Second quarter of 2025 saw a significant increase in payment card usage in retail across Serbia, according to the National Bank of Serbia. Domestic payment cards were used for 185.5 million purchases, up 18.4% compared to the same period in 2024. Foreign tourists made 13.9 million transactions, an 8.9% increase year-on-year.
Over the past five years, card transaction volumes have grown on average 20.5% per half-year. Total POS transactions nearly doubled, rising from 177.7 million in 2021 to 375.1 million in 2025. Transactions by foreign tourists accounted for 6.7% of total purchases in the first half of 2025, while 93.3% were made with domestic cards.
By June 2025, Serbia had over 177,000 POS terminals, a 19% increase compared to mid-2024 and a 61.4% increase from five years ago. The ATM network also expanded, reaching 3,196 machines by mid-2025, up 2% year-on-year.
