New Visa service keeps consumers informed of their Visa card activity via mobile
London - July 21 2009 - Visa Europe today announces the trial of a new mobile service giving Visa cardholders instant transaction confirmation to their mobiles when they use their debit, credit, or prepaid card. The notifications will provide increased peace of mind when shopping, on a night out, or on holiday by instantly sending the time, location and amount of each transaction to the consumer's mobile.
Consumers will be able to choose to receive the alert via an SMS or email on any mobile device or to an application downloaded to a smartphone such as an iPhone or Android device.
Visa's mobile alert service will allow consumers to be in constant control of their card payments.
Sandra Alzetta, Senior Vice President of Innovation and New Product Development at Visa Europe says: "With Visa's mobile alert service, we want to offer cardholders the reassurance of knowing, in real-time, exactly where and when their card is being used. If something looks suspicious, this will give them the power to put a stop to any fraud taking place on their cards."
Visa is currently trialling the real-time alert service with its staff in the UK and working closely with member banks through which it will make the technology available to consumers.
"We have chosen the summer holiday season to test this proposition as it's the period when people travel most. Feedback from our current pilots indicates that consumers often receive the alerts before their cards are even handed back to them at the point of sale. This real-time capability makes Visa's solution unique," adds Alzetta.
It is envisaged that future developments could make it possible for consumers to customise the format and content of alerts to fit their individual needs. For example, instant conversion into the user's home currency while abroad will make it easier to keep on top of budgets.
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About Visa Europe
In Europe, there are over 360 million Visa debit, credit and commercial cards. In the 12 months ending June 2008 those cards were used to make purchases and cash withdrawals to the value of over €1.3 trillion. 11.4% of consumer spending at point of sale in Europe is with a Visa card.
Visa Europe is owned and operated by its 4,600 European member banks and was incorporated in July 2004. In October 2007, Visa Europe became independent of the new global Visa Inc., with an exclusive, irrevocable and perpetual licence in Europe.
As a dedicated European payment system it is able to respond quickly to the specific market needs of European banks and their customers - cardholders and retailers - and to meet the European Commission's objective to create a true internal market for payments.
Visa enjoys unsurpassed acceptance around the world. In addition, Visa/PLUS is one of the world's largest global ATM networks, offering cash access in local currency in over 170 countries.
For more information, visit www.visaeurope.com.