Cashless payment transactions
In 2009, the volume of cashless payment transactions
(Table 1) in Lithuania was 217.2 million, of which 210.9 million (97 %) were
domestic payments and 6.3 million (3 %) were cross-border payments. The value of
these payments amounted to LTL 1,456 billion, of which LTL 1,320 billion (91 %)
were domestic payments and LTL 136 billion (9 %) were cross-border payments.
Over the year, compared to 2008, the total volume of cashless payments increased
by 3.5 percent, the volume of domestic payments went up by 3.5 per cent, and the
volume of cross-border payments grew by 5.8 per cent. The total value of
cashless payments decreased by 22.2 percent, the value of domestic payments
dropped by 20.3 per cent, and the value of cross-border payments shrank by 36.4
per cent.
Table 1. Cashless payments in 2009
|
|
Volume of transactions |
Value of transactions |
Average value per transaction, LTL thousand |
|
Million |
Compared to 2008, % |
LTL million |
Compared to 2008, % |
|
Total cashless payments |
217.18 |
3.5 |
1,455,764 |
22.2 |
6.7 |
|
Credit transfers |
111.48 |
2.0 |
1,446,178 |
22.2 |
13.0 |
|
Non paper-based |
76.86 |
6.3 |
495,546 |
32.6 |
6.4 |
|
Paper-based |
34.61 |
6.5 |
950,631 |
15.4 |
27.5 |
|
Direct debits |
12.10 |
10.1 |
2,157 |
7.4 |
0.2 |
|
Payments by cards |
93.46 |
4.7 |
5,752 |
13.3 |
0.1 |
|
Cheques |
0.19 |
20.8 |
1,677 |
34.7 |
8.6 |
Source: calculations of the Bank of Lithuania.
Electronic payment instruments were chosen more often, among
them direct debit expanded most rapidly. Paper-based (and often more expensive)
payment instruments (credit transfers initiated in banks offices and cheques)
were less popular, and decrease in the use of bank cheques was particularly
visible. The turnover of all payment instruments decreased. The decline in the
value of operations of direct debit and payment cards was the smallest.
Structure of payment instruments changed only slightly
(Fig. 1). Credit transfers accounted for the largest
share (51.3 %), while card payments get closer
gradually (43.0 %).
Source: calculations of the Bank of Lithuania.
At the end of 2009, compared with the end of 2008, the total
number of payment cards increased by 1.4 percent and amounted to 4.3 million
(Table 2). All prepaid cards were withdrawn from the market.
For the first time since the start of compilation of such
statistics in 2001, the number of debit cards decreased marginally (by 0.2 %)
and accounted for 86 per cent of the total number of payment cards. Over the
year, the market share of Visa and MasterCard debit cards remained almost
unchanged and was 69.7 and 30.3 per cent respectively at the end of the year.
Like in the previous year, the number of credit cards was
increasing. Compared to 2008,
their number grew by 13.0 per cent and accounted for 13.3 per cent of all
payment cards at the end of 2009. The market
share of MasterCard, Visa and American Express credit cards remained almost
unchanged and was 59.5, 36.4 and 4.2 per cent respectively at the end of 2009.
Virtual cards are only used for settlement for goods and
services purchased online. For several consecutive years the number of virtual
cards has been increasing rapidly. Although these cards still take a marginal
market share (1.1 %), they are
appreciated for their security when making online payments.
Table 2. Payment cards
(End of period)
|
|
2008 |
2009 |
|
Total number of payment cards |
4,282,382 |
4,343,587 |
|
Debit cards |
3,726,238 |
3,720,200 |
|
Credit cards |
509,620 |
575,762 |
|
E-money cards |
10,414 |
0 |
|
Virtual cards |
36,110 |
47,625 |
|
Total number of payment cards per 1,000 inhabitants |
1,278 |
1,305 |
|
Total number of payment cards per 1,000 inhabitants, EU
average |
1,460 |
data not available |
Sources: European Central Bank and calculations of the Bank
of Lithuania.
Over the year, compared to 2008, the volume of payments by
all types of payment cards increased, especially that of credit cards, however,
the value of such payments mostly of virtual cards went down (Table 3).
There is a trend of a more frequent use of credit cards for
daily shopping than earlier, when cards of this type were used more frequently
for payments for relatively expensive goods. The average value of a credit card
payment declined from LTL 187 (in 2008) to LTL 137 (in 2009).
Table 3. Payments by cards in 2009
| |
Volume of transactions |
Value of transactions |
Average value per transaction, LTL |
|
Thousand |
Compared to 2008, % |
LTL million |
Compared to 2008, % |
|
Payments by debit cards
|
84,718 |
3.5 |
4,554.2 |
13.0 |
54 |
|
Payments by credit cards
|
8,418 |
18.7 |
1,149.2 |
13.1 |
137 |
|
Payments by virtual cards
|
322 |
0.9 |
48.3 |
37.4 |
150 |
Source: calculations of the Bank of Lithuania.
At the end of 2009, 1,543 ATMs operated in Lithuania: of
which 1,483 ATMs had a cash withdrawal function, 73 ATMs had a cash deposit
function and 13 had both functions. Compared to the end of 2008, the number of
ATMs increased by 4.9 per cent, the number of ATMs with cash deposit function
increased in particular.
In 2009, cash issued by ATMs amounted to LTL 22.8 billion.
Compared to 2008, that amount shrank by 14.7 per cent. The average value of a
transaction performed at an ATM amounted to LTL 350.
Cash delivered by banks through their branches amounted to LTL 12 billion,
whereas cash received by customers from merchants through POS terminals made up
LTL 140 million. Therefore, ATMs is the most significant infrastructure for cash
withdrawal.
Table 4. ATMs
(End of period)
|
|
2008 |
2009 |
|
Number of ATMs |
1,471 |
1,543 |
|
Number of ATMs per 1 million inhabitants |
439 |
464 |
|
Number of ATMs per 1 million inhabitants, EU average |
855 |
data not available |
Sources: European Central Bank and calculations of the Bank
of Lithuania.
