Card transactions increase by over MDL 1.4 billion in second quarter in Moldova
17:35 | 10.08.2018 Category: Economic
Chisinau, 10 August /MOLDPRES/ – The transactions with cards issued by Moldovan banks on local market increased by over MDL 1.4 billion in the second quarter of 2018 compared to the same period of 2017 and exceeded for the first time a quarterly value of MDL 12 billion, the BNM’s information and media communication service has reported today.
According to data of BNM, cardholders carried out in April – June operations worth MDL 12.8 million, compared to MDL 11.48 million in the first three months of 2018. In the first half of 2018 the volume of transactions exceeded MDL 24 billion, by about MDL 3 billion over the same period of 2017.
The non-cash transactions with cards issued in Moldova carried out in it maintained the trend of recent six years of growth well above the market average in the second quarter. The payments with electronic payment instruments increased in April – June 2018 by 48.8 per cent over the same period of 2017, to an increase in the average market by 16.4 per cent.
It is the second consecutive quarter when card payments at POS terminals in commercial networks or other units exceeded MDL 1.5 billion and reached the level of MDL 1.67 billion in the second quarter. On average, there were performed over 62.7 thousand payment transactions on a service or shopping cards, compared to 42 thousand in similar period of 2017. The share of card payments in total transactions with electronic payment instruments issued in Moldova and performed here has reached the level of 13 per cent and doubled compared to five years ago.
A total of 17,280 POS terminals installed in retail, filling station and other service or trade units are at disposal of holders of about 1.8 million cards in circulation at the end of second quarter, according to BNM data.
The data of BNM also show that transactions with cards issued in Moldova performed abroad increased by MDL 300 million. In April – June 2018, transactions with cards issued by Moldovan banks amounted to about MDL 1.4 billion. An impressive figure, 87 per cent of total foreign operations, represented cashless card payments.
On the other hand, strangers or Moldovans which have cards issued abroad spent over MDL 1.86 billion in the second quarter of 2018, with over MDL 230 million more than in April – June 2017.
(Reporter V. Bercu, editor L. Alcaza)
