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.
