Consumers are becoming increasingly leery about using credit cards to pile on debt.

For the 13th quarter in a row, the amount consumers are paying in interest as a share of their outstanding credit card balance has declined, according to an American Bankers Association report issued Wednesday.

However, last fall’s third quarter showed consumer purchases with cards at “discretionary” merchants rose 3.5 percent compared with the same period a year earlier, while card usage for non-discretionary purchases climbed at a much lower 1.4 percent level.

The banker’s group said this points to a trend where consumers are using credit cards more as a transactional tool to pay for goods and services than as a form of debt.

Noting the increase in discretionary purchases, ABA Card Policy Council Director Kenneth Clayton said, “We’re seeing a more confident consumer who is willing to spend more money on nonessentials because they’re less concerned with the direction of the economy.”