The number of contactless transactions in Turkey has tripled during the coronavirus pandemic as experts observe lasting changes in consumer behavior due to the pandemic.
According to a report by the e-wallet company Pay Fix published Sunday, consumers have changed their payment methods swiftly during the pandemic to minimize their interaction with surfaces, leading to the number of contactless payments to triple in the past four months.
The report that compiled data from the Interbank Card Center (BKM) showed that the number of cash withdrawals from ATM machines decreased 14% compared with the same period in the previous year.
Meanwhile, some 2 million cards were used for the first time for online payments and 5 million users allowed their cards to be used for online payments.
Pay Fix board member Erhan Yazgan said people have quickly adapted to the new normal brought by the pandemic and started to look for alternative payment options such as e-wallets.
“The COVID-19 pandemic showed that new generation payment systems such as e-wallets will soon be a reality of tomorrow's world,” Yazgan said.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the new coronavirus can be spread through contaminated objects in addition to droplets and direct contact with infected patients. However, the agency denied reports alleging that it recommended limiting the use of cash payments.
“WHO did not say banknotes would transmit COVID-19, nor have we issued any warnings or statements about this. We do recommend that people wash their hands regularly,” CNBC quoted a WHO spokesperson as saying.
