Commentary on payment statistics

2022 and 2023 H1

Numbers of cards and accepting devices

The total number of cards (irrespective of their number of functions) and the number of payment terminals again recorded year-on-year growth in 2023 H1. The number of ATMs has long been around 5,200.

The total number of cards (irrespective of their number of functions) issued by Czech banks and foreign bank branches operating in the Czech Republic rose between 2021 and 2022, reaching 14.6 million at the end of 2023 H1. Of this number, 13.1 million were debit cards. The number of credit cards has stabilised slightly above 1.4 million since the end of 2021.

The number of ATMs operated by Czech banks edged down to 5,200 compared with the end of 2021. Of this total number, 95% were ATMs with a cash withdrawal function in 2023 H1. These data exclude institutions not authorised to provide payment services which operate ATMs in the Czech Republic (this is because ATM operation per se is not a payment service).

The number of point-of-sale (POS) terminals issued by a Czech acquirer rose to 246,000 at the end of 2023 H1 compared with the end of 2022. However, these data include terminals operated by Czech entities abroad.

Chart 1: Total number of cards (irrespective of their number of functions) (in millions) and number of ATMs (in units) 

Chart 1: Number of ATMs and number of cards with a payment function

Source: ARAD data series system

Numbers of payments by payment service type

The numbers of most types of outgoing payments increase regularly. The exception was a decrease in the number of direct debits (down by 17% from 2022 H1 to 2023 H1).

The number of credit transfers has exceeded 300 million in each quarter since 2022 Q1. At the end of 2023 Q2, it reached 360 million. Within credit transfers, the number of credit transfers initiated in a file/batch exceeds 100 million in each half-year. Credit transfers initiated on a single payment basis are increasing and reached 488 million at the end of 2023 H1.

The number of payments using cards issued by resident payment service providers is rising and reached 1.2 billion in 2023 H1. The figure for 2021 as a whole was almost 1.8 billion. Of the total number of payment card transactions, almost 95% were conducted using debit cards.

Chart 2: Number of credit transfers and number of card payments (in millions)

Chart 2: Number of credit transfers and number of card payments

Source: ARAD data series system

Numbers of over-the-counter transactions and by type of accepting device

The number of transactions at terminals provided by residents using cards issued by residents grew year on year. The number of transactions at terminals provided by residents using cards issued by non-residents also recorded a year-on-year increase. The number of over-the-counter cash withdrawals rose slightly year on year in 2022, while deposits recorded a significant increase.

The number of transactions at accepting devices provided by residents using cards issued by residents picked up from 1.3 billion in 2021 to 1.5 billion in 2022. A total of 830 million transactions were recorded in 2023 H1. Of this number, ATM withdrawals were flat at 139 million between 2021 and 2022. In 2023 H1, they reached almost 70 million. The number of transactions at accepting devices provided by residents using cards issued by non-residents, which were mainly payments by foreign visitors, rose to 123 million between 2021 and 2022 and reached almost 69 million in 2023 H1. By contrast, the number of transactions using cards issued by residents at accepting devices provided by non-residents (comprising both ATM and POS transactions) went up by 41 million year on year to 359 million in 2022 and reached 219 million in 2023 H1. The number of over-the-counter cash deposits totalled almost 12 million in 2023 H1 and the number of over-the-counter cash withdrawals was almost 3 million in the same period.

Payment values by payment service type

The value of credit transfers picked up year on year. The values of payments using cards issued by resident payment institutions also increased.

The value of credit transfers rose to CZK 117 billion year on year in 2022, reaching CZK 66 billion in 2023 H1. The value of direct debits fell markedly in the first two quarters of 2023 compared with the same period in 2022, reaching CZK 177 billion.

The value of payments using cards issued by resident banks and foreign bank branches (except cards with an e-money function only) stood at CZK 740 billion in 2023 H1, of which the value of debit card payments was CZK 688 billion. The value of credit card payments amounted to CZK 49 billion.

Chart 3: Value of debit and credit card payments (in CZK billions)

Chart 3: Value of debit and credit card payments

Source: ARAD data series system

Values of over-the-counter transactions and by type of accepting device

The total value of cash withdrawals from ATMs (irrespective of whether the card or ATM has been provided by a resident) increased regularly, as did the value of transactions at accepting devices provided by residents using cards issued by non-residents.

The total value of transactions at accepting devices provided by residents using cards issued by residents picked up to 2.0 trillion in 2022, reaching 1.0 trillion in 2023 H1. ATM withdrawals made up CZK 808 billion of this amount in 2022 and CZK 407 billion in 2023 H1. ATM deposits (except e-money transactions) accounted for CZK 429 billion and POS transactions for CZK 743 billion in 2022.

The value of transactions at accepting devices provided by residents using cards issued by non-residents picked up year on year from CZK 100 billion in 2021 to CZK 111 billion in 2022, reaching CZK 61 million in 2023 H1. The value of transactions at accepting devices provided by non-residents using cards issued by residents also rose year on year, to CZK 242 billion in 2022 and CZK 132 billion in 2023 H1. Of this number, ATM withdrawals amounted to CZK 17 billion in 2022.

The value of over-the-counter cash withdrawals continues to decline, reaching CZK 180 billion in 2023 H1. The value of over-the-counter cash deposits was CZK 302 billion in the same period.

Chart 4: Value of ATM cash withdrawals (residents using a resident card) (in CZK billions)

Chart 4: Value of ATM cash withdrawals (residents using a resident card)

Source: ARAD data series system


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