The Director of the Payment Systems, Accounting and Finance Department at the Bank of Albania, Ledia Bregu, stated that the implementation of instant payments will make the payment system more accessible to citizens and businesses, further accelerating the digitalization of payments in the country.

In a statement to the media, Bregu said that in the first quarter of this year, for the first time, card payments at POS terminals have surpassed cash withdrawals at ATMs, while the expansion of electronic payments and the implementation of instant payments are expected to make the payment system even faster, more efficient, and more accessible to citizens and businesses.

According to her, the entry into force during the last quarter of the obligation to equip entities operating in the tourism and transport sectors with POS terminals has had a direct impact on the increase in the use of these payment instruments.

The number of POS terminals has increased by over 6 thousand units, doubling compared to the previous period. Bregu emphasized that card payments are among the fastest and lowest-cost instruments, both for citizens and for the economy, compared to the use of physical money.

The data show that card payments have increased by 33% in number and by 22% in value, reaching around 6.7 million transactions with a value of approximately 28 billion lek.

Bregu also announced that the number of banking transactions per capita has increased by 30%, reflecting the expansion of the use of electronic payment services.

Following the reform of the payments market, it announced that in November of this year, non-bank financial institutions will also become part of the instant payments system, a development that is expected to increase competition, expand the offer of services, and further improve citizens' and businesses' access to electronic payments.