Bank cards in circulation reached 23.39 million. September brought slightly more transactions per card but less monetary turnover per card.
Issuance outpaced value growth
In CBA tables 4.5 and 4.6, card numbers increased from 22.97 million to 23.39 million, adding about 413,800 cards or 1.8%. Total card transaction value grew much more slowly, from AZN 13.25 billion to AZN 13.31 billion, roughly 0.45%.
Value per issued card consequently fell from AZN 576.74 to AZN 569.09, about 1.3%. Expanding issuance does not automatically produce proportionate growth in usage.
More transactions, smaller amounts
Total transaction count increased from 257.88 million to 267.27 million. That represents about 11.43 transactions per card, against 11.22 in August. More transactions can coexist with lower turnover when average amounts fall.
The total includes 2.03 million credit cards. The remainder comprises debit products, including payroll and social cards. Card numbers are not customer numbers: one person may hold several products.
| Measure | August | September |
|---|---|---|
| Cards, million | 22.974 | 23.388 |
| Transactions, million | 257.877 | 267.267 |
| Transactions per card | 11.22 | 11.43 |
| Value per card, AZN | 576.74 | 569.09 |
Measuring meaningful activity
An average across all issued cards does not reveal usage among active cards. That requires a separate active-card measure and a definition, such as at least one transaction in the month.
Issuance builds a potential customer base, but product economics depend on usage and revenue after costs. September shows more cards and more transactions per card, not higher turnover per issued instrument.
