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In Spain, bank card transactions
are managed by ServiRed, Sistema 4B and Euro 6000.
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The Spanish banking sector has almost 150 financial institutions.
They are grouped into three separate entities that manage three bank
transaction management systems. These systems, ServiRed, Sistema 4B
and Euro 6000, are interconnected and use the same technological
standards.
They are affiliated with the Visa and MasterCard networks and supervise
their members' transactions. They also offer associated services and
supply Eftpos terminals to retailers.
One characteristic of Spain is the extent to which cash is still used:
bankcards account for only 11% of payments. Another feature: the number
of Eftpos terminals and ATMs per capita is the highest in Europe.
Ingenico is the leader in this sector with over 50% of the market.
Finally, with the exception of e-purses, microchips are still not
used in Spain. Their introduction, which will accompany the general
rollout of EMV, is not planned until 2007/2008 at the earliest, for
reasons of cost. However, Eftpos terminals used in the main tourist
regions, where there is the highest level of international fraud,
should all have migrated to EMV by the end of 2005.
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KEY FIGURES FOR SPAIN |
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56.2
million bankcards
948,000 Eftpos
terminals |
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52,000
automatic teller machines (ATMs)
Source: ServiRed (figures for 31st December 2003). |
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