Why Are Memory Cards and USB Sticks Getting More Expensive?

Prices for memory cards and USB flash drives have risen sharply in 2025. Here's a plain-English explanation of what's going on — and what it means for you.


If you've recently gone online to buy a microSD card, an SD card, or a USB flash drive and felt a bit of sticker shock — you're not imagining it. Prices across the board have gone up, and there are three clear reasons why.

1. AI is hungry for memory — and it's eating your share

Artificial intelligence applications — things like ChatGPT, image generators, and AI built into phones and laptops — require enormous amounts of fast, high-capacity storage to run. Data centres and tech companies are buying up NAND flash memory (the same technology inside your memory card or USB stick) in massive quantities to power these AI systems.

This surge in demand from the AI industry has put serious pressure on global flash memory supply. There's only so much to go around, and when big tech is competing for the same raw material as everyday consumer products, prices go up for everyone.


2. The world's top chip makers raised their prices

All NAND flash memory — the core ingredient in every SD card, microSD card, and USB drive— is produced by just a handful of manufacturers. In 2025, the five major NAND chip producers all increased the prices they charge for raw flash memory:

Samsung
SK Hynix
Micron
Kioxia
Western Digital

These five companies supply the flash chips used by every brand you see on the shelf — Kingston, Lexar, SanDisk, Verbatim, PNY, and others. When the cost of raw chips goes up at the source, every finished product further down the chain becomes more expensive. There's simply no way around it.

3. The big brands passed the cost straight on to you

On top of rising raw material costs, major consumer brands — most notably SanDisk — raised their retail prices significantly. Because SanDisk holds such a large share of the market, their price increases shift expectations across the whole industry. Retailers adjust, and the "new normal" becomes higher prices everywhere.

So what can you do?

The good news is that quality alternatives are still available at fair prices. Brands like Kingston, PNY, Verbatim, Integral and Lexar offer reliable high-speed memory cards, microSD cards, and USB 3.0 flash drives — often with better value than the biggest household names.

Whether you need a fast SD card for your camera, a microSD card for your phone or Nintendo Switch, or a high-capacity USB drive for backing up files — there are solid options available. You just need to know where to look.

Our advice

Don't overpay for a brand name when the same performance is available for less. We stock a wide range of memory cards, USB flash drives, and storage solutions from trusted brands at competitive prices. Browse our store and find the right fit for your device and budget.