Slovaks have already one million Visa payment cards from Slovenská sporiteľňa in their wallets. This number accounts for a third of all Visa payment cards in Slovakia. The market leader in payment systems and the largest Slovak bank, Slovenská sporiteľňa has for many years provided a simple, modern and secure way of paying conveniently in shops or over the internet or withdrawing money from ATMs.

„We live in times when people increasingly prefer to pay by card rather than cash. Since we are committed to satisfying our clients’ needs as much as possible, we are constantly striving to bring useful and convenient payment solutions. The ever-increasing trend in contactless card payments is a proof that our clients appreciate this effort. Moreover, such payments are not only convenient, but also secure,” said Milan Bednár, Head of the Slovenská sporiteľňa Daily Banking Department.

The average transaction amount paid at a merchant’s decreased by more than 5 % to almost €26. The contactless technology is secure, which is proved by the fact that since its introduction the share of fraudulent transactions remains one of the lowest in Europe – at the level of 4 cents for each €100 paid by cards.

„Slovakia has the highest penetration of Visa contactless cards in Europe – almost 100% of all cards are contactless. Visa contactless cards set off the trend of paying even small amounts by card; in past customers used to pay them in cash,” says Marcel Gajdoš, Visa Europe Regional Manager for Slovakia and the Czech Republic.

The Slovaks’ demand for contactless payments is reflected by the continually growing interest of merchants in payment terminals that enable contactless payments. At present there are 36,000 payment terminals in total, with a Visa Europe study showing that Slovakia has a potential for further 50,000 payment terminals.

Slovenská sporiteľňa, with 2.3 million clients, is the largest commercial bank in Slovakia. Its only shareholder is the Austrian Erste Group Bank. Slovenská sporiteľňa has a long-term leading position in total assets, retail loans, client deposits, number of branches and ATMs. It offers complex banking services in 290 branches and 17 commercial centres in all regions of Slovakia.