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17. OPERACIONS AMB PARTS vINCULADES
It is first worth noting that the use of different cashless payment instruments varies across the 25 Member States. This pattern is supported by a range of sources including ECB statistics and the data gathered in the sector inquiry. In term of number of transactions, according to ECB statistics112 for 2004, payment cards transactions represented 32% of total cash-less payments, followed by credit transfers (30%), direct debits (26%) and cheques (12%).
Data reported by banks show high variation across Member States in the average number of payment transactions per personal current account.113 The figures reported are the average number of transactions per account rather than per customer. The two measures should not be confused since customers in some countries (such as the UK) have on average more than one current account each.
Figure 31 shows the average number of transactions made in 2004 per current account for ATM withdrawals, credit transfers (including standing orders), direct debits and cheques.114
110
According to a study by RBR for DG Internal market, PayPal cross-border business in the EU in 2004 can be estimated at totalling 8.5 million purchase and remittance transactions.
111
With credit transfer we refer to a payment order (or sometimes a sequence of payment orders, which is referred to as standing orders) made for the purpose of placing funds at the disposal of the beneficiary.
112
Source: ECB Blue Book (2006): Payment and Securities Settlement Systems in the European Union and in the Acceding Countries – Addendum Incorporating 2004 data. Available at:
http://www.ecb.int/pub/pdf/other/bluebook2006addenden.pdf
113
Throughout this chapter, data for countries with less than three valid observations are not shown separately but are included in the calculation of the EU average.
114
Figure 31: Number of selected payment transactions per current account. Simple average. Year 2004.
0,00 20,00 40,00 60,00 80,00 100,00 120,00 140,00 AT BE CY CZ DK FI FR DE GR HU IE IT LV LT LU MT NL PL PT SK SI ES SE UK
Estimated avg nr of cheques cashed per current account Estimated avg nr of credit transfers per current account Estimated avg nr of direct debits per current account Estimated avg nr of ATM w ithdraw als per current account
Source: Commission’s “Retail Banking Survey”, 2005-2006.
The average number of transactions per current account in EU is around 62 transactions (excluding POS transactions115 and withdrawal of cash at the counter). However, the number of transactions per account varies widely across countries. In Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg and Portugal the average number of transactions per current account is less than half the European average. Meanwhile some Member States, such as Austria and Germany, reported figures more than twice the (simple) EU average.
The distribution of the average number of transactions per account by type of transaction varies across countries. This can be explained by different payment habits as well as by difference in pricing. In most countries ATM withdrawals, direct debits and credit transfers, represent the vast majority of payment transactions per account, their relative weight varying with the country. However in a handful of Member States such as France, Greece and Italy, cheques are still used.
In order to compare in more detail the relative use of current accounts to make the different transactions types, Figure 32 illustrates the average number of transactions per current account by type of transaction as reported by the sampled banks.
Figure 32: Average number of transactions on consumer current account, 2004
Source: Commission’s “Retail Banking Survey”, 2005-2006.
Average annual numbers of transaction per account show large variability across EU countries for all types of transactions. This variability reflects the different use of payment instruments and different prices in the Member States. In particular, we observe that:
the average number of credit transfers (including periodical standing orders) per account in the EU is 18. The values across countries differ significantly. Banks in Greece, Hungary, Lithuania and Portugal report values below 5 transactions per account while banks in Austria, Germany or Slovakia reported more than 40 transactions per account;
the average number of direct debits per current account in the EU is 18. In some Member States, the use of current account to make a direct debit is marginal, whereas in countries such as Austria, Czech Republic and Germany banks reported figures of more than 50 direct debits per account;
the EU average number of ATM withdrawals per current account is 20. Banks in Ireland report a far higher average number of ATM withdrawals per current account. Overall, however, it appears that the average volume of ATM usage is more similar across Member States than it is for other payment means linked to the current account.
Nr of direct debits per account. Sim ple avg. Year 2004. 0 20 40 60 AT BE CZ DK FI FR DE G HU IE IT LV LT NL PL PT SK SI ES SE UK
avg nr of direct debits EU-25 Avg
Nr of ATM w ithdraw als per account. Sim ple avg. Year 2004. 0 10 20 30 40 AT BE CZ DK FI FR DE G HU IE IT LV LT NL PL PT SK SI ES SE UK
avg nr of ATM w ithdraw als EU-25 Avg
Nr of credit transfers per account. Sim ple avg. Year 2004. 0 10 20 30 40 AT BE CZ DK FI FR DE G HU IE IT LV LT NL PL PT SK SI ES SE UK
avg nr of credit transfers EU-25 Avg
Nr of cheques cashed per account. Sim ple avg. Year 2004. 0 10 20 30 40 50 AT BE CZ DK FI FR DE G HU IE IT LV LT NL PL PT SK SI ES SE UK