The National Bank of Serbia published first-quarter 2025 payment system statistics showing continued growth in payment card issuance, card-based retail purchases on Serbia’s acquiring network, and the expansion of acceptance infrastructure. At the end of the first quarter, 7.8 million users were registered for the payment card issuance service and the number of issued payment cards reached 12.4 million, up 6.3% year on year (an increase of 736,000 cards). During the quarter, 175.7 million card purchases were made in stores in Serbia, including 164.4 million (93.6%) made with cards issued by domestic payment service providers and 11.3 million (6.4%) made by foreign tourists, representing a 15.9% year-on-year increase in card purchases. The number of POS terminals at Serbian retailers exceeded 170,000 (up 21.2% year on year) and the ATM network reached 3,219 machines (up 4.2% year on year), with a graphical overview available in the National Bank of Serbia’s payment system statistics section.
National Bank of Serbia 2025-06-27
National Bank of Serbia reports issued payment cards up 6.3% to 12.4 million and card purchases up 15.9% in Q1 2025
The National Bank of Serbia reported growth in payment card issuance and card-based retail purchases in Q1 2025, with 12.4 million cards issued, a 6.3% increase year-on-year. Card purchases in Serbia rose by 15.9% year-on-year, totaling 175.7 million transactions. The number of POS terminals increased by 21.2% to over 170,000, while the ATM network expanded by 4.2% to 3,219 machines.