IMGCAP(1)]
MasterCard Worldwide's overall sales volume for credit, debit and charge cards fell slightly in regions outside the United States during the third quarter ended Sept. 30, MasterCard announced on Tuesday. While its sales volume declined in Canada, Europe and Latin America, the combined regions of Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa posted double-digit sales-volume gains during the quarter. MasterCard's sales volume in non-U.S. regions totaled $276 billion (186 billion euros), down 1.4% from $280 billion during the same period a year ago. Transaction volume in regions outside the U.S. rose 9.1% to 3.6 billion from 3.3 billion, while the total number of cards in circulation outside the U.S. rose 8.3%, to 623 million from 575 million. Regionally, sales volume in Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa totaled $86 billion, up 14.7% from $75 billion, while transaction volume rose 22.2%, to 1.1 billion from 900 million. Some 262 million cards were on issue in region at the end of September, up 12.9% from 232 million a year earlier. Sales volume in Europe totaled $143 billion, down 7.7% from $155 billion. Transaction volume totaled 1.75 billion, up 9.4% from 1.6 billion. Some 197 million cards were on issue in Europe at the end of September, up 1.5% from 194 million. Sales volume in Latin America totaled $25 billion, down 3.8% from $26 billion. Transaction volume totaled 468 million, up 3.5% from 452 million. Some 119 million cards were on issue in the region at the end of September, up 8.2% from 110 million. Sales volume in Canada was $22 billion, down 8.3% from $24 billion. Transaction volume totaled 263 million, up 3.1% from 255 million. Cards on issue in Canada at the end of September rose 15.4%. to 45 million from 39 million. During a conference call with analysts on Wednesday, MasterCard CEO Robert Selander said countries with emerging and developing economies are "further ahead" than more-developed regions on the road to economic recovery, led by resurgences in China and India.
