# Bulgarian digital payment market growth

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/bulgarian-digital-payment-market-growth
> Updated: 2026-10-12T09:33:14.000Z. Sources: 6. Developments: 2.

The digital payment landscape in Bulgaria has seen significant expansion driven by merchant incentives and increased transaction volumes.

Between December 2022 and June 2025, the number of POS terminals in Bulgaria increased by 30%. This growth was attributed to the ‘Bulgaria Without Borders’ initiative, which offered merchants reduced transaction fees, free SIM cards, and discounts on new devices. Small and medium-sized enterprises were key contributors to this expansion.

By the first half of 2026, card payments in the country reached a total value of 15.1 billion euros, a 24.8% increase compared to the same period in 2025. Transaction numbers rose by 19.4%, totaling 386.6 million payments. Notably, remote and online-initiated payments experienced substantial growth, with values increasing by 37.5% and transaction volumes rising by 34.5%.

## Timeline

### 2026-10-12: Bulgaria card payments reach 15.1 billion euros in H1 2026

Card payments in Bulgaria rose 24.8% to 15.1 billion euros in the first half of 2026, driven by a significant increase in remote and online transactions.

4 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/bulgaria-card-payments-reach-151-billion-euros-in-h1-2026

### 2026-09-20: Visa reports 30% increase in Bulgarian POS terminals

Visa reports a 30% increase in Bulgaria's POS terminals since December 2022, driven by its ‘Bulgaria Without Borders’ initiative targeting small and medium enterprises.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/visa-reports-30-increase-in-bulgarian-pos-terminals

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Cite as: Bulgarian digital payment market growth. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/bulgarian-digital-payment-market-growth