Bahrain's Cards and Payments Industry: Emerging Opportunities, Trends, Size, Drivers, Strategies, Products and Competitive Landscape

Synopsis
Bahrain has a diversified economy with well-developed infrastructural facilities, and is home to large number of multinational companies in the Middle-East and North Africa (MENA). The government has encouraged investment in the financial service and tourism sectors as part of its economic diversification plans, with special emphasis on Islamic banking. The country has the region’s highest density of Islamic financial institutions, including 24 dedicated banks. As the need for, and awareness levels of, sophisticated banking products and service offerings increase, banks operating in the country are launching new products to retain market share. Consequently, Bahrain’s cards and payments industry recorded healthy growth during the review period (2009–2013).

Credit transfers and check payments were the preferred payment instruments, having a combined industry share of 99.4% in 2013 in terms of transaction value. The share of payment cards increased from 0.4% in 2009 to 0.6% in 2013, as the government and banks are taking initiatives to increase benefits and awareness levels among consumers and merchants.

In terms of the number of cards in circulation, Bahrain’s payment cards – including debit and credit cards – registered positive growth during the review period, recording a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.49%, increasing from 830,360 cards in 2009 to 1.0 million in 2013. In terms of transaction value, payment cards reached BHD1.1 billion (US$3 billion) in 2013, after registering a CAGR of 17.37%. Similarly in terms of transaction volume, payment cards registered a CAGR of 17.69%, reaching 16.1 million in 2013.

The average transaction value (ATV) in Bahrain was US$185.3 in 2013, which was higher than Saudi Arabia with US$131.3, but lower than other peer countries such as Kuwait, Oman and the UAE. Kuwait recorded the highest ATV with US$319.6, followed by the UAE with US$263.1 and Oman with US$207.4.

In terms of card penetration, Bahrain recorded 0.80 cards per inhabitant in 2013, while the UAE, Kuwait, Oman and Saudi Arabia recorded 1.96, 1.32, 1.03 and 0.69 respectively. In terms of frequency of use, Bahrain recorded 15.6 transactions per card in 2013, while Saudi Arabia recorded 95.3, Kuwait recorded 47.7, the UAE recorded 43.1 and Oman recorded 13.4.

The Bahraini government’s eGovernment project set out to promote electronic payments, improve banking infrastructure, introduce of Sharia-compliant payment cards, and raise consumer awareness of electronic payments, which were the main factors driving the payment card channel’s growth. The adoption of Europay, MasterCard and Visa (EMV) standards – as well as growth in the e-commerce and retail sectors – also supported this growth.

Summary
The report provides top-level market analysis, information and insights into Bahrain's cards and payments industry, including:

‧ Current and forecast values for each category of Bahrain's cards and payments industry, including debit cards, credit cards and prepaid cards

‧ Comprehensive analysis of the industry’s market attractiveness and future growth areas

‧ Analysis of various market drivers and regulations governing Bahrain's cards and payments industry

‧ Detailed analysis of the marketing strategies adopted for selling debit, credit and prepaid cards used by banks and other institutions in the market

‧ Comprehensive analysis of consumer attitudes and buying preferences for cards

‧ The competitive landscape of Bahrain's cards and payments industry

Scope
‧ This report provides a comprehensive analysis of Bahrain's cards and payments industry.

‧ It provides current values for Bahrain's cards and payments industry for 2013, and forecast figures for 2018.

‧ It details the different economic, infrastructural and business drivers affecting Bahrain's cards and payments industry.

‧ It outlines the current regulatory framework in the industry.

‧ It details the marketing strategies used by various banks and other institutions.

‧ It profiles the major banks in Bahrain's cards and payments industry.

Reasons To Buy
‧ Make strategic business decisions using top-level historic and forecast market data related to Bahrain's cards and payments industry and each market within it.

‧ Understand the key market trends and growth opportunities within Bahrain's cards and payments industry.

‧ Assess the competitive dynamics in Bahrain's cards and payments industry.

‧ Gain insights in to the marketing strategies used for selling various card types in Bahrain.

‧ Gain insights into key regulations governing Bahrain's cards and payments industry.

Key Highlights
‧ Credit transfers and check payments were the preferred payment instruments, having a combined industry share of 99.4% in 2013 in terms of transaction value. The share of payment cards increased from 0.4% in 2009 to 0.6% in 2013, as the government and banks are taking initiatives to increase benefits and awareness levels among consumers and merchants.

