73,641 mln AMD transactions by means of plastic cards effected

73,641 mln AMD transactions by means of plastic cards effected in
Armenia

YEREVAN, August 16. /ARKA/. A total of 1,541,602 transactions worth
73,641mln AMD were effected by means of plastic cards in Armenia in the
2nd quarter 2008. The press service of the Central Bank of Armenia
(CBA) reports that 5,846mln AMD noncash transactions were effected by
means of cards.

In the 2nd quarter of 2008, a 1.6-fold (26,780mln AMD) increase in the
volume of transactions was recorded as compared with the corresponding
period last year. The number of transactions increased 1.5 times
(493,244 transactions). A 29.7% increase in the number of noncash
transactions was recorded, their share in the total volume of
transactions being 7.9%.

A total of 509mln AMD Internet transactions were effected, with the
volume of e-transactions totaling 243mln AMD, and card-to-card
transfers 266mln AMD.

A total of 685,842 transactions worth 25,366mln AMD were effected by
means of local cards ArCa ` a 1.6-fold (9,424mln AMD) increase as
compared with the corresponding period last year. In the 2nd quarter of
2008, 184,918 more transactions were effected as compared with the
corresponding period last year ` a 1.4-fold increase.

A total of 508,834 transactions worth 30,788mln AMD were effected by
means of VISA cards in the 2nd quarter of 2008 – 10,993 more
transactions as compared with the corresponding period last year
(a1.5-fold incre
ase).

A 1.6-fold increase (2,751mln AMD) was recorded in the volume of
transactions effected in the 2nd quarter of 2008 as compared with the
corresponding period last year.

A total of 223,752 transactions worth a total of 10,094mln AMD were
effected in the 2nd quarter of 2008 ` an increase of 3,612mln AMD as
compared with the corresponding period last year.

By the end of the 2nd quarter of 2008, 183,745 local cards ArCa had
been effective ` 27,505 cards more as compared with the corresponding
date last year (a 1.18-fold increase).

The number of international cards increased by 23,975 ` a 1.13-fold
increase as compared with the corresponding period last year.

The number of VISA cards increased by 14,099 (a 1.11-fold increase) and
reached 147,142, and that of MasterCards by 5,222 (a 1.2-fold increase)
and reached 31,901. P.T. `0–