The value of cash withdrawals increased by 8% to HUF 2.477 tln.

Bank cards issued in Hungary were also used to make cash payments of HUF 704 bln during the period, up 25%.

The bank cards were used to make HUF 527 bln of purchases abroad, climbing 38pc from the same period a year earlier.

The number of brick-and-mortar businesses with POS terminals in Hungary stood at 139,310 at the end of December, edging down 3% from 12 months earlier. The number of online businesses with POS terminals jumped 24% to 42,028.

The number of ATMs in the country edged down 4% to 4,706 during the period.

The value of transactions made using mobile bank cards climbed 101% to HUF 541 bln. MNB noted that more than 1.7 million bank cards are registered on mobile wallets.

Bank transfers made using Hungary's instant payment system increased 27% to HUF 12.517 tln in Q4.