Card payments, up by a third in Romania in first half

Romanian banks have issued some 16.8 million cards but only about 13 million are active, which means they are used frequently by their owners. Card payments at local retailers reached some RON 37.5 billion (EUR 8 billion) in the first half of this year, up by a third compared to the same period of 2017, according to aggregated data provided by Romania’s National Bank (BNR), local Ziarul Financiar reported. Card payments intensified in the second quarter, when they reached RON 20 billion, compared to RON 17.5 billion in the first quarter. Despite the fast increase in card payments, Romanians continue to prefer cash payments. Cash withdrawals from ATMs reached over RON 92 billion (almost EUR 20 million) in the first half of this year, up 14.4% over the same period of 2017. Parliament increases sales limit over which card payments are mandatory in Romania editor@romania-insider.com