ArmInfo.Double-digit growth in the number of virtual vPOS in Armenia continues along with regular POS terminals( A point-of-sale (POS) terminals) . In Q3 2022, compared to the same period in 2021, the number of vPOS increased by 19.2% or 579 pcs (up to 3596 pcs), with the growth of regular POS terminals by 86% or 15053 pcs, while a year earlier the growth of both vPOS and regular POS terminals was almost the same - 30% and 37% respectively.
And in Q3 2022 alone, the number of vPOSs grew by 3.5%, while the number of conventional POS terminals grew by 41.4%.This is evidenced by the data of the Central Bank of the Republic of Armenia, according to which the share of vPOSs in the total number of POS terminals already exceeds 11%. As of October 1, 2022, there were 32,538 POS terminals in Armenia, including 36,134 virtual POS terminals (vPOS), of which 788 (including 95 virtual ones) are installed in the head offices and branches of banks.
In particular, 37 regular POS terminals were dismantled year-on-year in the head offices and branches of banks, but 17 virtual POS terminals were used instead, and most of these changes took place in the current year: the decrease in the number of POS terminals by 21 with the increase of vPOS terminals by 15 over 9 months. Meanwhile, regular POS terminals have been installed more actively rather than virtual terminals were used in wholesale and retail outlets, food/service facilities and medical centers, and it is in these places that most of the POS terminals are installed- both regular POS terminals (27,256 pcs) and virtual POS terminals (1,997 pcs).
There were 1627 ATMs on this date with a y-o-y growth of 3.8% or 60 pcs. Of these, 984 pcs are installed in the capital, and 643 pcs in the regions, with a y-o-y increase in both capital and regional ATMs, respectively, by 27 pcs and 33 pcs. The Central Bank's publication of data on the ATMs and POS-terminals installed in trade/service points resumed after a seven-year break (since 2015) reveals the following picture: 518 ATMs and 21681 POS- terminals were installed at wholesale and retail outlets (supermarkets, shops, markets), 45 ATMs and 4648 POS-terminals were installed at catering / service facilities (hotels, restaurants, cafes, bistros), 87 ATMs and 2924 POS terminals at medical care centers (hospitals, dental clinics, pharmacies) . Moreover, the majority of VPOS terminals - over 53% (or 1908 pcs out of 3596 vPOS-s) are used in facilities of sale and catering / services.
The Central Bank also began to indicate the number of payment terminals - 9864 pcs, of which 4742 pcs are installed in the capital, and 5122 pcs - in the regions. Moreover, 629 pcs alone are installed in banks. Most of them, 9235 pieces, were distributed through payment systems in large shopping centers, on the streets of the capital and regions. - According to the Central Bank, by October 1, 2022, there were 3.048 million cards (with a y-o-y growth of 16.3%), and the volume of plastic transactions (including transactions abroad with cards of Armenian issuing banks) for 9 months of 2022 amounted to 3.02 trillion drams (with y-o-y growth of 33.1%). Plastic transactions kept growing due to the activity of transactions through virtual POS terminals (vPOS), the share of which in the volume of non-cash transactions reached 56% or 637.9 billion drams (21.1% in the total volume of plastic transactions). This, in turn, increased the share of the volume of non-cash transactions in the total volume of plastic transactions from 31% in 9 months of 2021 to 38% in 9 months of 2022, or 1.148 trillion drams, while accelerating the y-o-y growth in absolute value from 27.4% to 63.3%. However, the total volume of plastic transactions is dominated by cash transactions - 62% or 1.9 trillion drams, of which 96% were carried out through ATMs, and the slowdown in the y-o-y growth in the volume of cash transactions to 18.8% was accompanied by the same slowdown in the growth of ATM transactions to 18.2 %