The Czech National Bank published payment statistics for 2025 H2 showing continued growth in card issuance and card acceptance, alongside further declines in cash-based channels. The total number of cards issued by Czech banks and foreign bank branches in the Czech Republic exceeded 17.4 million at the end of 2025, including more than 16.1 million debit cards and more than 1.3 million credit cards. The number of point-of-sale terminals rose to 285,000, while the number of bank-operated ATMs fell to 4,900 at the end of 2025, the first time since 2017 that the total dropped below 5,000. Transaction data point to sustained growth in electronic payments. Card payments using cards issued by resident payment service providers exceeded 3.3 billion in 2025, up from almost 3 billion in 2024, and 95% of those transactions were made with debit cards. Their value rose to almost CZK 2 trillion, including CZK 1.8 trillion in debit card payments and almost CZK 127.8 billion in credit card payments. Credit transfer volumes remained high, exceeding 300 million in each quarter since 2022 Q1 and reaching 431.1 million in 2025 Q4, although the annual value of credit transfers edged down to CZK 162.0 trillion from CZK 164.5 trillion in 2024. Direct debits slipped slightly to 38.4 million in 2025 H2. At the same time, cash usage continued to soften in several measures. Cash withdrawals using cards issued by resident payment service providers fell to 140.4 million in 2025 from 151 million in 2024, while over-the-counter cash deposits declined to 22.1 million and over-the-counter cash withdrawals fell to almost 4.5 million, the lowest figure since that indicator began to be monitored. Fraud data were mixed, with fraudulent card payments falling to 195,000 from 232,000 in 2024, but fraudulent credit transfers rising to 28,000 in 2025 from 26,000 a year earlier.
Czech National Bank2026-06-30
Czech National Bank reports payment card and POS terminal growth as ATM numbers fall below 5,000
The Czech National Bank's 2025 H2 payment statistics show continued expansion in card-based payments, with more than 17.4 million cards in circulation, 285,000 POS terminals and card payments exceeding 3.3 billion in 2025. Bank-operated ATM numbers fell to 4,900, the first drop below 5,000 since 2017, while cash withdrawals and over-the-counter cash transactions continued to decline. Credit transfer volumes stayed high, but their annual value edged down to CZK 162.0 trillion.