The payment landscape has changed considerably since last
year’s Cards and Payments Europe event, and this year’s CPE Awards
gala dinner acknowledged some of the outstanding innovations that
are helping payment players to recruit and retain customers in an
uncertain economic climate.
Cards International has announced the winners for its Global Awards
Dinner 2009, which was held on 18 June in Prague.
The prestigious black-tie event included senior payment industry
executives from all over the world, and this year’s roster of
winners is noteworthy in that it includes not just large and
long-established players such as Standard Chartered and BNP
Paribas, but also many relatively small, nimble players who are
also making an impact on the cards industry.
A panel of judges selected the winners from among those
organisations nominated by readers and included the editorial team
from Cards International, Financial News Publishing, and an
external panel of recognised international industry
consultants.
BEST MERGER AND ACQUISITION
Nominees
MasterCard/Orbiscom
Barclaycard/Goldfish/Morgan Stanley
Winner
First Data/EUFISERV
The announcement of a joint venture between the electronic payments
processing giant First Data and the EUFISERV banking network is a
reflection of the changing European payments market in light of the
Single Euro Payments Area.
The joint venture resulted in First Data significantly boosting the
volume of transactions it processes, and also enabled EUFISERV to
become SEPA-compliant.
BEST NEW CREDIT CARD LAUNCH
Nominees
Abbey Zero
Citibank Platinum Select India
Winner
AsyaCard
Turkey’s Bank Asya’s multi-application chip and PIN card
incorporates MasterCard’s OneSmart Chip Authentication Programme
features with an integrated transit and toll application and
contactless technology, heralding one of the most versatile and
advanced contactless credit cards ever launched. MasterCard and
Bank Asya launched AsyaCard in July 2008 and by the end of last
year over 1.35 million cards were in use.
BEST NEW DEBIT CARD PRODUCT LAUNCH
Nominees
Barclays UK contactless debit card
Maybank
Winner
Standard Chartered Bank India
The 2008 launch of Standard Chartered’s 1Money card enables
cardholders to select to pay with debit or credit functionality on
the one card. According to the bank, there has been a 28 percent
yearly growth in the number of credit card applicants and a 41
percent increase in the number of those who sign up for a debit
card, while the value of both credit and debit card transactions
has grown by 20 percent and 41 percent respectively.
BEST NEW PREPAID CARD PRODUCT LAUNCH
Nominees
PayPal Top-Up card
M-Cube/Ryanair
Winner
Net+
The Net+ prepaid card, launched in conjunction with Neovia and
MasterCard and incorporating chip and PIN technology, allows
cardholders to instantly access funds from a Neteller account at
over 26 million retail point of sale locations and 1 million ATMs
worldwide. The physical version of the MasterCard card allows users
to access funds within the user’s e-wallet at points of sale or by
withdrawing cash at ATMs. The virtual version of the card offers a
secure way to shop and pay online.
BEST NEW CO-BRANDED OR AFFINITY CARD PRODUCT
LAUCH
Nominees
M-Cube/Ryanair
Qantas/Westpac Earth
Winner
BNP Paribas/Orange
BNP Paribas’ co-branding tie-up with mobile phone operator Orange
is one of a string of deals signed since French laws on co-branding
were relaxed at the end of 2007, and the link-up between France’s
BNP Paribas and telecom giant Orange has created two co-branded
card products in the space of a year, including the Steel
co-branded credit card incorporating a loyalty programme.
BEST INNOVATION IN LOYALTY PROGRAMME
Nominees
RHB Tesco Card
Winners – Tie between:
Fiserv
Fiserv has launched one of the most innovative and timely solutions
in the loyalty and rewards space with its UChoose programme, which
combines issuer and merchant-funded rewards on one platform,
enabling smaller financial institutions to offer the kind of
rewards that have so far been dominated by larger issuers.
Welcome Real-time
The partnership between Welcome Real-time and India’s Venture
Infotek has launched the next generation of loyalty offerings in
India, allowing card payment businesses and retailers to deliver
personalised offers and redemption alternatives at the point of
sale, along with lower marketing costs and enhanced loyalty
benefits.
BEST NEW COMMERCIAL CARD ISSUER
Nominees
Bank of America
Dubai First
Winner
JPMorgan Chase
JPMorgan Chase gained another boost in the corporate card market
with the launch of the Chase Freedom card, a MasterCard-branded
fuel card with a set of rebates and discounts in alliance with oil
companies. JPMorgan also launched corporate platinum and gold card
offerings in 2008, offering premium benefits such as VIP airport
lounge access, concierge services and insurance packages.
BEST CARD PROCESSOR OF THE YEAR
Nominees
SIA-SSB
Global Payments
Winner
Equens
Equens has been at the forefront of developing payment processing
services in the SEPA era, and 2008 saw it secure a number of
significant contract wins. It also established a joint venture with
Italy’s ICBPI, which increased Equens’ transaction volume by nearly
20 percent and consolidating its position as a key player in the
SEPA era.
BEST MERCHANT ACQUIRER OF THE YEAR
Nominees
Deutsche Bank Global Transaction Services
Elavon
Winner
PayLife
Austrian domestic processor PayLife signed new issuance and
acquiring deals in 2008, most notably linking up with Six Card
Solutions, the Swiss processor formerly known as Telekurs Card
Solutions, to provide issuing and acquiring processing for the
debit sector. PayLife is the largest domestic acquirer in Austria,
with a market share of 80 percent, mainly in debit.
MOST PROMISING NEW ENTRANT
Nominees
KTF
O2
Winner
Rêv Worldwide
Rêv Worldwide is a global network of payment companies aimed at
tapping into underserved markets, with a special focus on
delivering financial inclusion through prepaid and mobile payment
applications. 2008 saw the launch of its platform offering global
connectivity and currency support to carry transactions across
countries, currencies and payment types including card-based,
mobile, retail and online transactions.
Amanda Fenton of Neovia Financial accepts the ‘Best New Prepaid
Product’ award
Awards attendees soak up the atmosphere
From left: Andy Makkinje of Equens accepts the ‘Best Card
Processor’ award; Delegates toast the winners