BCA makes RI Visa's 3rd largest network<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Bank Central Asia's (BCA) 1,200 automated teller
\nmachines (ATM) throughout Indonesia joined the Visa global ATM
\nnetwork yesterday, making the country Visa's third largest in-
\ncountry network in the Asia Pacific.<\/p>\n
Visa International Asia Pacific president Dennis Goggin and
\nBCA president Abdullah Ali launched the Visa-BCA ATM network,
\nwhich will enable Visa cardholders to withdraw cash from all BCA
\nATMs.<\/p>\n
Abdullah explained that in the first stage the facility would
\nbe provided to overseas issued Visa cards. Domestically issued
\nVisa cards will have the same privilege next year.<\/p>\n
He said one of the reasons BCA provided the facility was to
\nsupport the country's tourism industry.<\/p>\n
\"Tourists coming to Indonesia will have easy access to cash
\nvia their Visa cards through more than 1,200 BCA ATMs, 24 hours a
\nday,\" he said.<\/p>\n
BCA's participation in the network means there are 1,400 Visa
\nATMs in Indonesia, with only Australia and Thailand having more,
\nGoggin said.<\/p>\n
He said ATM growth had been enormous in recent years.<\/p>\n
Visa's ATM network is now 70 percent bigger than a year ago
\nwith 15,800 ATMs in 22 countries, including China and Vietnam.<\/p>\n
Worldwide, more than 341,000 ATMs in 109 countries are part of
\nVisa's global network.<\/p>\n
\"The number is impressive -- especially when you consider that
\njust 15 years ago, virtually nobody used ATMs away from home.
\nToday, our Visa network processes more than a million
\ntransactions a day,\" Goggin said.<\/p>\n
\"That's a reflection of just how important the ATM has become
\nin our daily lives -- both at home and overseas. It has become
\nimportant because the technology itself has moved in line with
\nthe market,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He said Indonesia benefited from the rapid development of
\nATMs. Last year, visitors to Indonesia spent US$440 million on
\ntheir Visa cards.<\/p>\n
\"Now, with local currency available to Visa cardholders at any
\none of 1,400 ATMs, Indonesia can expect that level of spending to
\nincrease,\" Goggin said.<\/p>\n
He said the average Visa ATM international transaction in the
\nAsia Pacific was $162, $60 higher than the international average.<\/p>\n
According to Visa data, people in the Asia Pacific region
\nspend $4.7 trillion each year in personal consumption expenditure
\nand more than 90 percent of that is in cash.<\/p>\n
But Visa doubled payment by card against cash in the Asia
\nPacific between 1991 and 1996. In Indonesia it increased by 80
\npercent in the same period.<\/p>\n
\"Currently, 1.3 percent of personal consumption is paid for by
\ncard in Indonesia. But as the 80 percent increase in cash
\ndisplacement shows, Indonesia is moving swiftly towards payment
\nby card,\" Goggin said. (rid)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/bca-makes-ri-visas-3rd-largest-network-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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