September 14, 2012 – MasterCard has teamed up with CQR Payment Solutions to launch its rePower service in Europe, enabling customers to use cash to top up pre-paid cards at merchants. MasterCard claims that the European pre-paid market is forecast to be worth $149 billion by 2017.
MasterCard rePower will allow pre-paid cardholders a „simple, accessible and secure” way to load cash at merchant locations across Europe via two different models.
The second option requires users to hand over their MC pre-paid card and the cash to be loaded to the merchant who inserts the card into the point of sale (POS) terminal as if it were a regular purchase transaction. The transaction is approved and the card is returned to the cardholder. Funds are immediately credited onto the card. For the POS solution, MasterCard developed a specific ‘rePower’ software package, which will allow the reload transaction to be carried out at a regular POS installed by any merchant. MasterCard is working with several partners in the Italian market to implement a nationwide reload capability based on this POS solution.
Citing research it commissioned earlier this year, MasterCard claims that the European pre-paid market is forecast to be worth $149 billion by 2017. However, the market for cash ‘electronification’ is fragmented and relies on issuers and programme managers making separate arrangements with merchants directly or through cash load service providers.
MasterCard argues that its rePower service provides a consistent, secure option for cash conversion for cardholders and a new way to attract customers for merchants.
Matt Lanford, head, pre-paid, MasterCard Europe, says: „By enabling cash electronification to take place at a far wider range of merchants, MasterCard is creating a series of environments where pre-paid can be disruptive to the normal flow of cash in our society and where those people bound to cash can take advantage of the security, convenience and control offered by pre-paid.”
The European market for cash electronification is fragmented and relies on issuers and programme managers making separate arrangements with merchants directly or through cash load service providers. The MasterCard rePower provides our partners a unified cash load network with a single processing settlement relationship having the confidence of a trusted well-known brand.
MasterCard rePower also provides merchants with an opportunity to increase footfall and opportunity purchases in store and enables smaller traders to offer a key service which may set them apart from larger competitors.
Programme managers and issuers participating in the MasterCard rePower load network will be accessing the new industry leading standard for cash transformation which is based on one consolidated load network with fewer contractual relationships and no exclusivity restrictions.
Update
CQR Payment Group and DeviceFidelity unveil the prepaid MasterCard® PayPass™ iPhone wallet at the 2012 MasterCard Europe Prepaid Conference. CQR Payment Group and DeviceFidelity, in partnership with MasterCard, announces the commercial launch for the European version of moneto, the direct to consumer NFC prepaid mobile wallet app for the iPhone. Showcasing the solution at the 2012 MasterCard Europe Prepaid Conference, the companies announced that the UK will be the first European market where they will launch moneto for iPhone consumers.
moneto is a truly comprehensive mobile commerce solution that brings together leading technologies to provide the convenience, control, and flexibility of mobile prepaid payments in a secure and mobile environment.
Vincento Payment Solutions Ltd, part of the CQR Payment Group and provider of the award-winning Kalixa® prepaid card, will power the moneto prepaid wallet. CQR’s payment platform will handle issuing, processing and acquiring. The wallet also uses a combination of the MasterCard® PayPass™ technology and DeviceFidelity’s iCaisse4X case to enable tap & go™ payments on the iPhone at nearly 500 thousand merchant locations in 41 countries.
“Momentum around NFC payments is gathering pace. Following the enormous success of Kalixa, our prepaid MasterCard card, it was a natural to explore how we could develop an NFC offering. In DeviceFidelity and MasterCard we have partnered with truly innovative companies that share a common vision to make payments simple, secure and ubiquitous. moneto is a significant step in achieving that goal,” says Kamran Hedjri, Managing Director at CQR Payment Group. “We are proud that our payment platform is the driving force behind this pioneering product.”
“After the successful US launch of the moneto mobile wallet earlier this year, DeviceFidelity has partnered with CQR and MasterCard to bring this innovative popular payment solution to the UK,” says Philippe Martineau, VP of Business Development for DeviceFidelity Europe. “The UK is one of the fastest growing prepaid and contactless payments markets, and ranks among the top markets for NFC and contactless POS enablement.”
The moneto mobile wallet service differs from any other mobile NFC program as it will be available to most smartphone users irrespective of wireless carrier. Later this year, iPhone consumers will be able to order the service directly from www.moneto.co.uk . Users will be able to link their bank account or credit card to fund their moneto prepaid accounts. Subsequently, the service will also be available to Android consumers in UK and then to additional European countries.
Matt Lanford, Head of Prepaid at MasterCard Europe says: “Today’s launch is another milestone in the MasterCard strategy to partner with innovators across the industry to deliver simple payments using smart technology, no matter where and on what device consumers choose to shop. I am very pleased that MasterCard is the partner of choice of players developing the next generation of payments for a world beyond cash.”
The moneto prepaid MasterCard will be the first prepaid program to offer a mobile payment solution that includes an app for the iPhone allowing users access to their account on a mobile device and enjoy features such real-time balance updates, merchant locator, wallet security and full NFC functionality. moneto also comes with a companion EMV prepaid MasterCard card to give users the ability to access their cash at ATMs, make online purchases, or shop at merchants that do not accept contactless payments.
Banking 4.0 – „how was the experience for you”
„So many people are coming here to Bucharest, people that I see and interact on linkedin and now I get the change to meet them in person. It was like being to the Football World Cup but this was the World Cup on linkedin in payments and open banking.”
Many more interesting quotes in the video below:
