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Visa credit and debit card sales volume declined in most regions outside the U.S. during the first three months of the year, but transaction volume rose, Visa Inc. reported this week. Visa reports its operational-performance data one quarter later than its financial results. For the fiscal third quarter ended 30 June, Visa says its international transaction revenues increased 2%, to US$458 million (321.4 million euros) from $449 million during the same period last year. In terms of card activity, credit and debit card sales volume in the Asia-Pacific region for the three-month period ended 31 March fell 7.5%, to $147 billion from $159 billion a year earlier, while sales volume in Canada fell 22%, to $32 billion from $41 billion. Sales volume in Central Europe, Middle East and Africa was flat at $17 billion compared with the same period in 2008, while payment volume in the Latin America and Caribbean region was down 8.7%, to $42 billion from $46 billion. Total credit and debit transactions in the Asia-Pacific region rose 15.8%, to 2.2 billion, up from 1.9 billion, while transactions in Canada rose 3%, to 347 million 337 million. In the Central Europe, Middle East and Africa region, total credit and debit transactions rose 24.6%, to 294 million from 236 million. In the Latin American and Caribbean region, total credit and debit transactions rose 18.2%, to 1.3 billion from 1.1 billion. Total credit and debit cards in circulation in the Asia Pacific region rose 10.7%, to 506 million from 457 million, while total cards circulated in Canada remained flat at 31 million. Total cards in circulation in the Central Europe, Middle East and Africa region rose 16.7% to 182 million from 156 million, and in the Latin America and Caribbean region cards in circulation rose 9.3%, to 341 million from 312 million. Joseph W. Saunders, Visa chairman and chief executive officer, on Wednesday told analysts during a conference call that payment volumes declined because of "economic issues all over the world." The rise in international transaction volume is tied to a "secular shift from cash and checks to plastic" in overseas markets, paralleling a similar trend in the U.S., he added.
