A total number of 4,936,246 debit cards was issued by banks in 2021, an increase of 2.56% over the position in 2020, the Bank of Ghana has disclosed in the 2021 Payment Systems Oversight Annual Report.

International scheme cards at end-December 2021, was 3,647,285, representing 73.89% of the total issued debit cards.

This compared with banks proprietary cards of 1,288,961, which constituted 26.11% of the total issued debit cards.
The international scheme cards increased by 2.56%, while banks own proprietary cards decreased by 21.62% in 2021.

Number of credit cards increase to 36,237

The number of credit cards issued as at the end of December 2021 increased to 36,237 cards in 2021, from 33,039 cards in December 2020.

The increase in the number of credit cards issued was on account of additional banks authorised by the Bank of Ghana to issue credit cards.

All the credit cards issued were international scheme cards.

The total number of prepaid cards issued increased to 834,584, at the end of December 2021, from 573,703 in 2020.

The Central Bank added that the passage of the Payment Systems and Services Act, 2019 (Act 987) and the subsequent publication of the various licence categories, with the permissible activities and requirements, has led to an increase in applications for authorisation of payment products and services.

In 2021, 39 applications for licensing of products and services were received, as compared to 63 in 2020 and 13 in 2019.

Out of the 39 applications received in 2021, 31 were processed and approved by the Bank.