across business types categorized by the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). Featuring the most detailed classification available, the Fiserv Small Business Index provides visibility into 56 standardized level-6 national industries across 26 subsectors and 13 sectors, allowing users to track sales trends with precision and understand the diverse dynamics shaping the U.S. small business economy. 

About Fiserv
Fiserv, Inc. (NASDAQ: FISV), a Fortune 500 company, is a global leader uniting commerce and finance. The company powers sustained growth and innovation at scale for financial institutions and businesses worldwide across payments, account processing, digital banking, merchant acquiring, network services, e-commerce, and Clover®, the all-in-one business management platform. Fiserv is a member of the S&P 500® Index and one of FORTUNE® America’s Most Innovative Companies. Visit fiserv.com and follow on social media for more information and the latest company news. 

For more information contact:

Media Relations:
Chase Wallace
Director, Communications
+1 470-481-2555
chase.wallace@fiserv.com

FAQ

AI-generated questions and answers. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.

What does the May 2026 Fiserv Small Business Index reveal about U.S. small business sales (FISV)?

The May 2026 Fiserv Small Business Index shows U.S. small business sales rose 0.7% year over year, with the Index steady at 144. According to Fiserv, higher average ticket sizes of 3.1% offset a 2.4% drop in transactions.

How did consumer foot traffic and transactions trend in the May 2026 Fiserv Small Business Index for FISV?

Consumer foot traffic, measured by transactions, declined 2.4% year over year in May 2026, marking a seventh consecutive monthly drop. According to Fiserv, transactions also slipped 0.2% versus April, while overall sales remained flat month over month.

What did the Fiserv Small Business Index show for restaurant sales in May 2026 (FISV)?

Restaurant sales fell 0.6% year over year in May 2026 but improved 0.6% versus April. According to Fiserv, average tickets rose 3.0%, transactions fell 3.6%, limited-service restaurant sales declined 3.4%, while full-service restaurant sales increased 1.5%.

How did gasoline prices affect small business categories in the May 2026 Fiserv Small Business Index (FISV)?

Higher gasoline prices significantly lifted gas station sales, which grew 22.9% year over year and 1.2% month over month in May 2026. According to Fiserv, this ticket growth also appeared across service segments like Professional Services, Transportation and Warehousing, and Administrative Support.

What were the key retail trends in the May 2026 Fiserv Small Business Index reported by Fiserv (FISV)?

Total retail sales rose 0.1% year over year but declined 0.5% month over month, with flat transactions. According to Fiserv, Core Retail sales slipped 0.1% year over year as consumers shifted spending, including a 3.3% drop in Grocery sales.