The number of electronic payments rose by over 200 million from a year earlier. The rate of electronic payments among total transactions climbed from 38% in 2023.
Most transactions were made using bank cards, of which there are close to 10 million in use and 7.4 million in active use. MNB aims to boost the rate of electronic payments to 67% by 2030, Lajos Bartha, a managing director at the central bank, said, presenting the report.
The number of transactions made using Hungary’s instant payment system increased 12% to 225 million in 2024. The number of online transactions using bank cards rose 16% to 367 million. The number of transactions made using qvik, a solution that uses a QR code to make instant payments, climbed over 1 million.
Qvik transactions were made free of charge for retail banking clients in the autumn of 2024. The number of withdrawals from ATMs declined 4% to 87 million.
The ratio of Hungarians over 60 with bank accounts rose 4 pp to 78%. Banks’ revenue from payment services climbed almost 15% to HUF 969 bln, Bartha said, adding that payment costs, both for retail and corporate clients, were high in international comparison.
The number of Hungarians who use payment services offered by foreign companies climbed 24% to 1.6 million in 2024. The number of cards issued by those service providers to local residents increased 21pc to 2.1 million.
Hungarian clients made purchases of more than HUF 1.5 trillion with cards issued by foreign fintech companies.
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