Transactions with Electronic Bank Cards in Albania.

Revolution of information and communication technology keeps on transforming day after day the way of running business. One of the latest novelty of E-business is electronic banking or E-banking. Transactions with banking cards, which is electronic paying instrument, issued by a licensed bank to develop banking transactions with predetermined functions, are quite spread in developed economies. Banking cards are paying instruments that have come into use in Albania, although their usage level compared with other countries' indicators of the region as well as with probable potential is still low. The situation in Albania continues reflecting an evolution of electronic services through banking cards over years that are offered from Albanian banking system. With all improvements that the global usage of banking cards has gained, by analyzing the up to present statistical data it is clear that although banking cards usage has had an increase, their usage level is still low, mainly in the period 2008-2012, cash loans from ATMs make up about 90-95% of transactions with cards, this is an indicator of an economy with high cash usage. In Albania, physical money (cash) is still the dominating tool of paying in all spheres. This study atempts to appreciate the present state of banking cards usage in Albania, interference level of transactions-with-cards in banking services, main trends and objectives of this activity in Albania. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]