Smartphone instead of a wallet: Ukrainians pay with cards and gadgets at a record high
23 May 2025 21:48
INFOGRAPHICS
In the first quarter of 2025, Ukrainians used payment cards even more actively, both in stores and online. This is reported by [ komersant] with reference to information from the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU).
According to official data, 95% of all card transactions were non-cash. This confirms a steady trend: cash is gradually losing its role in everyday life.
In total, from January to March, users made more than 2.1 billion card transactions worth over UAH 1.6 trillion. Of this amount, UAH 1.07 trillion was accounted for by non-cash payments, which is 12% more than in the same period last year.
Ukrainians most often pay with their cards for purchases in stores, accounting for 73% of all transactions. Almost a third of the amount is transferred from card to card. Payments for goods and services on the Internet accounted for about 16% by amount and 14% by number of transactions.
The average check in a store grew slightly this year to UAH 344, and the average card-to-card transfer amounted to UAH 1,845. Online purchases typically cost UAH 580.
The infrastructure is also developing: the number of point-of-sale terminals has grown to more than half a million, and the number of places where cards are accepted has increased by 5% to 546,000.
In total, 137.5 million cards are in circulation, of which more than half are contactless. Almost a third are tokenized, i.e. tied to smartphones or other gadgets.
Interestingly, only 3% of transactions still require reading the card through a terminal – the rest are carried out contactless. This means that Ukrainians are increasingly using their phones, watches, and the card’s “tap” function.
The conclusion is simple: digital finance is becoming the norm. Ukraine is confidently moving towards a cashless future.
Read also: Ukrainians are using cash less and less and increasingly prefer contactless payments
Why the number of cashless payments is growing in Ukraine
Another important factor contributing to the growth of cashless payments in Ukraine is the development of digital financial habits in society. In recent years, Ukrainians have become increasingly trusting of online banking, mobile apps, and digital wallets. This process has been further influenced by the war and internal displacement of the population – many people have moved to new regions where card or smartphone payments have become a more convenient and secure alternative to cash.
Government digital initiatives, such as the Diia platform, which encourages Ukrainians to use online services, including financial services, also play a significant role in this process. In addition, banks are actively introducing innovative products, such as online card opening, QR code payments, instant phone number transfers, etc.
Another trend is the growing number of entrepreneurs and individual taxpayers using cards to accept payments. More and more small businesses – coffee shops, shops, beauty salons – are abandoning cash. It is convenient for customers, and for entrepreneurs it is an opportunity to keep records and avoid the risks associated with storing cash.
In addition, banks are actively promoting the use of contactless payments: cashback, discounts, and bonus programs make cards more attractive than cash. At the same time, contactless technology reduces customer service time and reduces merchants’ collection costs.
Obviously, such dynamics is evidence not only of the country’s technical development, but also of a change in the financial mindset of Ukrainians. More and more citizens perceive cards not as a banking product but as a universal tool for everyday life.
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