The number of active payment cards in Cyprus rose by 33.8 per cent in three and a half years to 2,220,202 in December 2025, while the number of ATMs fell to 396, according to the Central Bank of Cyprus (CBC) Statistical Bulletin for October 2026.
The figures show that consumer behaviour on the island changed structurally between 2022 and 2025.
The ATM count at the end of 2025 was a record low, down 4.8 per cent from 416 in June 2022. Commercial banks are cutting operating costs by closing cash withdrawal points as demand for cash falls.
Over the same period, the number of active cards grew by 561,191. There were 1,659,011 cards in June 2022 and 1,859,006 in December 2023.
Cards accounted for 75 per cent of all payment transactions by number in the second half of 2025. By value, however, credit transfers (e-banking) made up 84 per cent, and cards just 6 per cent. This indicates that cards are used mainly for smaller everyday purchases, such as at supermarkets and petrol stations, while larger payments such as rent and invoices are made by electronic transfer. Cheques accounted for 1 per cent of transactions by number.
Credit transfers and direct debits remain almost entirely domestic, but card and e-money payments include a high proportion of cross-border transactions. A growing share of payments, by both number and value, goes to international platforms abroad, mainly for online shopping, subscription services and flights.
At the end of 2025, in-person transactions at point-of-sale (POS) terminals made up 70 per cent of transactions by number, while online purchases accounted for 60 per cent of the total value.
