Statistical Profile

By  |  October 18, 2010
 | 

The population of Canada is 33.5 million people. 

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    Consumer Payments by type (2005)

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    		  

    Share of Sales
     

     Cash Payments

    		  

    29%
     

     Debit Payments

    		  

    28%
     

     Credit Payments

    		  

    33%
     

     Other Payment Types 

    		  

    10%
     

     Total Consumer Payment Transactions 

    		  

    100%
    Source: Bank of Canada, 2005 Survey

     

    Canadians are the world’s most avid users of debit cards and Automated Banking Machines (ABMs). Debit cards have surpassed cash as the preferred method of payment for purchases between $25.00 and $100.00. [1]

    Comparison of Banking: United States vs. Canada

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Key Area

    		 

    United States

    		 

    Canada

     

    Number of Banks

    		 

    Over 8,500

    		 

    Approx. 70

     

    Nationwide Branching

    		 

    Effectively Limited to Regions

    		 

    Full Nationwide

     

    Check Usage

    		 

    Very High

    		 

    Medium

     

    Check Clearing Times

    		 

    1-3 Days

    		 

    Same Day

    Source: “Commercial Banking in the U.S. versus Canada”, Graziadio Business Report, 2007 Volume 10 Issue 4

     

    Financial Cards Transactions (2009)

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

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    Purchase Volume (bn)

    		  

    Share

    		  

    Transactions (million)

    		  

    Share
     

     Visa (Credit Only)

    		  

    $164.11

    		  

    40.0%

    		  

    1583

    		  

    23.8%
     

     Interac (Debit)

    		  

    $142.37

    		  

    34.7%

    		  

    3882

    		  

    58.5%
     

     MasterCard (Credit Only)

    		  

    $82.06

    		  

    20.0%

    		  

    1012

    		  

    15.2%
     

     Amex (Charge)

    		  

    $21.74

    		  

    5.3%

    		  

    163

    		  

    2.5%
     

     Total Cards Transactions 

    		  

    $410.28

    		  

    100%

    		  

    6640

    		  

    100%
    Source: Nilson Report, March 2010, Issue 944; Mercator, July 2010

    Credit Cards

     

    Purchase volume:

    US$267.91 billion (65% of all card-based transactions) [4]

    Number of transactions:

    2758 million (42% of all card-based transactions) [5]

    Source: Nilson Reports and Mercator Estimates

     

    Number of card accounts:

    Approximately 70 million credit card accounts, Visa and MasterCard (2009) [6]

    Approximately 15.5 million American Express

    Approximately 7.3 million “other” (store-branded, etc)

    Total of 90.9 million credit cards [7]

    • 39.6% Active

      •  

    • 70% Pay in full each month

      •  

    • 29% Turnover rate annually [8]

      •  

    Delinquency Rates:

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Fiscal Year Ended

    October 31

    		  

    Delinquency Rates %

    90 days & Over
     

    2005

    		  

    0.8%
     

    2006

    		  

    0.8%
     

    2007

    		  

    0.9%
     

    2008

    		  

    1.0%
    Source: CBA – Visa and MasterCard Issuers

     

    ABM & ACH

     

    ABM Machines

    47,000 across Canada (2005) [9]

    Paper vs Electronic Items through ACSS (ACH Transactions)

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    YEAR

    		  

    Volume Paper

    		  

    Volume Electronic

    		  

    Value Paper

    		  

    Value Electronic
     

    2006

    		  

    21.04%

    		  

    78.96%

    		  

    66.62%

    		  

    33.38%
     

    2007

    		  

    19.60%

    		  

    80.40%

    		  

    64.61%

    		  

    35.39%
     

    2008

    		  

    17.92%

    		  

    82.08%

    		  

    61.35%

    		  

    38.65%
     

    2009

    		  

    16.44%

    		  

    83.56%

    		  

    57.55%

    		  

    42.45%
     

    2010

    (Jan-Jun)

    		  

    15.96%

    467,425,116 transactions

    		  

    84.04%

    2,461,187,859 transactions

    		  

    55.58%

    $1,394,602,821

    		  

    44.42%

    %1,114,379,167
    Source: CBA

     

    Cash

     

    Percent of Sales

    29% of Sales[10]

    [1] “Electronic Cash Payments: Canada Loves its Debit Cards, but Will the Cashless Revolution Happen in the U.S.?”, informIT, July 22, 2005

    [2] “The Canadian Credit Card Market: Tough Sledding”, Mercator Research, July 2010

    [3] “The Canadian Credit Card Market: Tough Sledding”, Mercator Research, July 2010

    [4] “The Canadian Credit Card Market: Tough Sledding”, Mercator Research, July 2010

    [5] “The Canadian Credit Card Market: Tough Sledding”, Mercator Research, July 2010

    [6] “The Canadian Credit Card Market: Tough Sledding”, Mercator Research, July 2010

    [7] “Canadian Credit Card Market Facts & Figures”, RateSupermarket.ca Blog, September 2010

    [8] “Canadian Credit Card Market”, idea associates, March 2008

    [9] “Electronic Cash Payments: Canada Loves its Debit Cards, but Will the Cashless Revolution Happen in the U.S.?”, informIT, July 22, 2005

    [10] Bank of Canada, 2005 Survey


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