POS terminal contactless payments have been available for a month now

UniCredit Bulbank’s data shows that in Bulgaria there was an expected rise in consumption in December. The average number of POS terminal transactions rose by 40% in December 2013. On the other hand, there was a considerable drop of 23% in the use of ATMs in the same period. Cardholders have started to use POS terminals more and more often than withdraw cash from ATMs – a tendency maintained throughout the whole year and which was especially prominent during the Christmas holidays.

The average amount a cardholder spent using one card at a POS terminal in December 2013 was BGN 70, whereas in 2011 and 2012 this amount was BGN 74 and BGN 77 respectively. Users are feeling more and more comfortable to pay by card even for smaller and smaller amounts.

Cardholders can now use UniCredit Bulbank’s new contactless cards: Visa Classic, V Pay, MasterCard Standard and Debit MasterCard. Customers can make purchases at POS terminals by making only one movement. They don’t have to put their card in the card reader, enter a PIN (for amounts exceeding BGN 25) or sign a receipt. Of course, users can also make contactless payments for amounts exceeding BGN 25 by entering their PIN.

Cardholders can use contactless payment systems at over 1.2 million POS terminals in Europe and over 4 000 in Bulgaria.

In 2013, there was an increase in online shopping as well. According to UniCredit Bulbank’s data there is a 30% increase of the number of payments and 23% increase of the purchase amounts. In December 2013 the number of purchases made online increased by 27%, and the volume of payments by 20%.

More information for clients:

UniCredit Bulbank, Call Centre

Phone: 0700 1 84 84

More information for media:

UniCredit Bulbank, Identity & Communications Department

Viktoria Blajeva, Phone: + 359 2 9264 993, wjlj/ebwjepwbAvojdsfejuhspvq/ch

Ekaterina Ancheva, Phone: + 359 2 9264 963, flbufsjob/bodifwbAvojdsfejuhspvq/ch

Magdalena Ivanova, Phone: + 359 2 9232 528, nbhebmfob/jwbopwbAvojdsfejuhspvq/ch