Non-cash payments in Azerbaijan rose sharply in February 2026, increasing by 15% year-on-year to reach 8.2 billion manats, according to the Central Bank of Azerbaijan, AzerNEWS reports.
E-commerce accounted for the overwhelming majority of transactions, totaling 7.171 billion manats, or 87.5% of all non-cash payments. Payments through POS terminals reached 1.026 billion manats, while self-service terminals accounted for 3 million manats.
Since the beginning of the year, non-cash domestic transactions using payment cards have made up 69.7% of total card transaction volume, highlighting the growing shift toward digital payments.
As of March 1, the number of payment cards in the country reached 22.347 million, marking a monthly increase of 0.9%, a rise of 1.7% since the start of the year, and a 10.4% increase compared to the same period in 2025.
Over the past year, debit cards grew by 12.8% to 20.275 million, while credit cards declined by 8.5% to 2.072 million. In February alone, debit card turnover amounted to 11.566 billion manats, up 13.6% year-on-year, while credit card turnover fell by 19.6% to 639 million manats.
Infrastructure supporting cashless payments also expanded significantly. The number of ATMs increased by 7%, while POS terminals surged by 49.1%, reaching 3,593 and 185,361 units respectively, with a large concentration in Baku.
Globally recognized payment systems such as Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Diners Club International, and JCB continue to operate in cooperation with Azerbaijani banks, supporting the country’s rapidly expanding digital payment ecosystem.
