Mobile payment transactions on the rise

The number of transactions conducted via local mobile payment platforms grew by 40.9% from the previous quarter to 34.7 million in the first quarter of this year, according to data provided by the Monetary Authority of Macao.
The transaction value reached MOP3.1 billion, up 31.5% from the last three months of 2020. The average amount per transaction was MOP88.2.
At end-March 2021, the number of mobile payment terminals and QR code signs totalled 76.7 thousand, a rise of 9.1% quarter-to-quarter.
In terms of personal credit cards issued by local banks, the total number of personal credit cards stood at 1,476,265 at end-March, a decrease of 1.2% from the previous quarter but an increase of 2.0% from a year ago.
The total number of debit cards issued by banks in Macau reached 1,799,924, representing a growth of 0.2% over the previous quarter or 9.5% year-on-year.
At end-March, the total credit card credit limit granted by banks in Macau reached MOP43.7 billion, up 0.1% from end-December 2020.  Credit card receivables amounted to MOP2.5 billion. Of this figure, the rollover amount totalled MOP801.7 million, representing 32.7% of credit card receivables.
For the first quarter of 2021, the credit card turnover totalled MOP5.5 billion, a drop of 3.1% quarter-to-quarter but a rise of 19.2% year-on-year.
The cash advance turnover was MOP171.3 million, occupying 3.1% of total credit card turnover. The number of credit card transactions reached 7 million, up 1.4% from the previous quarter. LV