Bank cards enjoy more popularity in Shenzhen than in any other major Chinese city, with about half its total retail sales generated from the plastic cards.

Statistics showed that purchases using bank cards increased by 65 percent to 49.5 billion yuan (US$6.19 billion) yuan last year. It accounted for 42 percent of the total retail sales of consumer goods, the largest among Chinese cities, the Shenzhen Economic Daily reported yesterday.

The end of the year is an important season for bank card purchases, along with the Labor Day and National Day holidays. The Shenzhen Development Bank (SDB) card department said its card holders have spent 37 percent more in 2005 than the previous year using bank cards, and the amount in November alone has increased by 63.6 percent year-on-year.

Banks do not miss out on the opportunity to promote cards during the festival season, either. China Merchants Bank offers Swiss army knives for lavish spenders, while SDB allows its card holders to book hotel rooms at favorable prices, the newspaper reported.

Editor: Yan