TOTAL AMOUNT OF OPERATIONS WITH PAYMENT CARDS INCREASES 1.55FOLD IN ARMENIA IN 2007 ON 2006
Noyan Tapan
Feb 21, 2008
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 21, NOYAN TAPAN. In late 2007, 20 Armenian commercial
banks were engaged in provision of payment cards to customers and
their servicing in Armenia. All these banks are members of the united
payment system with ArCa cards.
According to the press service of the Central Bank of Armenia (CBA),
4,428,550 operations of a total of 213 bln 634 mln drams (over
624.5 mln USD) were carried out with payment cards in Armenia in
2007, including cashless payments with cards of about 17 bln 345 mln
drams. In the indicated amount of cashless operations, the amount of
online operations made 842 mln drams (online trade made 457 mln drams,
card-to-card transfers – 385 mln drams).
The total amount of operations carried out with the use of cards grew
1.55fold (by 75 bln 388 mln drams) as compared with 2006, while their
number increased 1.46fold (1,398,981). Cashless payments with cards
accounted for about 8% of card operations last year. The amount of
cashless operations the use of cards increased by 50%.
In late 2007, the total number of cards in circulation made 327,852,
growing 1.57fold (by 118,739) as compared with late 2006.
The number of "ArCa" cards grew 1.54fold (by 50,199 cards) in late
2007 on late 2006 and made 142,482. The number of international card
systems’ cards grew 1.59fold (by 68,540), including the growth in the
number of VISA cards (1.54fold or by 48,547 cards to 139,280 cards)
and of MasterCards (2fold growth or by 11,848 to 23,665 cards). Other
international cards accounted for the rest.
2,081,054 operations of 74 bln 889 mln drams were carried out with
ArCa cards being in circulation. The amount of operations with ArCa
cards increased about 1.65fold (by 29 bln 418 mln drams), while their
number grew 1.48fold (by 672.175) as compared with 2006. The amount
of operations with VISA cards made 90 bln 234 mln drams (1,436,478
operations). 319,346 operations of the total amount of 19 bln 904
mln drams were made with MasterCards. The amount of operations with
VISA cards grew 1.49fold (by 29 bln 723 mln drams) as compared with
the previous year, while the amount of operations with MasterCards
grew 1.57fold (by 7 bln 239 mln drams).
591,675 operations of the total amount of 28 bln 607 mln drams were
carried out with the use of other international cards, which represents
a growth of 9 bln 8 mln drams as compared with 2006.
The average daily amount of operations with the use of cards made
593 mln drams, while the average daily number of such operations –
12,302 in 2007.
VISA cards made up 42%, ArCa cards – 35% of the indicated amount. The
average daily number of operations grew 1.5fold (by 3,886 operations)
as compared with 2006. The average monthly amount of operations with
ArCa cards increased by about 3 thousand drams in 2007 on 2006 and
made 50 thousand drams (their number grew 1.4fold).
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
