BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan, May 24. The total number of banking payment cards in circulation in Kyrgyzstan reached 7,466,599 as of March 31, 2024, which is a 28.4 percent increase compared to the same period last year, Trend reports.
According to the National Bank of Kyrgyzstan, the national payment system Elkart accounted for 3,530,190 cards in circulation, constituting 47.3 percent of the total. Among them, 3,526,100 were on Elkart (47.2 percent), and 4,090 were on Elkart-UPI (0.1 percent).
International systems accounted for 3,936,409 cards (52.7 percent of the total number of cards in circulation), with VISA leading at 3,782,274 (50.6 percent), followed by Mastercard at 43,256 (0.6 percent), Zolotaya Korona at 90,526 (1.2 percent), and Union Pay International at 20,353 (0.3 percent).
Bishkek stands out for having the highest concentration of commercial banks, financial resources, and, consequently, the most developed market for payment services. In the first quarter of 2024, the majority share of total card transactions was in Bishkek at 52.8 percent, while the lowest share was in the Talas region at 2.5 percent.