Bulgaria was the fastest developing market of Visa bank cards in Europe, company data for the period from July to September 2006 showed.

The number of Visa cards issued in Bulgaria increased by 74 per cent in one year to reach nearly 890 000 in the end  of September 2006, Visa Bulgaria said.

In Romania, which entered the EU together with Bulgaria, the number of Visa cards issued increased by 38 per cent, the data showed as quoted by Bulgarian news agency BTA said.

The number of Bulgarians which used Visa cards for trade transactions also increased. Nearly one million payments in trade  centres were completed through visa cards by the end of September 2006. The increase was of 185 per cent as compared to the figures for the period between September 2004 and September 2005.

The total value of Visa card payments in trade centers and through ATMs in Bulgaria raised by 116 per cent for one year, reaching $377 million in the end of September 2006, BTA said.

Bulgarians carried out 5.2 million transactions through Visa cards between September 2005 and September 2006.