Battle for wallets – Epicenter and ATB distributed millions of cards: what’s behind it
6 June 17:17
More than 6 million co-branded bank cards are the result of partnerships between Ukraine’s largest retailers and banks. ATB, Epicenter, and Silpo are among the leaders, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports, citing a Forbes article.
Market participants talk about growing loyalty, additional profits, and new approaches to cashless payments.
“Epicenter: more than 1.2 million cards and cashback of UAH 400 million per month
The Epicenter chain has already issued more than 1.2 million payment cards in cooperation with Sense Bank and A-bank. The Vygoda card, launched in December 2022, allows you to receive cashback and use installments for purchases from UAH 500. More than 30% of the cards have a credit limit, with a total amount of about UAH 16 billion.
Customers with Vygoda cards spend more than UAH 400 million every month, and partner banks report accelerating sales dynamics in the network.
According to Iryna Shynkarenko, Epicenter’s Deputy Head of Communications, more than 13,000 cards were issued in the first week of the launch, half of them with a credit limit.
“ATB: more than 5 million cards and 21% of transactions
ATB, the largest Ukrainian retailer, is the undisputed leader in terms of volume. In partnership with six banks, including:
- Raiffeisen Bank;
- Sense Bank;
- monobank;
- Oschadbank
- Ukrgasbank;
- A-bank
…the network has issued more than 5 million cards.
More than 2 million active customers use the program every month, and they account for up to 21% of non-cash payments in the chain’s stores.
ATB cards offer discounts of up to 40%, participation in loyalty programs and access to exclusive promotions. It is also a tool for building a cashless payment ecosystem that reaches a wide audience through banking distribution channels.
Raiffeisen Bank notes that 70% of customers with ATB cards are new to the bank, and Sense Bank reports a combined turnover of over UAH 2.3 billion with Epicenter and ATB cards.
“Silpo and BNPL: the first instant installment program in Ukraine
Another player is Silpo, which, together with Bank Vlasnyi Rakhunok (created on the basis of Vostok Bank), launched the first instant installment service in Ukraine, Payment by installments, an analog of Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL).
This product is integrated with Silpo’s loyalty program, and BVR cards can be issued directly in the supermarket. As of the beginning of the year, the number of active Vostok cards exceeded 300 thousand.
Read also: The payment systems that will remain the world’s leading in the coming years are named
Bank cards in Ukraine: 60 million active accounts and the trend towards contactless
In 2025, Ukraine continues to move towards a cashless economy. According to the National Bank of Ukraine, as of March, the number of active payment cards – i.e., those that are used to make payments at least once a month – reached 59.5 million. This is almost as many as the country’s population before the full-scale war.
Contactless is a priority
Ukrainians are increasingly choosing contactless cards. In the first quarter of 2025, almost 60% of active payment cards supported contactless payment. This is not only convenient but also meets modern safety and hygiene requirements.
In addition, the number of tokenized cards used in smartphones and smartwatches continues to grow. At the beginning of the year, there were 16.8 million of them, or more than 28% of all active payment cards.
In total, there are more than 137 million cards in circulation
Despite the fact that 59.5 million cards are active, the total number of cards issued in Ukraine has already exceeded 137.5 million. This indicates a significant amount of duplication – each Ukrainian may have several cards issued by different banks.
PrivatBank remains the absolute leader in the payment card market. In the first quarter of 2025, almost 32 million active cards issued by this state-owned financial institution were in circulation.
The trend towards cashlessness is irreversible
In recent years, Ukraine has seen a strong trend towards a decrease in cash payments. The share of non-cash transactions is growing steadily. NBU experts predict that the share of non-cash payments in retail trade could reach 85% by 2026.
In response to the demand of Ukrainians, banks continue to launch new products: co-branded cards with retailers, flexible installment programs, cashback, digital wallets, etc. As a result, the customer base is growing and confidence in the financial system is increasing, even in times of war.
the year 2025 confirms that bank cards have become the main financial instrument of Ukrainians. More than 59 million active users is not just a statistic, but an indicator of a deep transformation of consumer habits. Ukraine continues to move towards a digital economy where cash is the exception, not the norm.
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