‧ In terms of the number of cards in circulation, Bahrain’s payment cards – including debit and credit cards – registered positive growth during the review period, recording a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.49%, increasing from 830,360 cards in 2009 to 1.0 million in 2013. In terms of transaction value, payment cards reached BHD1.1 billion (US$3 billion) in 2013, after registering a CAGR of 17.37%. Similarly in terms of transaction volume, payment cards registered a CAGR of 17.69%, reaching 16.1 million in 2013.

‧ The average transaction value (ATV) in Bahrain was US$185.3 in 2013, which was higher than Saudi Arabia with US$131.3, but lower than other peer countries such as Kuwait, Oman and the UAE. Kuwait recorded the highest ATV with US$319.6, followed by the UAE with US$263.1 and Oman with US$207.4.

‧ The debit cards market dominated the payment card instrument during the review period, in terms of the number of cards in circulation, transaction value and volume. The share of debit cards stood at 75.5% in 2013, in terms of number of cards in circulation, while in terms of transaction value and volume at the shares were 76% and 61.8% respectively.

‧ The Bahraini government’s eGovernment project set out to promote electronic payments, improve banking infrastructure, introduce of Sharia-compliant payment cards, and raise consumer awareness of electronic payments, which were the main factors driving the payment card channel’s growth. The adoption of Europay, MasterCard and Visa (EMV) standards – as well as growth in the e-commerce and retail sectors – also supported this growth.

Table of Contents
1 Key Facts and Top Events
2 Executive Summary
3 Payment Instruments
3.1 Current Payments Environment
3.2 Alternative Payment Instruments
3.2.1 Cashu
3.2.2 Neteller
3.2.3 PayPal
3.2.4 Skrill
3.2.5 2Checkout
3.2.6 Ukash
4 Market Attractiveness and Future Prospects of Cards and Payments
5 Analysis of Cards and Payments Industry Drivers
5.1 Demographic Drivers
5.2 Economic Drivers
5.3 Infrastructure Drivers
5.4 Business Drivers
6 Emerging Consumer Attitudes and Trends
6.1 Market Segmentation and Targeting
6.1.1 Consumer cards
6.1.2 Commercial cards
6.2 New Product Launches
6.3 Travel Spending
6.3.1 Outbound trips volume and spending
6.3.2 Inbound trips volume and spending
7 Payment Cards
7.1 Payment Cards Instrument Analysis
7.1.1 Number of cards in circulation by card type
7.1.2 Transaction volume by card type
7.1.3 Transaction value by card type
7.1.4 Personal vs commercial cards
8 Debit Cards
8.1 Debit Cards Market Analysis
8.1.1 Number of debit cards in circulation
8.1.2 Debit cards transaction volume by channel
8.1.3 Debit cards transaction value by channel
8.1.4 Number of debit cards in circulation by scheme
8.1.5 Debit cards transaction value by scheme
8.1.6 Debit cards issuers market shares
8.1.7 Debit cards comparison
9 Credit Cards
9.1 Credit Cards Market Analysis
9.1.1 Number of credit cards in circulation
9.1.2 Credit cards transaction volume by channel
9.1.3 Credit cards transaction value by channel
9.1.4 Number of credit cards in circulation by scheme
9.1.5 Credit cards transaction value by scheme
9.1.6 Credit cards issuers market share
9.1.7 Credit cards comparison
10 Commercial Cards
10.1 Commercial Cards Market Analysis
10.1.1 Number of commercial cards in circulation
10.1.2 Commercial cards transaction value
10.1.3 Commercial cards comparison
11 Regulations in the Cards and Payments Industry
11.1 Regulatory Framework
11.2 Anti-Money Laundering (AML)
11.3 Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) Regulations
12 Card Fraud Statistics
12.1 Card Fraud Analysis
13 Card Issuers
13.1 National Bank of Bahrain
13.2 Ahli United Bank
13.3 CrediMax
13.4 HSBC Bahrain
13.5 Standard Chartered Bank Bahrain
14 Card Schemes
14.1 Visa
14.2 MasterCard
14.3 American Express
15 Prepaid Cards
15.1 Prepaid Cards Market Analysis
15.1.1 Number of prepaid cards in circulation
15.1.2 Prepaid cards transaction value
15.1.3 Prepaid cards comparison
16 Appendix
16.1 Tables
16.2 Methodology
16.3 Contact Timetric
16.4 About Timetric
16.5 Timetric’s Services
16.6 Definitions
16.7 Disclaimer

