Viva Republica, the operator of Toss, said on Monday that an analysis of card payment data showed consumption rose in books and bookstores and in cosmetics and beauty in March due to the back-to-school season.

A tally of Toss card payment flows showed payment amounts fell across most consumer categories, but books and bookstores and cosmetics and beauty alone recorded double-digit increases.

Spending on books and bookstores rose about 30 percent from the previous month, and the number of transactions increased about 10 percent. Cosmetics and beauty also showed an upward trend, with spending up about 25 percent and transactions up 12 percent.

By age group, the increase was most notable in book spending among teenagers and beauty spending among people in their 20s. Spending on books and bookstores rose 211 percent among teenagers, while cosmetics and beauty spending increased 32 percent, led by people in their 20s, and expanded across all age groups.

The change in spending was also reflected in card choices. A tally by completed applications for cards offering related benefits on Toss Card Lounge showed Lotte Card's LOCA 365 ranked first.

It was followed by BC Baro Clear Plus, zgm.play Card, Hana Club SK Card and KB Kookmin Good Day Card, ranking second through fifth, respectively.

A Toss official said, "In the back-to-school season, spending tends to be clearly divided, including preparation for study, beauty and daily life," and added, "We are supporting the selection of cards that fit spending patterns through Card Lounge."