According to a poll conducted by Zero Cash company and MIA marketing institute, six years after the first banking card was issued in Romania, merchandisers obviously favour the cards' latest competitor on the market of no-cash payment devices: meal tickets.
"The network of merchandisers who accept cards was actually born in 1996 and now comprises about 8,800 economic agents, while the network of foodstuff stores accepting meal tickets started from zero and reached 22,000 units in only two years," Sergiu Cone, associate director with Zero Cash, said.
Economic agents have different opinions concerning this issue. Supermarkets consider that the meal tickets are easier to use, but feel that the card is a safer payment device.
On the other hand, restaurants consider that the meal ticket is the safest payment device. However, there are some issues on which all merchandisers agree.
According to the survey, 75% of the respondents consider that banks should pay more interest to promoting credit cards through the media, which would boost the sales through the cards. Moreover, although 54% of merchandisers already accept cards as a payment device, they consider that a very slim part of the sales volume is influenced by this payment device.
"It is true that there must be plenty of credit cards on a market in order to tempt merchandisers into accepting them. Since the number of payment cards is so low, as 1 million VISA cards in a country like Romania is little indeed, the merchandisers will be not tempted to get involved in this business in an active manner.
Once the cards number increases, the merchandisers will be aware of the advantages of using them, especially if they have one in their pocket. They will become more open and will accept them in an active manner, not only every now and then," Radu Obreja, vice president of Business Development VISA for Central and Eastern Europe, said.
"The number of merchandisers accepting cards is vital for the development of card payment devices in Romania, which is currently lower than in Hungary, the Czech Republic or Poland," says Denisa Mateescu, Europay representative in Romania.
According to Mateescu, "just as the Romanian merchandisers have realised that accepting the meal ticket will boost their sales, they will be aware that accepting the cards may contribute to the increase of the business volume, especially now, when more and more people hold one or more payment cards."
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