OREANDA-NEWS. May 6, 2009. The Central Bank (CB) of Azerbaijan has reported that tendency of expansion of domestic banks’ plastic cards business kept this March. Quantity of active cards issued by local banks rose by 0.5% in March 2009 and by 3.14% versus early 2009.

The NB informs that as of 1st April 2009 it was numbered 3,740,000 active plastic cards issued by the country’s banks versus 3,720,000 cards by 1st March, 3.695 million ones by 1st February, 3.626 million ones by 1st January 2009, 2.787 million ones by 1st January 2008 and 1.42 million by 1st January 2007.

“In March 2009 it was carried out 4.627 million card transactions (including 4.463 million transactions on debit and 164,000 transactions on credit cards), this February 3.99 million transactions (including 3.851 million and 139,000 ones respectively), this January 2.999 million transactions (including 2.838 million and 151,000 ones respectively), for Jan-Mar of the year 11.452 million transactions (including 11.152 million and 454,000 ones respectively),” it was informed.

In 2008 it was conducted 40.111 million operations in 2008 with plastic cards issued in Azerbaijan, including 38.448 million operations on debit and 1.663 million operations on credit cards.

Issue of plastic cards in the country started in 1997.