The number of Mastercard and Maestro cards in Romania has increased by over 30% between 2011 and 2016, according to Mastercard.

The growth was related to the technological advances, such as the contactless technology and the electronic food vouchers. Public authorities have also come up with legislative measures aimed at promoting the use of cards.

The number of contactless payments, made via Mastercard or Maestro cards, rose more than six-fold last year compared to the previous year.

In only three months, the share of contactless payments grew from 2.7% to 40% of all transactions, in the case of certain retailers, according to Mega Image data from 2015.

editor@romani-insider.com