E-payment services are growing substantially.
People in Croatia have on average 2.7 payment cards, with 92 percent of respondents owning at least one such card, while 50 percent have three or more cards. MasterCard’s research has also shown an increase in online shopping, as well as in the number of mobile payment transactions, reports Večernji List on October 25, 2017.
The latest MasterIndex research on the habits in using financial services in Croatia and the attitude towards card payment was carried out in September by MasterCard, in cooperation with GfK – Market Research Centre, on 1,020 users of banking services in Croatia aged between 18 to 55.
The research has shown that the usage of cards grows with the level of education and income. They are more often used by respondents aged over 40 and by men. At the point of sale, 95 percent of respondents use cards regularly, with 84 percent using them at least once a week, and 28 percent of them every day. Among just users of credit cards, these numbers are even higher, reaching 90 percent for people who use them at least once a week.
The survey also showed that the use of contactless payment had made a step forward. About 68 percent of respondents use contactless payment, compared to 53 percent in October 2016 and 36 percent in October 2015.
As much as 84 percent of payment card users buy products over the internet, compared with 81 percent in October 2016. About 34 percent do it several times a month, suggesting a growing popularity of online shopping among Croats.
The most active online shoppers are respondents from the age group 30 to 39, with a high level of education. Most commonly, they buy clothes, footwear and fashion accessories (67 percent), consumer electronics (48 percent), household goods (32 percent), cosmetics and perfumes (28 percent) and tickets for events (26 percent). They also pay for tourist agency services, toys and equipment for children, books and music, as well as for software and airline tickets.
The use of credit cards for online shopping increases with age and income and is most widespread in Zagreb, Lika, Kordun and Banovina regions. About 39 percent of online shoppers prefer foreign sites, 13 percent Croatian, while 49 percent buy online equally in Croatia and abroad.
More than 75 percent of respondents pay utility bills online, compared to 68 percent in May 2017.
It is expected that, by 2022, there will be more non-cash transactions in Europe than the ones which will involve cash, and these European trends are already present in Croatia as well. “Consumers’ desire for simple, secure, fast and digital solutions in the payment segment is growing. The technology evolution is also responsible for the payment evolution – today’s consumers prefer non-cash transactions, and connected devices whose number is expected to reach 30 billion by 2020 will bring new opportunities for trade and non-cash payments,” said MasterCard’s director for Croatia Sanja Žigić.
Translated from Večernji List.
