Payment cards

As of August 1, 2004, license of the National Bank of Kazakhstan on the issue of payment cards was given to 20 of second-tier banks, practically issue of payment cards realise only 18 banks. Second-tier banks issue payment cards of local systems: Altyn card – by JSC «Halyk Bank of Kazakhstan» and JSC «ATF Bank», SmartAlemCard – by JSC «Bank TuranAlem», cards of JSC «Caspian Bank» and CJSC «Citybank Kazakhstan» and DUET card – by OJSC «Valut-Tranzit Bank», as well as international system cards - VISA International and Europay International.  Also commercial banks of Kazakhstan distribute payment cards of international systems: American Express International – by JSC «Kazkommertsbank», JSC «ATF Bank», JSC «Bank TuranAlem», JSC «Temirbank», JSC «Halyk Bank of Kazakhstan», OJSC «Bank CenterCredit», OJSC «Nurbank», OJSC «Texakabank»; Diners Club International – by JSC «Kazkommertsbank» and Europay International – by OJSC SB «Alfa-bank».

As of August 1, 2004, the number of cards, issued by banks of Kazakhstan, was 2,16 million, the number of card holders was 2,11 million (growth - by 21,2% and 20,7% respectively, in comparison with relevant figures of the last year)[1]. As the most widespread cards, the cards of international payment systems have the share of 86,9% and the local cards - 13,1% respectively. As of August 1, 2003 this ratio was 81,4% and 18,6% correspondingly.

In July 2004 volume of transactions using payment cards issued by banks of Kazakhstan was 3,1 million transactions for KZT 49,2 billion. In comparison with the same period of the previous year the volume and the value of transactions increased by 29,8% and 41,1% respectively.

The volume of cash withdrawal transactions was 3,0 million transactions for KZT 47,4 billion. At the same time the volume of cashless payments was 154,1 thousand transactions for KZT 1 822,6 million. The shares of this figures were 95,1%, 96,3% and 4,9%, 3,7% correspondingly.

 

More detailed data on development of Kazakhstan payment cards market are submitted in Tables 1 and 2.

Table 1

Figures	As of August 1, 2003	As of August 1, 2004
Total number of cards in circulation (thousand), of which:	1 780.4	2 158.2
- local systems	330.6	282.5
- international systems, of which:	1 449.7	1 875.7
Visa International	1 228.5	1 476.8
Europay International	220.8	398.5
Number of card holders (thousand), of which:	1 747.5	2 109.8
- local systems	325.5	273.8
-  international systems, of which:	1 422.0	1 836.0
Visa International	1 203.2	1 448.6
Europay International	218.5	387.1
Number of the used payment cards (thousand),of which:	1 025.3	1 650.7
- local systems	153.2	206.4
- international systems, of which:	872.1	1 444.3
Visa International	740.5	1 143.9
Europay International	131.3	300.3
Number of POS-terminals, of which:	3 763	4 143
- at business enterprises	2 296	2 610
- in banks	1 467	1 533
Number of imprinters, of which:	2 004	1 790
- at business enterprises	not avail.	898
- in banks	not avail.	892
Number of ATMs	779	1 006
Number of business enterprises	1 917	2 236

 

Use of payment cards, issued by the banks of Kazakhstan, in and outside the territory of Kazakhstan (the transactions with American Express International, Diners Club International and Europay International payment cards that are distributed by commercial banks of Kazakhstan are not included)

Table 2

Figures	July
	Non cash payments	Withdrawals of cash
2003
Volume of payments (thousand), of which:	76.5	2 342.2
- local systems	3.7	203.2
- international systems, of which:	72.8	2 139.0
Visa International	59.9	1 817.0
Europay International	12.8	322.0
Value of payments (mln.KZT), of which:	1 164.2	33 708.0
- local systems	1.9	3 152.9
- international systems, of which:	1 162.4	30 555.1
Visa International	954.8	26 051.3
Europay International	207.6	4 503.8
2004
Volume of payments (thousand), of which:	154.1	2 985.7
- local systems	16.0	252.0
- international systems, of which:	138.1	2 733.7
Visa International	110.0	2 145.8
Europay International	28.1	587.9
Value of payments (mln.KZT), of which:	1 822.6	47 376.3
- local systems	13.8	4 047.7
- international systems, of which:	1 808.8	43 328.6
Visa International	1 495.1	35 236.0
Europay International	313.7	8 092.6
Dynamics in %
Volume of payments, of which:	by 2,0 times	27.5%
- localsystems	by 4,3 times	24.0%
- international systems, of which:	89.7%	27.8%
Visa International	83.5%	18.1%
Europay International	by 2,2 times	82.6%
Value of payments, of which:	56.6%	40.5%
- local systems	by 7,4 times	28.4%
- international systems, of which:	55.6%	41.8%
Visa International	56.6%	35.3%
Europay International	51.1%	79.7%