The card transactions' volume during the preparation for the Christmas and New Year's holidays is increasing twice as much. The bank card usage is a convenience which in Bulgaria is being taken advantage of only 27% from the population over 15 years of age, shows a research by UniCredit Group. Having in mind the tendencies in the new EU member-countries a strong growth in the number of issued cards as well as in the transactions volumes could be expected.

During the last years the Bulgarian banks invested a significant amount of money in the insurance of a fast, secure and easy way to use bank cards in Bulgaria and abroad. "The safeguard of the convenience to use a bank card also depends on the responsibility and cautiousness of its cardholder. In this manner the banks have an additional educational responsibility towards the clients. Not only they have to offer a wide variety of ways to use a card such as cashless shopping transactions, payment of electricity, water and heating without having to wait on a queue, shopping all over the world through the Internet, the convenience of using a card when travelling abroad and other - but also to consult the clients to lower the level of potential card fraud to a minimum," opinionated Levon Hampartzoumian, Chairman of the Association of the Commercial Banks and CEO of Bulbank, member of UniCredit Group, to which also HVB Bank Biochim and Hebros Bank in Bulgaria belong.

The banks from UniCredit Group in Bulgaria pay special attention to some main directions in the card usage by clients during the forthcoming holidays and after them:

* The credit card established itself as the fastest, most convenient and easiest way for payment when travelling abroad for business or holiday. In this case it is recommended for the client to take only these cards which he/she intends to use (for example this means to leave the cards with local access at a safe place at home).

* Following the example of the western countries and the USA it is advisable to use several cards for different needs (when travelling abroad, when shopping over the internet or at a supermarket and other) instead of one for all. The usage of several cards reduces the risk from a loss.

* Every client should write down the phone numbers for emergency access to the 24 hour respective bank support centre in case of problems with his/her card or when in doubt of illegal transaction (for instance the 24 hour phone line of Bulbank is +359 2 9805710 and of HVB Bank Biochim and Hebros Bank is +359 2 9704677). The contact details of the bank issuer of the card are usually at the back of the card. It is advisable that the 24 hour emergency phone line is available among your personal belongings but hidden well.

* Many banks (for example Bulgank) have introduced "SMS" notification for every transaction. It is recommended for the clients to take advantage of the service. At the price of one SMS from the tariff of the used by the client mobile operator the cardholder can make inquiries at any time about the balance on his/her card, as well as to receive information about every attempt for authorisation done with the card.

* The cards should never be left unattained at noticeable places with easy access (hotel rooms, locker rooms and other); even during a transaction it is advisable that the client never leaves his/her card out of sight. In many places in restaurants and hotels the POS terminal could be brought directly to the table.

* Additional security is provided to the client when employees at a trade centre request ID verification. It is important to know that except in the cases changing currencies at a bank office or a casino the employee at the trade centre does not have the right to copy the details from the ID.

* It is advisable that the client keeps the receipts from the conducted transactions until the reception of the monthly statement in order to be able to check and compare fast the sums that he owes with the sums that client has authorised with his/her signature.

* Upon reception of the bank card the client should provide the bank employee with a contact number so he/she could be found fast. The reason is that many banks (as it is in Bulbank, HVB Bank Biochim and Hebros Bank) perform 24-hour monitoring and if with any given card there are transactions outside of the client's usual transactions behaviour the card centre employee immediately contacts the client which provides additional safety for the validity of the transaction. When the contact number is being changed the bank should be informed in order to maintain the direct contact. This is very important in order to secure the financial resources of the client.

* The clients can make inquiries over the balance of the card as well as over conducted transactions at the 24-hour phone line of Bulbank against the provision of pre-announced password (for example: father's name of a parent).

* When withdrawing cash from an ATM it is advisable to use such at the offices and branches of the banks, at hotels and administrative buildings.

* When entering the PIN number the client should have his/her free hand covering the keyboard.

* The PIN number must never be written on the bank card and should not be kept at places with easy access - wallet, mobile phone and other.

* If a problem arises at an ATM the client should never share his/her PIN number with "obliging" citizens and call numbers announced at the ATM with a sticker.