Monday, January 23 2012 15:04
ArCa plastic cards 34% in 2011
ArmInfo. The number of plastic cards issued by the ArCa national processing member-banks grew 33.9% in 2011 to 764.6 thousand cards as of Jan 1 2012, ArCa told ArmInfo.
Most of the active cards issued in the period under review were ArCa - 394.3 thousand cards (up 30.5% versus 2010). The number of Visa International plastic cards totaled 203.3 thousand cards (up 28.1%), whereas the number of MasterCard plastic cards totaled 167.1 thousand cards (up 51.5%).
In December 2011 Armenian commercial banks, members of ArCa processing, issued a total of 31.000 cards, which is 6.7% more than in Dec 2010: 13.6 thousand ArCa cards (over twofold growth versus 2010), 9.9 thousand MasterCard (up 30.4%), and 7.5 thousand Visa International (down 14.5%).
Transactions were made with 534.7 thousand of the active cards in Dec 2011 or 70% of total active cards. 294.5 thousand ArCa plastic cards were used in transactions (up 25.8%), 132.8 thousand Visa International cards (up 33.1%) and 107.4 thousand MasterCard plastic cards (up 87%).
As of Jan 1 2012 the number of the POS-terminals at commerce/service and cash dispensing points (exclusive of ATMs) operating in the ArCa system totaled 4148 (up 40.2% versus 2010), including 370 at dispensing points (up 10.1%). There were 3778 POS-terminals at the commerce/service points (up 44.1%).
As of Jane 1 2012 there were 837 active ATMs in Armenia, which was by24.4% or 164 ATMs more than in 2010. Central Bank of Armenia is the majority shareholder of ArCa. The other big shareholders are ACBA-Credit Agricole Bank, Armeconombank and Ardshiinvestbank. The other 14 commercial banks hold by 2% stakes in ArCa system.
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