Alliance Data's Card Services Business Delivers Industry-leading Tap-and-Pay Functionality For EMV-Enabled Co-Brand Credit Cards
- Alliance Data is first to issue a MasterCard co-brand dual-interface chip credit card
- Tap-and-pay functionality combines enhanced consumer convenience with EMV chip security
- Simplified customer experience builds brand affinity
COLUMBUS, Ohio, Sept. 8, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Alliance Data Systems Corporation's card services business, a premier provider of branded private label, co-brand and commercial credit programs, has introduced an EMV-based co-brand credit card solution with tap-and-pay functionality for its retail partners. The first of these dual-interface chip cards are co-branded with MasterCard and BJ's Wholesale Club and the Fuel Rewards® program. With this new industry-leading functionality, customers can pay for purchases by tapping their card on a contactless-enabled terminal, making payments simple, easy and fast.
"Alliance Data has always placed a strong focus on delivering intuitive customer experiences that enable our brand partners to build strong affinity with their customers. Contactless cards maintain that heritage by offering a payment method so quick and seamless, shoppers don't even have to think about it. And that's what frictionless payments is all about," said Jami Dewolf, chief marketing officer for Alliance Data's card services business.
EMV – which stands for Europay, MasterCard and Visa – is a global standard for cards equipped with computer chips and the technology used to authenticate chip-card transactions. Retailers' EMV terminals require customers to insert their credit cards into a credit card slot at the bottom of the terminal, removing the card only after the transaction has been completed.
"With the rise of mobile wallets, the industry will continue to shift to faster and easier methods of payment. The rollout of an EMV tap-and-pay card enables us to keep the customer experience consistent across our mobile and chip card solutions and with the predominance of plastic cards, contactless will reach more customers earlier in the adoption cycle," said Art Roca, senior director of payment services for Alliance Data's card services business.
How it works: the new tap-and-pay enabled credit cards feature the universal wave symbol – a series of semi-circles – on the front of the card. When customers see the same wave symbol on a payment terminal, they simply need to hold their credit card close to or on the symbol until the terminal indicates the card has been accepted. If a terminal does not feature tap-and-pay functionality, consumers can swipe or insert their credit card, depending on the type of terminal.
"EMV cards offer big protection in a tiny chip," Roca said. "When we add the contactless technology that allows customers to tap, pay and take away, shoppers can count on convenient, simple and fast ways to buy."
About Alliance Data's card services business
Alliance Data's card services business is a leading provider of tailored marketing and loyalty solutions, delivered through branded credit programs that drive more profitable relationships between our brand partners and their cardmembers. We offer private label, co-brand, and commercial products to many of the world's most recognizable brands across a multitude of channels.
We uphold our Know more. Sell more.® promise by leveraging unmatched customer insights, advanced analytics, and broad-reaching innovative capabilities. It's how we deliver increased sales to our partners, build enduring loyalty to their brands, and provide more value to our cardmembers. Alliance Data's cards business is a proud part of the Alliance Data enterprise. To learn more, visit www.alliancedataretail.com or follow us on Twitter @ADRetail.
SOURCE Alliance Data Card Services
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