Small Business Sales Grew Steadily in March as Higher Ticket Sizes Offset Softer Foot Traffic, Fiserv Data Shows
Rhea-AI Summary
Fiserv (NASDAQ: FISV) published the Fiserv Small Business Index for March 2026, reporting the seasonally adjusted Index at 144. Year-over-year small business sales rose +1.3% while transactions fell -1.3%; month-over-month sales increased +0.7%. Higher average ticket sizes (+2.6% YoY) offset softer foot traffic.
Gasoline station sales led gains (MoM +10.3%, YoY +12.7%) driven by average ticket increases, while food services saw mixed results with limited-service restaurants weaker.
Positive
- Fiserv Small Business Index rose to 144
- Gasoline station sales rose +12.7% year-over-year
- Gasoline average ticket increased +12.9% year-over-year
Negative
- None.
News Market Reaction – FISV
In the Apr 2 session, FISV gained 1.28%, reflecting a mild positive market reaction.
Data tracked by StockTitan Argus on the day of publication.
Key Figures
Historical Context
| Date | Event | Sentiment | 24h Move | Catalyst |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 17 | Bank partnership | Positive | +1.1% | Largest agent bank alliance expands Clover reach in Western U.S. |
| Mar 06 | Investor conferences | Neutral | -1.2% | Participation in two March fintech investor conferences by CEO and CFO. |
| Mar 03 | Small Business Index | Positive | +1.7% | February Index at 143 with YoY sales growth driven by higher tickets. |
| Feb 12 | Product launch | Positive | -5.3% | Launch of INDX real-time cash settlement platform for digital assets. |
| Feb 10 | Earnings results | Positive | +4.1% | Q4 and 2025 results with GAAP revenue $21.19B and GAAP EPS $6.34. |
24h Move is the share-price change in the day after each event; other market factors may also have contributed.
Recent news has mostly seen price moves align with the underlying positive or neutral tone, with one notable negative divergence on a product launch.
Over the past few months, Fiserv has reported several business developments and updates. A major agent bank alliance with Western Alliance Bank on Mar 17 boosted regional reach and coincided with a modest price gain. Regular publication of the Small Business Index, including February’s reading of 143, has highlighted steady small business activity. The launch of the INDX real-time settlement platform in February preceded a sharper negative move, while full-year 2025 results on Feb 10 showed revenue of $21.19B and GAAP EPS of $6.34, followed by a solid price increase.
Key Terms
seasonally adjusted technical
foot traffic technical
AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.
Fiserv Small Business Index rises to 144; year-over-year sales grew +
MILWAUKEE, April 02, 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 March 2026, indicating that U.S. small business sales continued to grow steadily in March, despite consumers being more selective in their spending. Higher average ticket sizes helped offset slower transaction volumes as small businesses closed out Q1 on solid footing.
The seasonally adjusted Index rose to 144. Year-over-year sales grew (+
“March reflects a small business economy that remains durable, supported by continued growth in consumer spend, but with signs of cautious behavior,” said Prasanna Dhore, Chief Data Officer, Fiserv. “With energy prices rising, households began weighing tradeoffs carefully. Their selectivity was visible with consumers eating out less and making more deliberate purchases.”
Key Takeaways
Higher gas prices influenced spending decisions
Geopolitical disruption sent Gasoline Station sales higher month over month (+
Retail sales accelerated from February, while year-over-year growth was modest
Total retail sales rose month over month (+
Discretionary and essential spending patterns were largely unchanged in March
Essential spending outpaced discretionary spending for the 12th consecutive month, reinforcing a consistent pattern of prioritization among consumers. Discretionary categories grew year over year (+
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, moves more than money. As a global leader in payments and financial technology, the company helps clients achieve best-in-class results through a commitment to innovation and excellence in areas including account processing and digital banking solutions; card issuer processing and network services; payments; e-commerce; merchant acquiring and processing; and Clover®, the world’s smartest point-of-sale system and business management platform. Fiserv is a member of the S&P 500® Index and one of TIME Magazine’s Most Influential 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
