Plastic Money Use in Brazil Jumps 17%. There Are 191 Million Cards

The number of transactions in Brazil using credit cards, debit cards, and store cards reached 1.12 billion in the first quarter this year. Turnover from card transactions was US$ 31.3 billion, 17% more than in the same period of 2006, according to data provided by the Brazilian Association of Credit Card Companies and Services (ABECS).

The highlight in the period was transactions using debit cards. These transactions increased by 18%, up from US$ 7.9 billion in the first three months of 2006 to US$ 9.2 billion during the same period of 2007.

Compared with the first quarter of 2006, there were 45 million more transactions and 15 million more cards in circulation, totaling 431 million transactions and 191 million cards.

Credit cards accounted for the largest share of expenses for electronic means of payment, with a turnover of US$ 18.9 billion in the first quarter of 2007. Credit card expenses saw a 17% increase compared with the same months of 2006.