SINCE the appearance of the first companies issuing credit cards in Bulgaria, Transcard, Bulgarian Retail Services (BRS) and the credit card of the United Bulgarian Bank, 76 000 Bulgarians got credit cards.
The experts of the companies expect that by the end of the year, there will be between 100 000 and 120 000 holders of such cards in Bulgaria.
According to representatives of the companies issuing credit cards, the country has huge potential.
"We are still in an embryonic stage," Plamen Vulchev, head of the marketing and sales department of BRS, which issues the Euroline credit cards, said in an interview with Dnevnik daily newspaper.
Vulchev said there was already a boom in the consumer credit market, that is, leasing of goods, and the step from this to non-cash payments is rather small.
The United Bulgarian Bank (UBB) started issuing credit cards at the end of 2002, which can be used not only in Bulgaria but abroad as well.
The cards can be used for payments in shops and restaurants, as well as for withdrawing money from bank branches and automatic teller machines.
The annual rate of interest is between 17.5 per cent and 19.5 per cent.
UBB issues two types of cards - Eurocard/MasterCard and Visa.
The minimum credit is 500 leva, and the maximum 10 000 leva.
Another company issuing credit cards is Transcard.
It can be used for payments in petrol stations, certain restaurant chains, equipment and appliances shops, certain pharmacies and the Mtel GSM operator.
Transcard offers three types of cards - classic, gold and fleet. The latter is a credit card for company cars.
The classic card has a maximum limit of 500 leva, the gold 5000 leva.
The last type of credit card so far is the Euroline card.
The minimum limit is 500 leva, the maximum 10 000.
- Business Staff
The experts of the companies expect that by the end of the year, there will be between 100 000 and 120 000 holders of such cards in Bulgaria.
According to representatives of the companies issuing credit cards, the country has huge potential.
"We are still in an embryonic stage," Plamen Vulchev, head of the marketing and sales department of BRS, which issues the Euroline credit cards, said in an interview with Dnevnik daily newspaper.
Vulchev said there was already a boom in the consumer credit market, that is, leasing of goods, and the step from this to non-cash payments is rather small.
The United Bulgarian Bank (UBB) started issuing credit cards at the end of 2002, which can be used not only in Bulgaria but abroad as well.
The cards can be used for payments in shops and restaurants, as well as for withdrawing money from bank branches and automatic teller machines.
The annual rate of interest is between 17.5 per cent and 19.5 per cent.
UBB issues two types of cards - Eurocard/MasterCard and Visa.
The minimum credit is 500 leva, and the maximum 10 000 leva.
Another company issuing credit cards is Transcard.
It can be used for payments in petrol stations, certain restaurant chains, equipment and appliances shops, certain pharmacies and the Mtel GSM operator.
Transcard offers three types of cards - classic, gold and fleet. The latter is a credit card for company cars.
The classic card has a maximum limit of 500 leva, the gold 5000 leva.
The last type of credit card so far is the Euroline card.
The minimum limit is 500 leva, the maximum 10 000.
- Business Staff
