In 2015, cashless payments involving the use of payment cards kept growing rapidly, the new technology was applied and gradually expanded; innovative products were launched; the payment infrastructure designed to accept contactless payment cards developed further.

The share of cashless payments involving the use of payment cards increased by 6.2% within total transactions, reaching UAH 384.8 billion (representing 31.2% of the total amount of payment card transactions).  

In terms of the number of transactions, the share of cashless payments increased by 9.6%, reaching 1,286.8 million of transactions  (accounting for 65.5% of the total amount of payment card transactions).  

As of 1 January  2016, the increase was recorded in:

• active contactless payment cards – by 0.4 million pieces (33.1%), reaching 1.5 million pieces;
• the number of point of sale (POS) terminals accepting contactless payment cards, – by 22.2 thousand units (33.6%) and amounted to 88.2 thousand units.

The payment card holders  performed most transactions in Ukraine (98.1%). Only 1.9% of transactions was performed outside Ukraine.

The data released by the NBU point to the increase in the number   of trade and service enterprises with POS terminals. In 2015, their number increased by 6.3% (by 7 759 units) and stood at 131,264 units. 

As of 1 January 2016, Privatbank PJSC, Oschadbank JSC  and Raiffeisen Bank Aval JSC took the lead among the banks by the number of payment cards issued and the extension of the network of card service infrastructure.

The data broken down by regions suggest that Kyiv, Dnipropetrovsk and Kharkiv oblasts recorded the largest increase in the number of payment cards, ATMs and POS terminals.

For reference

 as of 1 January 2016, 98 banks, being card payment system members, operated in Ukraine.