Nicosia, Cyprus. Non-cash payment transactions increased across the euro area in the second half of 2025, while Cyprus remained the bloc’s leading user of card payments and recorded faster instant payment adoption than the euro area average.
Cyprus recorded 174 million non-cash transactions during the period, an 8 per cent annual increase, according to the Central Bank of Cyprus.
Euro area payment activity
The European Central Bank said the number of non-cash payment transactions in the euro area rose by 6.9 per cent year on year to 83.5 billion in the second half of 2025.
The total value of those payments reached €117.8 trillion, up 0.8 per cent from the same period in 2024.
Card payments remained the most widely used payment instrument, accounting for 57 per cent of all non-cash transactions. Credit transfers represented 21 per cent, direct debits 14 per cent and electronic money payments 6 per cent, while cheques, money remittances and other payment services accounted for the remaining 1 per cent.
The ECB reported 47.8 billion card payments across the euro area, up 7.9 per cent year on year. Their combined value rose by 6.9 per cent to €1.8 trillion.
Cyprus payment trends
The total value of non-cash payments in Cyprus increased by 9 per cent to €148 billion during the second half of 2025.
“Cypriots continue to shift towards digital payment methods, with non-cash payment transactions increasing in both volume and value during the second half of 2025,” the Central Bank of Cyprus said.
The central bank described the payments market as “the engine of the economy”, saying it is shaped by a range of payment methods serving consumers and businesses.
Its findings were based on information collected from all Cyprus-resident payment service providers, including credit institutions, payment institutions and electronic money institutions.
