Widespread use of non-cash payments continued in 2016. In comparison with 2015, the total number of non-cash payments made by customers recorded an increase of 10.2%. One inhabitant made on average 203 non-cash payments in 2016. The rise in non-cash payments was primarily due to card payments, which were the most frequently used non-cash settlement accounting for 63.7% of the total volume of non-cash payments.
To ensure execution of card payments and employment of payment cards, 2.4 million payment cards were issued in Latvia at the end of 2016 (1.2 cards per capita), and most of them were debit cards. 38.2 thousand points of sale (POSs) and 1 032 ATMs were available for inhabitants.
A comprehensive report on the operation of interbank payment systems, development of payment instruments and other areas vital for non-cash settlement is available on Latvijas Banka's website: https://www.bank.lv/en/statistics/payment-systems-statistics/latvia-s-payment-statistics.