OREANDA-NEWS. March 23, 2009. Sviaz-Bank has issued over half a million bank cards already, with more than 50,000 cards sold by the Bank since the beginning of the fourth quarter of 2008, reported the press-centre of Sviaz-Bank.

“This year, the total number of bank cards issued by the Bank has reached half a million, largely through its success in implementing wage and social projects,” says Irina Busheva, Vice Chair of Sviaz-Bank’s Management Board. “In the time ahead, we are planning to step up the growth rates of bank card business and also to vigorously expand the network of automated teller machines and bank card handling terminals.”

Sviaz-Bank has the status of Principal Member of the VISA and MasterCard international payment systems, and is also a member of the Association of VISA International Member Banks and the Association of Russian Members of the Europay system.