List of Tables
Table 1: Bahrain – Key Facts, 2013
Table 2: Regional Benchmarking of Bahrain Payment Cards Instrument, 2013
Table 3: Specialized Cards for High-Income Consumers, 2014
Table 4: Specialized Cards for Frequent Travelers, 2014
Table 5: Specialized Cards for Young Population, 2014
Table 6: Specialized Cards for Business Managers and Entrepreneurs, 2014
Table 7: Bahrain – New Product Launches
Table 8: Regional Benchmarking of Bahraini Debit Cards Market, 2013
Table 9: Bahrain – Debit Cards Comparison and Key Features
Table 10: Regional Benchmarking of Bahraini Credit Cards Market, 2013
Table 11: Bahrain – Gold Credit Cards Comparison and Key Features
Table 12: Bahrain – Premium Credit Cards Comparison and Key Features
Table 13: Bahrain – Commercial Cards Comparison and Key Features
Table 14: Bahrain – Market-Entry Strategies of Foreign Banks and Institutions
Table 15: Regional Benchmarking of Bahraini Prepaid Cards Market, 2013
Table 16: Bahrain – Prepaid Cards Comparison and Key Features
Table 17: Bahrain – Payment Instruments Transaction Value (BHD Million), 2009–2013
Table 18: Bahrain – Payment Instruments Transaction Value (US$ Million), 2009–2013
Table 19: Bahrain – Payment Instruments Transaction Volume (Million), 2009–2013
Table 20: Bahrain – Number of Cards in Circulation by Card Types (Thousand), 2009–2018
Table 21: Bahrain – Transaction Volume by Card Type (Million), 2009–2018
Table 22: Bahrain – Transaction Value by Card Type (BHD Million), 2009–2018
Table 23: Bahrain – Transaction Value by Card Type (US$ Billion), 2009–2018
Table 24: Bahrain – Personal and Commercial Cards Transaction Value (BHD Million), 2009–2018
Table 25: Bahrain – Personal and Commercial Cards Transaction Value (US$ Million), 2009–2018
Table 26: Bahrain – Number of Debit Cards in Circulation (Thousand), 2009–2018
Table 27: Bahrain – Debit Cards Transaction Volume and Frequency by Channel, 2009–2018
Table 28: Bahrain – Debit Cards Total and Average Transaction Value by Channel, 2009–2018
Table 29: Bahrain – Debit Cards Total and Average Transaction Value by Channel, 2009–2018
Table 30: Bahrain – Number of Debit Cards in Circulation By Scheme (Thousand), 2009–2013
Table 31: Bahrain – Debit Cards Transaction Value By Scheme (BHD Million), 2009–2013
Table 32: Bahrain – Debit Cards Transaction Value By Scheme (US$ Million), 2009–2013
Table 33: Bahrain – Debit Cards Transaction Value by Issuer (BHD Million), 2009–2013
Table 34: Bahrain – Debit Cards Transaction Value by Issuer (US$ Million), 2009–2013
Table 35: Bahrain – Number of Credit Cards in Circulation (Thousand), 2009–2018
Table 36: Bahrain – Credit Cards Transaction Volume and Frequency by Channel, 2009–2018
Table 37: Bahrain – Credit Cards Total and Average Transaction Value by Channel, 2009–2018
Table 38: Bahrain – Credit Cards Total and Average Transaction Value by Channel, 2009–2018
Table 39: Bahrain – Number of Credit Cards in Circulation by Scheme (Thousand), 2009–2013
Table 40: Bahrain – Credit Cards Transaction Value by Scheme (BHD Million), 2009–2013
Table 41: Bahrain – Credit Cards Transaction Value by Scheme (US$ Million), 2009–2013
Table 42: Bahrain – Credit Cards Transaction Value by Issuer (BHD Million), 2009–2013
Table 43: Bahrain – Credit Cards Transaction Value by Issuer (US$ Million), 2009–2013
Table 44: Bahrain – Credit Cards Balance Outstanding by Issuer (BHD Million), 2009–2013
Table 45: Bahrain – Credit Cards Balance Outstanding by Issuer (US$ Million), 2009–2013
Table 46: Bahrain – Number of Commercial Cards in Circulation (Thousand), 2009–2018
Table 47: Bahrain – Commercial Cards Transaction Value (BHD Million), 2009–2018
Table 48: Bahrain – Commercial Cards Transaction Value (US$ Million), 2009–2018
Table 49: Bahrain – Card Fraud (BHD Million), 2009–2013
Table 50: Bahrain – Card Fraud (US$ Million), 2009–2013
Table 51: Bahrain – Number of Prepaid Cards in Circulation (Million), 2009–2018
Table 52: Bahrain – Prepaid Cards Transaction Value (BHD Million), 2009–2018
Table 53: Bahrain – Prepaid Cards Transaction Value (US$ Million), 2009–2018
Table 54: Key Definitions

