UnionPay 2013 transactions hit ¥32.3tr

The total value of transactions via UnionPay bankcards totaled 32.3 trillion yuan (5.3 trillion U.S. dollars) in 2013, up 48 percent year on year, according to data released Tuesday by China UnionPay. The nation's top bankcard association said the transaction surge was mainly based on increasing daily consumer spending in department stores, supermarkets and gas stations. Meanwhile, the company said it has also provided more optimized and wider services in facilitating consumption. The number of businesses, POS (point of sales) machines as well as ATMs in China that accept UnionPay cards increased 58 percent, 49 percent and 24 percent, respectively, last year. The number of domestic POS terminals topped 10 million units for the first time last year, the company said. UnionPay's payment terminals in more than 300 Chinese cities also enabled community residents to pay for their daily expenses for water, gas, electricity and phone charges as well as pay off credit cards, the company said. As of the end of 2013, UnionPay's services had covered 142 countries and regions, with over 11 million businesses and 1.1 million ATMs accepting UnionPay overseas, the company said.