OREANDA-NEWS. December 10, 2010. Considering the results of the third quarter of 2010, bankers say about retail loan market growth and about credit cards market growth, primarily.

As of November 2010 PrivatBank payment cards’ emission totalled 19.62 million cards, 51% of which was made up of credit cards with aggregate limit on them amounted UAH21.25bln.

Since the beginning of 2010 PrivatBank has already issued 1.75 million new credit cards. From January till November 2010 PrivatBank credit card’s holders performed transactions for the total sum of UAH14.17bln, that shows a rising trend of cards usage for the purpose of  purchasing instead of simple cash withdrawing.

“Loan market growth is obvious in Ukraine today, and development of card products which provide access to the bank’s loan programs is among the priorities of PrivatBank’s strategy”, – said Alexander Dubilet, the Chairman of PrivatBank's Board – “This is primarily due to our clients’ needs on convenient access to optimization of their finance means. Together with our partners we have made a credit card the universal and advantageous tool, and, thus, the tool which is “in-demand”. The PrivatBank's issuance of 10-millionth credit card stands as a proof. Today we are widening credit cards’ functionality by additional services proposed by our new product – miniKREDITKA PrivatBank-MasterCard”.

There is in the plans of PrivatBank for 2011 to issue 3 million new credit cards, increasing the total limit on all issued cards up to UAH25bln, and to issue 200 thousand of new credit mini-cards with MasterCard brand, focusing them on active customers who keep an eye on actual tendencies and fashion.

MiniKREDITKA’s peculiarity, besides its handy size and original design, is possibility to make purchases online, manage payments without any assistance due to automatic enabling of remote account management service with guaranteed security of transactions. Moreover, every miniKREDITKA holder joins a club of other holders of these cards and gets a chance to purchase club souvenirs and goods, issued in limited edition.

“MasterCard, the worldwide leader in e-Payment domain, considers Ukraine as its strategic market, and PrivatBank, the leader in  banking market of Ukraine, is a strategic partner for us”, - stressed Bella Stavchansky, the President of High Growth European Markets at MasterCard. – “During the years of partnership with PrivatBank, started in 1996, we accumulated successful experience of card offers introduction, and new product miniKREDITKA PrivatBank-MasterCard extends the portfolio of two companies, adding  to already existing credit, debit, corporate cards and cards for online payments under MasterCard®, Maestro® и Cirrus® brands.”

The main inducement for a new product development was the rising trend of usage of credit cards for non-cash payments in merchants network that was confirmed by  PrivatBank practice:  in the beginning of the year more than 6.5 million transactions were carried out in merchants  network totalling  UAH1 billion monthly, and during September-October number of such transactions and their total  amount increased up to 11 million and UAH1.9 billion, respectively.