Bella Stavchansky
CardWeb.com’s CardExecs database of payments industry movers and shakers today features Bella Stavchansky, Division President, High Growth European Markets Region, MasterCard.
Other Breaking News
In today’s CardFlash News Que: STARBUCKS, MASTERCARD, ACCESS PAYMENT SYSTEMS; NACHA; PCIPOLICY; AERPASS; AND NATIONAL FARMERS UNION.
Paytoo Expands mWallet Bill Pay
Paytoo Mobile Wallet enhances its bill payment functionality on a nationwide coverage to the under or unbanked customers. This new bill payment feature provides fast, secured and convenient online bill payment solutions, giving access to an easier way to pay their bills and will be able to manage their entire bill payment process online, from anywhere and at anytime.The bill payment function with over 10,000 local and national billers is now available with the PAYTOO Mobile Wallet™ and offers anyone the possibility to pay a bill from his or her cell phone. The PAYTOO system is now fully completed offering services from direct deposit to bill payment, and in between, a full range of services to include top ups, virtual cards, gift cards, prepaid cards and more.
Paytoo Partners Genmega and Payment Alliance on cardless ATM withdrawals
Paytoo is the first Mobile Wallet to offer cardless options to the unbanked population. GENMEGA, PAYMENT ALLIANCE and PAYTOO Mobile Wallet improve customer convenience and provides new services such as money transfer or the ability to give a PIN to family members so they could have cash access in times of need. Once at the ATM, consumers can redeem a one-time pin generated from their PAYTOO® Wallet for a selected amount or they can just do a regular withdrawal by entering their phone number and security code. This technology provides an extra level of security to each account and account holder, as mobile phone verification is needed to make a transaction and the potential threat of card skimming is no longer an issue.
MasterCard Contactless Transactions Tripled
MasterCard announced today that, over a one year period ending December 2013, it has grown its contactless footprint in Europe by expanding the number of countries where contactless cards are accepted: contactless is now available in 63 countries worldwide, and in 34 countries in Europe including 7 new countries in 2013: Azerbaijan, Finland, Ireland, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro and the Netherlands. MasterCard® and Maestro® contactless cards or devices have been issued by more than 220 financial institutions in Europe and can be used at almost 2 million merchant locations worldwide, representing more than a 180% year-on-year increase.
MasterCard Shows Europeans Concerned About Interchange Fee Caps
According to a recent Mastercard poll in 13 European countries, 2 in 3 consumers believe that proposals to cap interchange fees would make it worse for them to use their bank cards and 8 in 10 people do not expect retailers to pass on any cost savings through lower prices. The survey looked at consumer views on European Commission proposals to set caps on interchange fees (retailers contribution to the electronic payments systems) and introduce a series of measures that would impact the use of payment cards. It also showed 65% of consumers fear inflexible caps on interchange fees would leave them worse off in terms of using cards while 82% believe retailers would not pass on any cost savings from a reduction in their contribution to the costs of the electronic payments system.
MasterCard Completes Acquisition of Provus
MasterCard announced that it has completed the acquisition of Provus Bilişim Hizmetleri A. Ş. (“Provus”), Turkey’s leading independent payment solution and processing provider. The acquisition will build on MasterCard’s strategy of increasing its processing presence in high-growth markets and deliver superior processing solutions and innovative value added services for both financial institutions and customers in the emerging prepaid and mobile payments space.
MasterCard to Acquire Provus Payment Solutions
MasterCard announced signed agreements to acquire Provus Bilişim Hizmetleri A. Ş. (“Provus”) independent payment solution and processing provider. The acquisition will build on MasterCard’s strategy of increasing its processing presence in high-growth markets and deliver superior processing solutions and innovative value added services for both financial institutions and customers in the emerging prepaid and mobile payments space. This transaction, which is subject to regulatory approval, is anticipated to close in the fourth quarter of 2013. Provus’s payments solutions business includes issuer and acquirer processing, prepaid solutions and ATM processing services.
EPC Calls on Consultation for Sepa Card Standardization
The European Payments Council (EPC) and the Cards Stakeholders Group (CSG) published version 6.5 of the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA) Cards Standardisation Volume for a six-week public consultation. This document defines a standard set of requirements to ensure an interoperable and scalable card and terminal infrastructure across SEPA, based on open international card standards. All market participants and interested parties are invited to provide feedback by 14 July 2013. The CSG is a multi-stakeholder body representing retailers, vendors, processors, card schemes and the EPC. Created in 2009, the CSG develops and maintains the SEPA Cards Standardisation Volume, and focuses on a cards standardisation programme that will create a better, safer, more cost efficient and functionally richer card services environment, whatever the card product or scheme may be. The CSG improved usability and allows for greater flexibility regarding the maintenance of the documentation.
MasterCard Deploys New Digital Payment Platform
MasterCard launched its “MasterPass” ‘future of digital payments,’ offering consumers a digital service to use any payment card or enabled device to discover enhanced shopping experiences. An expansion of “PayPass Wallet Services,” “MasterPass was announced Spring of 2012 and offers checkout services to provide merchants a consistent way to accept electronic payments regardless of where the consumer may be. For in-store scenarios either at the register or in the aisle, MasterPass will support the use of NFC, QR codes, tags and mobile devices used at points of sale. It provides shoppers a simple check-out process by eliminating the need to enter detailed shipping and card information with every purchase. Consumers can securely store card information, address books and more in a secure cloud, hosted by an entity they trust.
MasterCard Agrees Interchange Fees to Make Payments More Expensive For Consumers
MasterCard Europe announced its disagreement with today’s judgment of the General Court in Luxembourg concerning cross-border interchange fees and said that it intends to appeal the judgment. Commenting on the judgment, Javier Perez, President, MasterCard Europe said: “MasterCard balances the interests of both consumers and retailers, so that each party pays its fair share of…
DataCash signs airline Volotea
Global payment services provider, DataCash, has added to its portfolio of international airline customers with Volotea, a European airline specialising in connecting small and mid-sized European cities with non-stop direct flights at competitive prices. Implementing DataCash will help it manage its international payment processing which will allow customers from any geographical location to book flights to any of Volotea’s 52 European destinations. For this, DataCash has deployed its “Global Payments Gateway” which will provide Volotea multi-currency bank card processing and online transaction security technology, 3-D Secure, with more services to follow.