Carrefour and Monext Innovate and Win the OSCAR of Innovative Payments for Their Instant Issuing Solution

PARIS, April 13, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Carrefour, through its banking subsidiary Societe des Paiements Pass (S2P), and Monext launch large scale instant issuing of EMV cards.

With instant issuing of PASS MasterCard cards, S2P offers its customers a differentiating service that simplifies cardholder application process: after choosing a PIN code, customers obtain their permanent card within a few minutes of their successful application check. The card can be used immediately and enables the customer to benefit instantly from the promotions and guarantees offered with the card.

S2P is the first issuer in France to implement this technology. This exclusive service for EMV PASS MasterCard cards is proposed at Carrefour financial stands. About 50 stands are equipped today with this service. This offer has been designed to continue innovation of the PASS MasterCard card.

Launched in February 2009, the PASS MasterCard card counts about 2.5 million cardholders.

The card offers several innovative functions: PIN code choice, payment choice between debit and credit, MasterCard(R) PayPass(TM) contactless payment, on-line payment with 3D-secure. It also proposes guarantees and additional savings on the Carrefour loyalty program for cardholders.

For this project, S2P relied on two major partners, experts in their area: Datacard Group (card personalisation solutions specialist) and Monext (payment processing outsourcing and secure transactions specialist). Thanks to each partner's expertise, the implemented instant issuing solution satisfies all security requirements.

Frederic Mazurier, Financial Director of S2P states: "We are glad to propose this brand new service to our customers and be amongst the first to launch EMV card instant issuing on a large scale. This service is already widely successful with Carrefour customers who enjoy obtaining and using their payment card instantly."

Philippe David, VP of Monext Bank and Payment Solutions division, adds: "We are proud to have won this award that reinforces our position as an innovative actor. Monext is focused on providing its customers value added solutions. This award demonstrates our ability to overcome the major security challenges posed by instant issuing. Our partnership with Datacard enables us to offer a complete solution satisfying all EMV card instant personalisation requirements."

OSCARS for Innovative Payments is an event organised by Publi-News, Cartes Mag andSystemes de Paiement editor.

About S2P

Founded in 1981, Societe des Paiements PASS, with 1 500 employees and 230 financial services branches, is the most recent subsidiary of Carrefour. S2P aims at promoting all financial and banking services in France towards Carrefour customers. Societe des Paiements PASS counts 2,7 millions holders of a payment card, thus processing 360 million transactions, and 400 000 savings customers. S2P manages 2.3 millions of customer credit.

About Monext

With close to 5 million bank cards, 3 million transport cards and 3 million private cards (petrol, distribution) used on a daily basis by its 400 partners representing more than 550 million recorded transactions, MONEXT is a key player in the French electronic payment sector. Its goal is to facilitate electronic payment transactions, with or without cards, at the point of sale, over the internet or by mobile phone, in a secure, reliable and instantaneous manner. MONEXT is a developer of innovative solutions for its banking, distribution and business clients. It is seeking to establish itself as one of the European leaders in this very high-growth sector.

For more information, visit: http://www.monext.fr/eng

SOURCE Monext