Cashless in Cyprus

We are delighted to announce a new addition to our collection. The paper written by Leonidas Efthymiou and Sophia Michael (both at Intercollege Larnaca) entitled ‘When Cards and ATM’s are the only choice: A fortnight in Cyprus with no banking system, nor trust’ continues with our aim of informing the debate around cashless society and mobile payments, by detailing the events around the suspension of the banking system in Cyprus.

A brief introduction contextualised the discussion by enumerating the deployment and use prior to the crisis of ATMs, mobile and internet banking as well as some data on Point of Sale (POS) terminals in this small, open economy (where tourism is one of the main sectors of economic activity). The interaction between these elements of the payment ecosystem is even more clear when considering new technologies. For instance, Leonidas and Sophia note:

1) The only bank which offers a Contactless visa card is the Bank of Cyprus. Their 18-25 Youth card is the first card in Cyprus with contact-less technology and can be used for transactions below 20 euros, without having to insert a PIN in front of the POS. For transactions above 20 euros, you can keep the card in front of the POS, but you have to input your pin.

2) There are approximately 1460 enterprises across the island with contactless technology. Some of these enterprises include cafes such as Costa Coffee and Starbucks, pharmacies, bakeries, supermarkets, petrol stations and shops in malls.

3) JCC, the main payment system provider in Cyprus, is currently running a campaign at Nicosia cafes. All contactless transactions that take place at Nicosia cafes are eligible to participate in three monthly draws for 3 IPAD minis.

Essential to the 15 day closure of the banking system in March 2013 (similar only to the US in 1933 and Argentina in 2002), was that all electronic transactions and money transfers were frozen with the exception of credit/debit cards and ATM withdrawals. Leonidas and Sophia adopt a ‘sequence of events’ method to discuss an intensification in the use of cash during this period as ‘people can sustain themselves only by queuing at the long lines of ATMs to withdraw cash, or stay cashless and use their credit cards.’ Interestingly, during their research, they were unable to provide evidence to support rumours that ‘IOU’ notes replaced cash and cards as means of payments during Cypriot banking crisis.

Shortly after the central banks’ announcement that that banks will remain closed, long queues begin to form in front of the cash machines (18-III-2013)

In spite the Central Bank of Cyrpus’s instructions to banks that they should keep re-supplying the ATMs with money several times, by March 22nd (seven days into the crisis) long queues have formed at almost every one of the bank’s ATMs island wide. This was partly a result of panic and partly a result of the rejection of card payments by merchants. In other words (and like was the case in New York during Huracain Catrina), the payments ecosystem suffered a massive blow ‘as every card transaction directs the retailers’ money into a bank account. With a bank system under the threat of bankruptcy, or levy as the best option, most retailers prefer to turn down customers rather than accept their cards.’

In summary, the paper of Leonidas and Sophia offers a detail reach account of the Cypriot banking crisis, with a focus on the effects on the retail payment system but without loosing its connection with institutional stakeholders and macroeconomic developments. This narrative is enriched when the authors compare and contrast with developments in the US and Argentina, as it enables to ascertain the unique features of the crisis in Cyprus.