CANADIAN BANK ISSUERS INCREASE CARD CIRCULATION.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)

The number of Visa and MasterCard credit cards in circulation throughout Canada increased by 10% in 2001 compared with 2000, the Canadian Bankers Association is reporting. There were 44.1 million Visa and MasterCards in circulation when the fiscal year ended Oct. 31, 2001 compared with 40.1 million a year earlier. Canada's 19 Visa and MasterCard issuers had 19.6 million cardholders who charged C$121.82 billion in 2001 compared with 18.5 million Visa and …