Multicaixa (MCX) is currently the only brand name for
debit card
A debit card, also known as a check card or bank card is a payment card that can be used in place of cash to make purchases. The term '' plastic card'' includes the above and as an identity document. These are similar to a credit card, but u ...
s issued in
Angola, and also the only
interbank network
An interbank network, also known as an ATM consortium or ATM network, is a computer network that enables ATM cards issued by a financial institution that is a member of the network to be used to perform ATM transactions through ATMs that belon ...
of
automated teller machines and
point of sales terminals for electronic payments. While the ATMs and the POS (point of sale) terminals are owned by the supporting bank, the network is operated by EMIS (
Empresa Interbancária de Serviços S.A.), and the Multicaixa cards of any bank are accepted at the same terms at any Multicaixa ATM or POS terminal. This is regulated by the national law on Angolan payment systems,
the
BNA directive No. 9/2011 of 13 October on the regulation of bank payment cards,
[
] and various other laws and directives regulating the Angolan financial system.
The ATMs accept Multicaixa debit cards and
Visa credit cards
A credit card is a payment card issued to users (cardholders) to enable the cardholder to pay a merchant for goods and services based on the cardholder's accrued debt (i.e., promise to the card issuer to pay them for the amounts plus the o ...
(Visa credit cards are the only ones issued in Angola). EMIS is currently preparing for the acceptance of other international credit card brands like
MasterCard. Besides cash advance and withdrawal, the ATMs offer other services like consultation of account balance and movements, transfer of funds to pay utility invoices, and recharging of
prepaid mobile phone accounts.
The debit cards are issued by the bank where the customer has a bank account, using services of EMIS. Besides debit cards linked to a bank account,
stored-value cards (prepaid debit cards) also exist, with and without the possibility to recharge them.
At the end of 2011, there were 2.377.969 valid Multicaixa cards, out of which 1.559.841 were being used at least once in their time of validity. There were 1.629 ATMs installed in the country, and 18.199 POS terminals.
81.943.904 transactions were performed at the ATMs in 2011, and 9.063.863 transactions on the POS terminals. Only 11% of the Angolan population has a bank account.
See also
*
Banco Nacional de Angola
The National Bank of Angola ( pt, Banco Nacional de Angola, links=) is the central bank of Angola. It is state-owned and the Government of Angola is the sole shareholder. The bank is based in Luanda, and was created in 1926, but traces its ances ...
References
External links
EMIS on Multicaixa bank cards
{{Interbank networks
Financial services companies of Angola
Interbank networks