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Global Payments, one of the world’s largest card processing providers, is rolling out Discover Global Network acceptance to enable its UK customers to take five major international cards.
The upgrade, which will take place from November, will allow customers to accept
Discover Global Network acceptance in UK
cards from a vastly increased number of international visitors and benefit from increased spend while they are in the UK.
“The UK is a key tourist and business person destination, and this opportunity will increase our international presence and provide even more convenient payment options for our overseas travelling card members,” explains Gerry Wagner, Vice President of Global Acceptance at Discover.
“Merchants will be able to accept a wider range of payments and access new cardholders as a result of this significant advancement in Discover Global Network acceptance.”
The new technology is designed to allow retailers and hospitality outlets to attract greater numbers and spend from international visitors to the UK. This group spent £13.7 billion in the UK between January and August 2013*, and a milestone £20 billion over the past year.
The Discover Global Network includes Diners Club International, a global payments network with acceptance in more than 185 countries and territories. It also includes Discover Card, the sixth largest US card issuer.
The upgrade also opens up opportunities from emerging markets. The network includes RuPay, owned by the 10 largest banks in India and the BC Global Card, which is the largest card network in South Korea. In Europe it also incorporates DinaCard, the Serbian national payment card network.
In addition, it will position customers to benefit from corporate spend in the UK from Diners Club International cardholders.
The roll out follows the successful launch of Union Pay acceptance by Global Payments in 2012, which enabled Chinese visitors to use their cards in the UK for the first time.
“As we see significant growth in the number of international visitors to the UK, this technology will position our customers to capture a greater share of the money they spend whilst they are here,” concludes Chris Davies, Managing Director, Global Payments.
“Acceptance of the full Discover Global Network opens huge opportunities for the businesses we work with in potential revenues, while improving their customer service for international guests.”
*Source: Office for National Statistics, October 2013
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