OREANDA-NEWS. November 23, 2012. The number of payment cards issued by Ukio bankas over nine months of this year surged by more than 20 per cent to 98.5 thousand as against the respective period of 2011, and the amounts and turnover of executed transactions also grew. Active payment card network development conducted by Ukio bankas is expected to encourage further growth of these figures, reported the press-centre of Ukio bankas. 

In the period January-September of this year the turnover of purchases with Ukio bankas payment cards reached LTL 491.2 million, showing a 26 per cent increase year on year. In the words of Jurate Kajackiene, Director of Ukio bankas Payment Cards Department, the greatest popularity has been retained by debit payment cards and, according to Ukio bankas data, the largest number of them was issued.

‘Being aware that payment cards are a safe and convenient alternative to cash, individuals more and more often choose the option of managing their finance benefiting from the advantages of payment cards. The recent years tendencies and joint efforts of all banks allow expecting that settlement by payment cards will be yet more active in the future and they will be used not only as a cash withdrawal instrument,’ she noted.

As maintained by J. Kajackiene, Ukio bankas debit payment card turnover went up by 36 per cent, compared to the analogous period of the last year, and amounted to LTL 357.8 million in January-September. In the aforementioned period the growth of credit card turnover was more moderate representing around 6 per cent, while the turnover of transactions performed with credit cards totalled LTL 133.4 in the nine months of this year.

‘Statistics on card use show that clients more and more often use debit payment cards to pay for expensive as well as minor purchases. Traders also make a big contribution to this – they actively introduce POS terminals, thus creating the possibility for their customers of paying for goods and services by payment cards,’ the Payment Cards Department Director said.

In her words, over the nine months of this year, compared to the same period last year, the number of POS terminals introduced by Ukio bankas for various trade and service enterprises jumped by 70 per cent. An increasing number of business clients appreciate this service and we expect to continue successful development of this activity. The growing retail sector also provides grounds for growth,’ J. Kajackiene said.

Currently, Ukio bankas clients can withdraw and deposit cash from/to their bank account using the bank’s payment card in many points of service of Perlas terminals. It is planned that already in the near future Ukio bankas clients will be offered this service at all Perlas terminals totalling 1,800. Since the beginning of this year the bank’s clients also may withdraw or deposit cash from/to Ukio bankas payment card account via 30 post offices of Lithuania.

The own client service network of Ukio bankas, a provider of financial services for the third decade already, comprises over 60 units across the country. Ukio bankas payment cards are accepted at 260 ATMs of the joint network (uniting the ATMs of Ukio bankas, Danske, Citadele, Nordea, and Siauliu banks).