Payment card market ups by 10 per cent per year in Azerbaijan

As of June 1, 2012 there were 4.81 million payment cards in Azerbaijan which indicates an increase in their number in circulation in May by 1.2 per cent and compared to the same period in 2011 - by 9.62 per cent, the statistics report of the Azerbaijani National  Bank (CBA) reported.

Total turnover for payment cards through ATMs and POS terminals in May amounted to 740 million manat, and the total number of operations was 5.051 million units. The number of debit card transactions amounted to 4.717 million units worth 657 million manat.

Of the total number of debit card transactions, 4.162 million operations worth 620 million manat were carried out. About 398,000 transactions worth 22 million manat were carried out through POS-terminals.
Some 334,000 transactions worth 84 million manat were carried out on credit card in May 2012.

Of the total number of credit card transactions, 118,000 operations worth 35 million manat were carried out through ATMs, and through POS-terminals 68,000 transactions worth 20 million manat.

As of June 1, 2012, there were 2,216 ATMs in the country. As many 1,230 ATMs are located in Baku, 986 in other cities and regions of the country. Their total number increased by 256 units, or 13.06 per cent per year.

As of June 1, 2012 the number of POS-terminals totaled 37,194 units, of which 34,038 are located in Baku and 3,156 units in other cities and regions. Their total number since May 2011 increased by 10,095 units, or by 3.68 times.The official exchange rate is 0.7856 AZN/USD on July 9.

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