Card payments overtake ATM cash withdrawals

For the first time, Albanians are using bank cards more to buy goods than to take cash from ATMs.

The central bank reported that store card payments made up 59 percent of all card use in the first quarter. ATM cash withdrawals stood at 41 percent. Overall digital transactions grew by 22 percent as online banking surged.

Booming tourism and government tax checks pushed the number of store payment terminals to a record 38,000 in June. By the end of the year, every business in the country must install a card machine by law.

Authorities say the quick move to digital payments lowers costs and helps fight the informal economy as Albania aligns its banking rules with the European Union.