1.9 Million Bank Cards Active in BiH

Out of a total of 27 banks operating in Bosnia and Herzegovina at the end of 2014, 26 banks provided card business services. The total number of active cards at the end of December 2014 was 1,932,354, compared to 1,889,141 cards held by BiH citizens in 2013, which represents an increase of 43,213 cards, announced the Central Bank of BiH, reports the BiH news agency Patria.

The increase is significant, but there is a downward trend. The most significant increase in the number of cards was in 2011.

The total value of transactions made using cards domestically and abroad last year amounted to 7,175,144,269 KM, which is a decrease of 7,521,218 KM compared to the previous year. Of the total transaction value, cash withdrawals via ATMs, both domestically and abroad, amounted to 5,347,455,804 KM, and 1,827,688,465 KM was realized through POS terminals, or 75% of the value at ATMs and 25% at POS terminals.

The average value of one transaction was 121.72 KM in 2014, which is 7.68 KM higher than in 2013, when it was 114.04 KM. There is an evident growth in the average transaction amount. The average annual turnover per card in 2014 was 3,713.00 KM, compared to 2013 when it was higher at 3,802 KM. Thus, a decrease of 89.00 KM was recorded.  

At ATMs and POS terminals of banks abroad, BiH citizens, using cards issued in our country, realized 374,877,810 KM last year, and in 2013, the amount was 443,616,985 KM, which is 68,739,175 KM less. Of this amount, cash withdrawals at ATMs and POS terminals amounted to 142,230,675 KM, and goods and services at POS terminals amounted to 232,647,135 KM.   

Using cards from foreign banks, foreign citizens realized 1,144,939,945 KM at BiH bank ATMs and POS terminals in 2014. Of this amount, cash withdrawals via ATMs and POS terminals amounted to 878,871,438 KM, while goods and services realized through POS terminals amounted to 266,068,507 KM.

There is a constant increase in the number of ATMs and POS terminals. Last year, a total of 1,426 ATMs and 22,994 POS terminals were installed, of which 21,792 were in stores and 1,202 at bank counters.

Out of the total number, 25 banks offered internet banking services or some form of electronic banking to businesses and citizens. A total of 213,562 entities were covered by this type of service, including 37,974 legal entities and 175,588 individuals. There is a trend of increasing numbers of clients using these services.