Wednesday, June 15 2011 13:22
Armenian banks increase number of active plastic cards by 23.1%
ArmInfo. Armenian banks issued 19074 cards in May 2011, which is by 23.1% more than in May 2010.
Armenian Card told ArmInfo in May banks issued 9922 ArCa cards (up 67.4% versus May 2010), 3810 MasterCard (up 13%). 5342 Visa International (down 13.8%). MasterCard was the leader by the annual growth of active cards for May 2011 versus May 2010 (68.1% to 132.9 thousand cards). Visa active cards grew 45.8% to 178,000 cards and ArCa - 9.9% to 323,6 thousand cards.
Total number of active cards issued by ArCa member-banks grew 28% by late May 2011 to 634547 cards, including 51% was the share of ArCa, 28.1% - Visa and 20.9% - MasterCard.
The source reported that transactions with 405 thousand cards or 64% of total active cards were registered in average in the period under review (up 21.9% versus May 2010). In particular, 234.5 thousand ArCa cards or 72% of total active cards were used in transactions (up 12.2%), 108.3 thousand Visa or 61% of total active cards (up 40.5%) and 62.2 thousand MasterCard or 47% of total active cards (up 35.1%).
By data of Armenian Card as of June 1 2011 the number of trade/services and cash-dispensing points (exclusive of ATM) operating in the Armenian Card system totaled 3375 (up 39.7% versus May 2010), including 353 cash-dispensing points (up 12.4%), 3022 trade points (up 43.8%). The number of POS-terminals at trade/service points totaled 3888 (up 41.1% versus May 2010), including 458 at cash-dispensing points (up 14.8%).
3671 of total POS\terminals served ArCA, 2016 - Visa, MasterCard - 3390. As of June 1 2011 730 ATM were registered (up15.9%).
The Central Bank holds 66% of shares in Armenian Card, the 17 ArCa member-banks holds by 2%.
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