site.btaVisa Reports 30% Growth in POS Terminals in Bulgaria under Bulgaria BezBroi Initiative

The number of POS terminals in Bulgaria has increased by 30% under Visa’s Bulgaria BezBroi initiative over a period of three and a half years, from the programme’s launch in December 2022 to June 2026, the company said on Monday.

Visa said the expansion of the digital payments network has been supported by preferential terms tailored to the needs of local businesses, including transaction fees of up to 1%, free SIM cards where needed and a 20% discount on the purchase of a new POS device. The sustained growth has been driven to a significant extent by the active participation of small and medium-sized enterprises. As of December 2025, merchants participating in the programme accounted for 10% of all active POS terminals in Bulgaria, the company said.

The programme is implemented in partnership with Bulgarian banks, financial institutions, public bodies and non-governmental organizations and aims to facilitate the acceptance of digital payments and improve business competitiveness, Visa said.

Visa Country Manager for Bulgaria Petar Krilchev said that expanding access to digital payment acceptance means much more than adding new POS terminals. "It means giving businesses of all sizes the tools they need to grow, reach more customers and respond to the way people increasingly prefer to pay. Through Bulgaria BezBroi, together with our partners, we are working to make secure and convenient digital payments more accessible across the country and to support a more competitive and digitally connected Bulgarian economy,” he said.

A new Payments Europe survey shows that Bulgaria’s payments market is diverse and competitive, benefiting both merchants and consumers, Visa said. Among Bulgarian merchants, 82% cite lower fraud and theft risk as a benefit of card acceptance, while 80% say card payments help increase sales. Another 66% point to greater operational efficiency, 61% to easier payments from foreign customers and 58% to higher consumer spending.

Three quarters of merchants consider card acceptance fees reasonable relative to the benefits, while 66% say the advantages outweigh the costs. Some 82% report that offering more payment options has helped increase turnover.

Cards are the preferred payment method for 76% of merchants, ahead of cash at 71%. Security is the main factor when choosing which payment methods to accept, cited by 51%. Among consumers, 74% say cards are the payment method they trust most and 83% feel secure using them. Some 62% consider cards convenient, while 52% see them as the best option for in-store payments.

Seven in ten consumers feel secure paying online, while 78% trust cards more than other payment methods when travelling abroad. Another 72% say cards make returns and complaints easier, 62% value the ability to track spending and 57% support wider acceptance of digital payments.