Wednesday, November 24 2021 15:33

ArmInfo.. The number of vPOS`s is rapidly increasing in Armenia along with traditional POS terminals - a 30% increase in the third three-months period of this year  against the corresponding period of last year (vPOS`s 691 more), with  the number of traditional POS terminals showing a 37% increase (4,710  more POS terminals).

In the third three-month period of this year  alone, the number of vPOS`s showed a 4% increase, with traditional  POS terminals showing a 6% increase.  According to the Central Bank  of Armenia (CBA), the total number of POS terminals had been 17,485  in Armenia by October 1, 2021, and 20,502 with vPOS`s included. Of  these, 808 (with 78 vPOS`s) are located at the head offices and  branches of banks. 

The total number of POS terminals showed a 35.8% increase in the  third three-month period of this year as compared with the  corresponding period of last year - (5,401 more POS terminals). Banks  installed 46 POS terminals at their head offices and branches (a 6%  year-on-year increase). 

A total of 1,567 ATMs had been registered in Armenia by October 1,  2021, (15 ATM more or a 1% year- on-year increase). Of these, 957  ATMs are in Yerevan, with 610 in Armenia`s regions. Thirty-six new  ATMs have been installed in Yerevan, with over 20 dismounted in  Armenia`s regions. 

After a 5-year interval, the CBA has resumed releasing the data on  ATMs and POS terminals at points of sale and service. The data show  the following picture: 489 ATM and 10,994 POS terminals are installed  at wholesale and retail sale points (supermarkets, shops, markets),  45 ATMs and 3,193 POS terminals at public catering and service  establishments (restaurants, hotels, cafes), 78 ATMs and 1,789 POS  terminals at healthcare centers (hospitals, dental clinics,  drugstores). Most of the 3,017 vPOS`s (1,562 or 52%) are operating at  points of sale and public catering enterprises.

The CBA has also released the data on payment terminals: their total  number of 8,039, with 3,829 operating in Yerevan, and 4,210 in  Armenia`s regions. Only 643 payment terminals are operating in banks.  Most of the payment terminals, 7,396, operated by the payment systems  are installed at trade centers, business streets and in Armenia`s  regions. 

According to the CBA, by October 1, 2021, a total of 2,621mln cards  had been registered in Armenia (a 5.3% year-on-year increase), with  transactions (including transactions abroad using cards issued by  Armenian banks) totaling AMD 2,300bln this January-September (a 21.6%  year-on-year increase). The increase in the number of plastic card  transactions was retained due to transactions effected by means of  vPOS`s, their share in non-cash transactions exceeding 60% or AMD  424.2bln (18.5% in the total volume of plastic card transactions).  This, in turn, increase the share of non-cash transactions in the  total volume of plastic card transactions - 29% in January-September  2020 up to 31% in Jan-Sept 2021, with a 27.4% year- on-year increase  up to AMD 703bln. 

However, cash transactions have the largest share in the total volume  of transactions using plastic cards - 69% or AMD 1,600bln , with 95%  of transactions effected through ATMs. The 19.2% year-on-year  increase in cash transactions was due to a 20.1% in the transactions  by means of ATMs.