HONG KONG - The number of credit cards in circulation in Hong Kong grew to 15.5 million at the end of the fourth quarter of 2010, up 1.6 percent quarter-to-quarter and 6.6 percent year-on-year, the city's Monetary Authority said on Tuesday.
There were 98.2 million credit-card transactions, up 9.1 percent from last year. The value of credit-card transactions was HK$106.3 billion, representing a 20.4 percent yearly increase.
On a quarterly basis, the number of debit-card transactions in relation to retail sales and bill payments rose 7.9 percent to HK$27. 5 million, while the total value increased 17 percent to HK$51.5 billion. Compared to the same period in 2009, the total number rose 4.9 percent and the total value grew 14.8 percent.