List of Figures
Figure 1: Bahrain – Payment Instrument Shares by Transaction Value (%), 2009 and 2013
Figure 2: Bahrain – Payment Instrument Shares by Transaction Volume (%), 2009 and 2013
Figure 3: Bahrain – Payment Cards Transaction Value and Growth, 2009–2018
Figure 4: Bahrain – Total Population (Thousand) and Proportion Aged Over 65 Years, 2009–2018
Figure 5: Bahrain – Nominal GDP (US$) and Real GDP Growth Rate (%), 2009–2018
Figure 6: Bahrain – Volume of ATMs and Penetration, 2009–2018
Figure 7: Bahrain – Volume of POS Terminals (Thousand) and Penetration, 2009–2018
Figure 8: Bahrain – E-Commerce Value (BHD Million), 2009–2018
Figure 9: Bahrain – Cards and Payments Industry Segmentation by Card Type, 2014
Figure 10: Bahrain – Outbound Trips Volume (Thousand) and Spending (BHD Million), 2009–2018
Figure 11: Bahrain – Inbound Trips Volume (Thousand) and Spending (BHD Million), 2009–2018
Figure 12: Bahrain – Card Shares In Terms of Numbers in Circulation (%), 2009–2018
Figure 13: Bahrain – Card Shares in Terms of Transaction Volume (%), 2009–2018
Figure 14: Bahrain – Card Shares in Terms of Transaction Value (%), 2009–2018
Figure 15: Bahrain – Personal and Commercial Cards, Transaction Value (BHD Million), 2009–2018
Figure 16: Bahrain – Number of Debit Cards in Circulation (Thousand), 2009–2018
Figure 17: Bahrain – Debit Card Transaction Volume by Channel (Million), 2009–2018
Figure 18: Bahrain – Debit Card Transaction Value by Channel (BHD Million), 2009–2018
Figure 19: Bahrain – Debit Card Scheme Shares in Terms of Number of Cards in Circulation (%), 2013
Figure 20: Bahrain – Debit Card Scheme Shares in Terms of Transaction Value (%), 2013
Figure 21: Bahrain – Debit Card Issuers’ Market Shares in Terms of Transaction Value (%), 2013
Figure 22: Bahrain – Number of Credit Cards in Circulation (Thousand), 2009–2018
Figure 23: Bahrain – Credit Card Transaction Volume by Channel (Thousand), 2009–2018
Figure 24: Bahrain – Credit Card Transaction Value by Channel (BHD Million), 2009–2018
Figure 25: Bahrain – Credit Card Scheme Shares in Terms of Number of Cards in Circulation (%), 2013
Figure 26: Bahrain – Credit Card Scheme Shares in Terms of Transaction Value (%), 2013
Figure 27: Bahrain – Credit Card Issuers’ Shares in Terms of Transaction Value (%), 2013
Figure 28: Bahrain – Credit Card Issuers’ Shares in Terms of Outstanding Balance (%), 2013
Figure 29: Bahrain – Number of Commercial Cards in Circulation (Thousand), 2009–2018
Figure 30: Bahrain – Commercial Cards Transaction Value (BHD Million), 2009–2018
Figure 31: Bahrain – Shares of Various Types of Card Fraud in Terms of Transaction Value (%), 2009 and 2013
Figure 32: Bahrain – Number of Prepaid Cards in Circulation (Thousand), 2009–2018
Figure 33: Bahrain – Prepaid Cards Transaction Value (BHD Million), 2009–2018