Earnest Research, a startup which collects credit and debit card transactions to better understand consumer and business behavior, is providing data to government agencies, news organizations, and other authorities to help them better understand the impact of COVID-19 on consumer spending at the local, state, and national level. This dataset informed journalism at the [New York Times](https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/05/13/technology/online-shopping-buying-sales-coronavirus.html?smid=tw-nytimes&smtyp=cur), which used the resource to "assess changes in US spending during the pandemic." The reporters found significant growth in e-commerce, though some companies benefited more than others.