The number of payment terminals in the retail network of the Vitebsk region increased by 60% in 2010

February 14, Vitebsk / Diana Kurilo - BELTA /. The number of terminals for servicing bank plastic cards at trade and service facilities in the Vitebsk region increased by 60% in 2010, the main department of the National Bank for the Vitebsk region informed a BELTA correspondent. At the beginning of last year, there were more than 2.6 thousand terminals at trade and service facilities; by the end of the year, their number exceeded 4.2 thousand. The total number of terminals increased by 42% last year and amounted to more than 5.9 thousand, a significant part of which (over 5.6 thousand) provides non-cash payments. The expansion of the plastic card service infrastructure has affected the growth of non-cash payments using cards. Non-cash payments account for 11.2% of the total volume of card transactions. The share of non-cash payments by cards in retail trade turnover and in the volume of paid services has increased and, according to statistics as of October 1, 2010, amounted to 7.3% and 10.2%, respectively. As of January 1, 2011, residents of the region had more than 1 million bank plastic cards in circulation. In fact, there are 886 plastic cards per 1,000 residents, while as of January 1 of last year, there were 698. The Main Department of the National Bank notes that the growth of infrastructure outpaces the growth in the number of plastic cards. If at the beginning of 2010 there were 33 terminals per 10,000 residents, then by January 1, 2011, there were 57, the number of ATMs increased by 17%, and info kiosks by 35%. -0-