TOTAL AMOUNT OF OPERATIONS WITH USE OF PLASTIC CARDS GROWS 1.51FOLD IN ARMENIA IN FIRST QUARTER OF 2007 ON SAME PERIOD OF LAST YEAR

Noyan Tapan
May 24 2007

YEREVAN, MAY 24, NOYAN TAPAN. In the first quarter of 2007, provision
of plastic cards to customers and their servicing was carried out by
20 Armenian commercial banks. 19 banks are members of the system of
payments with the use of ArCa cards.

According to data of the Central Bank of Armenia, 839,402 operations
of 36 bln 233 mln drams (over 100.7 mln USD) were carried out in
Armenia with plastic cards in the first quarter of 2007, including
cashless payments of about 2 bln 828 mln drams. Out of these cashless
operations, operations in the Internet amounted to 150 mln drams
(including online shopping of 102 mln drams, card-to-card transfers
of 48 mln drams).

At the end of the first quarter, the total number of plastic cards
in circulation made 232,762, increasing 1.48fold (by 76,088 cards)
on the first quarter of 2006.

At the end of the first quarter of 2007, the number of ArCa cards
in circulation grew 1.13fold (by 11,933 cards) on late 2006 and made
104,216. The number of cards of international card systems grew 1.fold
(by 11,716 card), including the number of Visa cards grew 1.09fold
(by 8,254 cards) and made 98,987, while the number of MasterCards
grew 1.2fold (by 2,574) and made 14,391 cards.

The amount of operations carried out with the use of plastic cards
increased 1.51fold (by 12 bln 234 mln drams), while their number –
1.45fold (by 260,046).

404,792 operations of the total amount of 12 bln 617 mln drams were
done with ArCa cards. The amount of operations with ArCa cards grew
1.69fold (by 5 bln 163 mln drams) on the first quarter of 2006,
their number – 1.51fold (by 136,093 operations).

274,648 operations of the total amount of 15 bln 295 mln drams were
carried out with Visa cards, 49,511 operations of the total amount
of 3 bln 186 mln drams – with the use of MasterCards. The amount of
operatins with Visa cards grew 1.43fold (by 4 bln 610 mln drams)
on the first quarter of last year, the amount of operations with
MasterCards grew 1.5fold (by 1 bln 58 mln drams).

110,451 operations of 5 bln 135 mln drams were carried out with the
use of other international cards, which represents a growth of 1 bln
403 mln drams as compared with the first quarter of 2006.

In the first quarter of 2007, the average montly amount of operations
with a card increased by 3 thousand drams to 31 thousand drans,
while the number of operations increased 1.3fold.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress